Copyright: ® 1991-1994 Dennis McMahon


Contents
Table of Contents

Click the Q-Ref button above to keep the Table of Contents open in a secondary window

Click on any graphic or label to jump to diagrams or text topics.

COPYRIGHT © 1991-1994  DENNIS MCMAHON


Sound Advice

System requirements

Wave-watching

The Wave file-size formula

Virtualized Waveforms

Troubleshooting


Rack components

Title Panel

Mixing Panel

Wave Recorder/Player

MIDI Player

MIDI Program Panel

CD Player

CD Program Panel

Waveform Editor

Wave Composer

Session Manager

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Sound advice...

System requirements

Wave-watching

Wave file-size formula

Virtualized Waveforms

Troubleshooting

Button Help


Rack components

>> Related topics

For a definition of a component, click its title. To jump to the main topic for a component, click its picture.


Contents


Title Panel

Offers file and screen management functions through a menu bar and button bar.  Either bar can be hidden.


Title Panel

>> Related topics

Sound Impression's topmost component offers a range of basic file and screen management functions.

A menu bar lets you use either your mouse or shortcut keys to activate these functions.  Several of the menu items are also available on the button bar.

All menu commands except File|Exit have button equivalents elsewhere in the program

To access menu bar items using your keyboard, press the Alt key, then the first letter of the menu bar item, then the access character (the underlined character) for the dropdown item you need.  For example, pressing Alt,E,W calls the Waveform Editor.

Important: Menu shortcut/access key combinations will only work if the main screen has the focus--that is, if the main Sound Impression screen is the selected window on your desktop.  If the main screen does not have the focus, your key command will be sent to whatever other window does has the focus.  This mistake can produce undesired results.  You could, for example, mistakenly close some other application by pressing Alt,F,X  or Alt+F4 when the intention was to close Sound Impression.  To avoid such problems, make sure you have the correct window selected before sending key commands.

Menu bar items

Click any of the items on the list below for descriptions of menu items and their button equivalents.

File menu

Edit menu

Options menu

Help menu

Control box and the Minimize button

Hiding the Title Panel

Both the menu bar and button bar are visible by default, but either can be switched on or off.

To hide the menu bar for subsequent sessions, use the Preferences dialog.

To turn off the button bar (along with the rest of the Title Panel interface except the title bar and menu bar), choose the Title Panel item in the control box menu.  This turns off the button bar and background panel for the current session only.


Windows Control Box
Minimize/maximize
and control box functions

>> Related topics

You can open the control box menu either by clicking the "hyphen" button in the top left corner of any window or by pressing Alt,Spacebar.  Control box functions can be implemented with key combinations by pressing an access key (an item's underlined key) after opening the box with Alt,Spacebar.  Some items, such as Close, also have "hot key" combinations that allow direct keyboard implementation.

Minimize (Alt,Spacebar,N), reduces a window to an icon.  The command is also available via a button on the upper right corner.  When a window is minimized you can access its control box functions by clicking its icon or pressing Enter when the icon is selected.  To select an iconized window using the keyboard, press Alt+Tab until the title of the icon you want is highlighted.  You can close Sound Impression while the Rack is iconized by highlighting the Rack icon and pressing Alt+F4.

Maximize (Alt,Spacebar,X).  Waveform Editor only.  Maximize enlarges an edit session to full screen, allowing you to perform more detailed editing tasks.  When a session is maximized, you can reduce it again by clicking the Minimize button (or choosing the Minimize command from the control box), which reduces the session to an icon, or you can click the Restore button (or choose Restore from the control box) to reduce the session to the size it was before it was maximized. Note: Rack, Session Manager and Composer window sizes are fixed (they can't be enlarged or reduced, except to an icon), so this item is disabled in their control box menus.

Restore (Alt,Spacebar,R) replaces Minimize as an enabled item when a window is minimized.  Restore brings the window out of its iconized state and restores it to what it was before it was minimized.

Move (Alt,Spacebar,M) lets you drag a window to another position on your desktop.  Note: a window can also be repositioned by clicking and dragging its title bar.

Size (Alt,Spacebar,Z).  Waveform Editor only.  Size lets you use your arrow keys to enlarge or reduce the area of an edit session window.  You can also resize an edit window by clicking and dragging its borders.  You can reduce the size of an edit window that you've previously enlarged, but you can't make it any smaller than its default size.  Note: Rack, Session Manager and Composer window sizes are fixed (they can't be enlarged or reduced, except to an icon), so this item is disabled in their control box menus.

Close (Alt,Spacebar,C or Alt+F4).  Rack only.  Ends your Sound Impression session.  You can also quit Sound Impression by choosing Exit from the Title Panel's File menu (Alt,F,X).  Note: If you have unsaved work in any Waveform Editor window, you'll be warned of the fact and asked if you want to save your work before the program quits.  You'll also be prevented from using Close or Exit while a file or CD track is playing; you either have to stop the sound or wait until it is finished playing.

Switch To... (Ctrl+Esc) lets you switch to another program or through the Windows Task List.

Select Window (Alt,Spacebar,S) calls the Session Manager.  This menu item is available only in the Rack's control box.

Always On Top (Alt,Spacebar,T) allows a window or edit session to remain "in front" of other windows on the desktop, even if you select a window behind the one that has this attribute set.    When more than one window is designated Topmost, the active window has precedence and will cover others that have the attribute set.  Always On Top also keeps your icons on top of any open window, including maximized edit sessions that don't also have the attribute set.  The attribute can be toggled off any time.

Hide (Alt+Spacebar,H) Waveform Editor, Session Manager and Composer windows only.  Hiding a window removes both the window and its icon from view.  A hidden edit window retains its contents, and can be recalled any time from the Wave Recorder/Player by clicking Skip to switch to the window number, then clicking the Waveform Editor button to call the window forward.  To restore a hidden Session Manager you can choose the Select Window item in the control box (Alt,Spacebar,S); choose the Title Options|Select (Alt,O,S) item on the menu bar, click the Session Manager buttons on the Title Panel button panel or in any Waveform Editor; or click the session number display window on the Wave Recorder/Player.  To restore the Composer from its hidden state, use the Title Panel menu item Edit|Wave Composer (Alt,E,C) or click the Composer button on the Wave Recorder/Player or Session Manager.

About (Alt,Spacebar,A) calls a message box that contains the version number of your copy of Sound Impression as well as some information about Sound Impression's developer.  This item is also available in the Title Panel's Help menu (Alt,H,A).

Terse [Verbose] (Alt,Spacebar,T [or Alt,Spacebar,V]) is available only in the Session Manager control box.  It lets you switch between Terse (compact) and Verbose (full feature) views.


Wave Recorder/Player

In addition to being an easy-to-use wave recorder and player, this component serves as the gateway to Sound Impression's editing and composing departments.  The Wave Recorder/Player contains 16 sessions, which are always available for loading or recording.


Wave Recorder/Player

>> Related topics

In addition to being an easy-to-use wave recorder and player, this component serves as the gateway to Sound Impression's editing and composing departments.  The Wave Recorder/Player contains 16 sessions, which are always available for loading or recording.

The Wave Recorder/Player uses files with the *.WAV extension, popularly known as "waves."

When you want to see your files or recordings in detail you can quickly call the Waveform Editor window for the session you want to see.  You can also call a "blank" edit window into which you can load or record files, then use the edit window's full complement of waveform editing tools to adjust or enhance the file.  To call an edit window, choose the session number you want to see by clicking the Skip buttons on the Wave Recorder/Player, then click the Waveform Editor button beneath the session number display.


Wave Recorder/Player features and functions


Session/track number display
Session number display

>> Related topics

 Click to call the Session Manager

The Wave Recorder/Player's session number display contains three pieces of information:

An occupied session indicator (the small oval in the upper left portion of the display) indicates whether or not the current session is occupied by a wave file, segment, or recording.  If the indicator is yellow, the session is occupied.  If it's gray, the session is unoccupied.

A stereo format indicator.  If the characters "ST" (lower left portion of the display) are gray, as shown above, the current session is in mono format.  If the characters are yellow, the session is in stereo format.

A session number indicator, which displays the number of the current session.  This is the session that will appear if you click the Waveform Editor button beneath the display.

The display can also be used to call the Session Manager: just click anywhere in the display window and the manager will be called to the forefront.  To move to the Session Manager topic now, click the graphic above.


Wave Recorder Player features and functions
Wave Recorder/Player features and functions

>> Related topics

File Open

File Save

Info Cassette

Session number display

Waveform Editor button

Wave Composer button

Record

Play

Pause

Stop

Search

Skip sessions

Loop


Using dial controls

Related Topics

Dial-type controls are used on the Mixing Panel and in Waveform Editor windows. These controls operate in much the same way as the more familiar slider-type controls: Click and hold your left mouse button on the control's current "mark", then move the mouse away from you to increase the level of the control, and toward you to decrease the level of the control.


File Open

>> Related topics

  Wave Recorder/Player (File Open), MIDI Player (File Open, Session Open)
  Waveform Editor, Session Manager (Session Open)

On all components other than the CD Player, File Open calls a standard Windows file open dialog box from which you can load one or more sound files.

You can also call a file open dialog from the Title Panel's menu bar by choosing File and then selecting Wave (Alt,F,W) or MIDI (Alt,F,M).

The default MIDI File Open dialog lists files with the *.MID extension, but you can choose to list *.RMI (RIFF MIDI) files or *.MDS Play Lists.  To choose one of the alternative extensions, use the List Files of Type list box at the bottom of the dialog.  For more on *.MDS loading, see the last section of this topic.

On the CD Player, this button initializes a compact disc in your CD-ROM drive.

Loading more than one wave at a time

To load as many as 16 wave files into the Wave Recorder/Player at once:

1.	Call File Manager (or equivalent file management utility).

2.	Open a directory window for a directory containing several files with the *.WAV extension.  Place the window to one side, so that a portion of the Wave Recorder/Player is visible.

3.	Select files from the file list.  To select an entire directory of files or a group of files that appear consecutively on the file list, click the top file of a group of files, then move to the bottom of the group, and, holding down the Shift key, click the last file of the group; the two selected files and all file in between will be highlighted.  To choose several non-consecutive files from the list, hold down your Control key while clicking only the file names that you want to load.

4.	Holding down your left mouse button on any of the selected files, drag the list to any visible portion of the Wave Recorder/Player.  When the mouse pointer is on the component, it will change to a "multipage" graphic.  At that point you can release the mouse button and the files will be loaded.

Note: If you select more than 16 files, only the first 16 (as they appear in the file list) will be loaded.

Loading a wave session scenario

The File Open button on the Session Manager lets you load entire session arrangements (scenarios) that were saved to disk as *.WVS files.

Files currently loaded into the Wave Recorder/Player are removed and replaced by those in the *.WVS session load.  If the component contains any unsaved files or segments, you'll be given an opportunity to save them.  If it hasn't already been saved, you're also asked if you want to save the current wave scenario to disk.

Scenarios contain the names and locations of all files present at the time the scenario was saved, as well as all aliases and device selection information.

If a file included in a scenario save is moved or renamed, it will not be included the next time the scenario is loaded.

Loading more than one MIDI file at a time

As many as 48 *.MID or *.RMI files can be loaded into the MIDI Player at once.

You can use the same four steps listed above for multiple wave-loading (using MIDI files and the MIDI Player instead of wave files and the Wave Recorder/Player) or you can do it directly from the MIDI file open dialog box.

To select an entire directory of files or a group of files that appear consecutively in the dialog box's file list,  "sweep" the group by dragging your mouse down the list of files you want.  Another way is to click the top file of a group of files, then move to the bottom of the group, and, holding down the Shift key, click the last file of the group; the two selected files and all files in between will be highlighted.  Click OK and the entire group will be opened at once.

You can also choose individual files in a directory by holding down the Control key and clicking only the files you want.

Multiple file-opening can only be done from a single directory, and files will always load into the player in alphabetical order, regardless of the order in which they were selected.  As each file opens into the player, it assumes the next available track number (up to track number 48).

You can perform multiple file-opening on a group of files from one directory, then open a second directory and open another group.  The second group will be loaded--in alphabetical order--beginning at the track number following the last file opened from the first group.

To load the same file or group of files several times, repeat the File Open or multiple file-opening procedure.

After opening a group you can examine the file order by calling the MIDI List, then change the order using the Program Panel.

Loading a MIDI Session

The MIDI File Open button doubles as a session-opener, which lets you load entire track arrangements (Play Lists) that were saved to disk as *.MDS files.

To load a previously saved MIDI session, choose *.MDS from the List Files of Type list at the bottom of the File Open dialog, then locate and select an *.MDS file.

Files currently loaded into the MIDI Player are removed and replaced by those in the *.MDS session load.


File Save

>> Related topics

  Saving waves: Wave Recorder/Player

If the current session is occupied, the Wave Recorder/Player's File Save button calls a standard file save dialog box that lets you choose where and by what name you want to save the file or segment contained in the current session.

If the file in the current session was loaded from disk, the dialog box shows the directory and file name from which the file was loaded.  You can then choose to save the file under its current name (thus saving any edits or modifications to the file, if you made any), or choose a new name and location for the file.

If the current session is unoccupied, the button is unavailable.

  Auto-saving waves: Waveform Editor

The File Save button, like its counterpart on the Wave Recorder/Player, is available only if the current session is occupied by a wave file or segment.  In addition, the button is grayed (unavailable) if the current session was loaded from an existing disk file and has not been edited or modified.

When the current session is edited or modified, the File Save button becomes available for automatically saving the changed file to its current directory location and under its existing name.  Important: This "autosave" feature should be used with caution.  When you edit a file and then click this button, the previous version of the file is overwritten on disk by the changed version.  If you want to save an edited or modified version of a file under a new name, use File Save As instead.

  Safe wave saves (File Save As): Waveform Editor

If you want to keep previous versions of an existing wave file, use the File Save As button after making any edits or modifications in a Waveform Editor window.

The Waveform Editor's File Save As button calls the same standard file save dialog box as the Wave Recorder/Player.

  Saving MIDI sessions: MIDI Player

If the MIDI Player contains one or more files, the Session Save button calls a dialog box that lets you save the current track arrangement (the Play List) to a file with an *.MDS extension.


Play Wave
Play

>> Related topics

Rack components (Wave Recorder/Player, MIDI Player, CD Player)

Plays the current track or selection.

Use the Skip buttons to locate the session or track you want to play, then use the Search buttons to locate the starting point.

When Play is active the mouse pointer changes to a set of headphones and elapsed time is shown in the Timer window.  On the Wave Recorder/Player, the Sound Level indicator is activated.

If playing a single track or session, the track or session automatically returns to the beginning when finished.  If Loop is active, play continues until you click either the Pause or Stop button.

Waveform Editor

Playing waves in a Waveform Editor has the advantage of precision: You can set starting and ending points to less than a millisecond when playing sound in a Waveform Editor, while on the Wave Recorder/Player, the starting point can only be set to the nearest second.

To set the starting point and ending points in an edit window, you need only drag the mouse across the edit window to select the general portion of the wave you want to play, then use the Shift+Right Arrow or Shift+Left Arrow keys to expand or contract the selection to the exact points you need.

Wave Composer

The Wave Composer sports two Play buttons.  The upper Play button "auditions" the currently selected session (the session last selected from the row of session buttons; its information is displayed beneath the button row).  Auditioning allows you to decide what you want to include in your composition.  If it's not exactly what you want, you can switch back to the edit session window containing the wave, edit it, and then re-audition it before bringing it into the composition.

The lower Play button plays the composition as structured in the Composer's view area.  This feature lets you listen to your composed work before committing to a build.

Session Manager

The Session Manager Play button calls a dialog box that lets you play any selected Rack component or even all Rack components at the same time using the current sessions and tracks.  You can even start a wave recording session to synchronize with the start of a CD track.  For more on this feature, click here for the Synchronized Play/Record topic.


Pause

>> Related topics

Interrupts play of a session or track on the active Rack component; also pauses a recording on the Wave Recorder Editor or in an edit session.  On the Wave Composer, the two Pause buttons interrupt play of a session audition (upper button) or composition audition (lower button).

To resume playing or recording, press Pause again.

When activated on the Waveform Editor or Wave Composer, the Pause button graphic changes to yellow.

When activated on a Rack component, a double-bar indicator light comes on in the right digital display window next to the component's timer, and the timer shows the point at which the track was interrupted.

While play is paused on a Rack component, you can still use the Search buttons to move forward or backward to another point in the current session or track, or you can click the Stop button to halt playing or recording.


Stop

>> Related topics

Immediately stops any playing or recording activity on the current track or session.  If Loop is active, Stop deactivates it.  On the Wave Composer, the two Stop buttons halt play of a session audition (top button) or a composition audition (bottom button).

Note: Your microphone on/off switch will cut off input, but it won't stop a recording.   You must press the Stop button to stop recording.

  Session Manager: Stop All

The Session Manager's Stop All button immediately stops all synchronized playing or recording simultaneously.  For more on this feature, click here for the Synchronized Play/Record topic.


Scanning through files
Search

>> Related topics

Takes you to a new point in time in the current session or track.  These buttons emulate the "fast forward" and "rewind" functions on an analog device.

A single click takes you forward or backward one second.  The component's timer shows the current point in time as you move.


Skip

>> Related topics

Moves you to the next session or track.

Press and hold your left mouse button on a Skip button to move forward or backward through all edit sessions on the Wave Recorder/Player or through all available tracks on the MIDI or CD players.  The session or track number display changes as you skip.  To move one track or session at a time, use single clicks.


Loop-Play
Loop

>> Related topics

Wave Recorder/Player, MIDI Program Panel, CD Program Panel

Waveform Editor

Click this button then click Play to run all occupied tracks in sequence in a continuous loop.  An indicator will light up in the digital display window.  You can use the Pause or Stop buttons to interrupt the loop at any time.

To deactivate the function, click the Loop button a second time.

The MIDI Player and CD Player Loop buttons are located on the Program Panels of the respective components.  To access the Program Panel, click the Show Program Panel button on the right side of the component (see note above).

You can add a segment of a Wave file to a loop by opening a Waveform Editor session and selecting a segment.  To deselect the segment and include the entire file in the loop, click anywhere in the session's Edit Area.

The Loop indicator in the Active Function area remains highlighted while Loop is active.

A running loop can be paused any time or stopped by clicking either the Loop or Stop buttons.

You can start a loop at any session number, but the playing order  will always follow the session number sequence (lowest to highest).  You can plan a loop sequence in advance by loading files in the order in which you want them played.


Program Panel Entry

>> Related topics

This button transforms the MIDI Player or CD Player into a programming panel that lets you select and arrange all current tracks.

The program panels also allow you to loop selected MIDI and CD tracks.

Details:

MIDI Program Panel

CD Program Panel


MIDI Player

Plays single MIDI tunes or batches of *.MID or *.RMI files in a loop.  The component also offers a handy track list that lets you jump to any displayed title, and a Program Panel in which you can select and arrange tracks.  MIDI Play Lists can be saved to disk as *.MDS files.


MIDI Player

>> Related topics

This component lets you load, select from and play as many as 48 *.MID (general MIDI) or *.RMI (RIFF MIDI) files.

You can play your MIDI files one at a time or in a loop.  The component also offers a handy track list that lets you jump to any displayed title, and a Program Panel in which you can select and arrange tracks.  MIDI Play Lists can be saved to disk as *.MDS files.

Playing a MIDI File

To open and play a single MIDI file,  click the File Open button on the MIDI Player and use the dialog box to locate a file with the .MID extension (the default offered in the dialog).

You can also call the file open dialog from the Title Panel's menu bar by choosing MIDI from the File menu (Alt,F,M).

Click the Play button to hear your MIDI tune.  Use the MIDI and Master sliding levers on the Mixing Panel to adjust volume and balance.

As the track plays, elapsed playing time is shown in the Timer window.

At any time, even while the current track is playing, you can move to any point in the track using the Search  buttons.

MIDI player functions and features

File Open

File Save

MIDI Track Info

Track Number

Play

Pause

Stop

Search

Skip Tracks

Program Panel entry


About MIDI

Table of Contents


About MIDI

>> Related topics

The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard provides a link between computers and traditional musical instruments.

MIDI files are composed of encoded instrument instructions, making them considerably smaller than digitally-sampled .WAV files.

Despite the small file sizes, this efficient, notation-based form of computer sound generation is capable of producing complex musical forms.  As the format of choice for many professional musicians and sound studios, MIDI files range in levels of sophistication from simple single-channel choral melodies to the most eloquent symphonic arrangements.

*.MID and *.RMI files can be found on most public and private bulletin board systems and information services.  Collections can also be obtained from many software and computer music dealers.


MIDI/CD Program Panels

Related Topics

Click diagram labels for component definitions.

Both the MIDI Player and the CD Player let you organize lists of available tracks into Play Lists.

Play List management is handled in the Program Panel of each component. To access the panel, click the Program Panel entry button on the far right side of the MIDI Player or CD Player. This action converts the component interface into the Program Panel interface (shown above).

Both the MIDI and CD Program Panels consists of two rows of numbered windows and three buttons.

The bottom row of windows, the Selection List, represents all the files currently loaded into the component. If you more than 12 files are loaded, arrows appear at either end of the window row. Click the arrows to see additional window numbers.

The top row of numbers, the Playlist, is used to reorganize the play order. When you first call a Program Panel, the Playlist order is a duplicate of the Selection List.

You can reorder the Playlist in the following ways:

To remove any single file from the Playlist row, click its numbered box.

To add a file to the end of the Playlist row, click a file number from the Selection List. You can add the same file as many times as you like (up to the 48-file limit).

To clear the Playlist, click the "X" button on the right side of the panel.

You can also set the player to play files in a continuous loop by clicking the Loop button on the right side of the Program Panel. To exit the panel and return to the MIDI or CD component, click the Return button.

Saving a CD Playlist

To save a CD Playlist, click the Save Playlist button before exiting the Program Panel. The Playlist will automatically be restored each time you load and initialize the same CD.

Saving a MIDI Playlist

You can save a MIDI Playlist to disk using either the Save Playlist button on the Program Panel or on the left side of the MIDI Player.

The Save MIDI Playlist dialog box lets you name your Playlist and save it to disk (the default is the last directory from which you opened a file).

The default Playlist extension is *.MDS. In order to avoid confusion when retrieving Playlists, it is recommended that you use this extension.

To retrieve and load a saved Playlist:

1.	Click the File Open button.

2.	Choose MIDI Playlist (*.MDS) from the "List Files of Type:" box.

3.	Choose a saved Playlist file, then click OK. The Playlist is loaded and appears just as you programmed it.

Program Panel buttons

Save Playlist. Click before exiting the Program Panel to save your MID or CD Playlist.

Loop. Click before exiting the Program Panel, then press Play on the MIDI or CD Player to play your selections in a continuous loop.

Return to MIDI or CD Player.

Clear Playlist.

File Skip arrows. If more than 12 files or tracks are present in the MIDI or CD Player, arrows appear on either side of the Selection List and Playlist rows to let you scan forward or backward through all available file or track numbers.


MIDI Info

>> Related topics

You can get basic information on the current track by clicking and holding your left mouse button on the  MIDI Player's "faceplate."

The box opens to reveal a window containing the current file's name and length (in hours, minutes and seconds).

The current track number is displayed in the Track Number window.  To change the current track, use the Skip buttons.  Single clicks take you forward or backward one track; for more rapid "paging," press and hold your mouse button on either Skip button.   You can use the Skip buttons to change tracks any time--even while a song is playing.


CD Player

Plays audio Compact Discs.


CD Player

>> Related topics

Sound Impression's Compact Disc Player plays audio CDs and allows you to arrange tracks into Play Lists that can be stored and later retrieved when you use the same CD.  For more on programming Play Lists, see the CD Program Panel topic.

Your system must be equipped with a CD-ROM drive in order to use this component.

  Initializing a CD

Any time you load a new compact disc into your CD-ROM drive, you must initialize the disc by clicking the Initialize CD button (the File Open button on the other components).

Important:  Some CD-ROM drives are slow to respond to the initialization request.  In some cases, a CD can take up to a minute to initialize.  If you click the Play button before the disc is properly initialized, you'll receive a "CD Player not available" message.  If you receive this message, click the Close CD button, remove the disc, reinsert it, then try again by clicking initialize and waiting a little longer before trying to play the disc.

The disc initialization function is also available by choosing CD from the File menu on the Title Panel's menu bar (Alt,F,C).

Both the Initialize CD button and the File|CD menu item are disabled while a disc is playing.

Note: If you click the Initialize CD button when a disc has already been initialized, the Play List automatically resets to its default or programmed order.  For more on the Play List, see the CD Program Panel topic

Ejecting a CD

The CD-ROM graphic on the CD Player includes an "eject" button.  This button will eject a disc from many CD-ROM drives, but on some brands of drives it could provoke to a "CD Player not available" message the next time you try to play a disc.

The reason is that the eject button sends an "eject mode" message to the CD-ROM drive.  On most drives, the eject mode message is carried out through full ejection of the disc; on some, however, it merely puts the drive into a suspended mechanical state which, in effect, has it waiting for a second eject message that can only be sent by using the eject button on the CD-ROM drive itself.

If you encounter this problem, manually eject the disc from the drive, then reinsert and reinitialize the disc.

Other CD Player buttons

Click for details

Close CD

Play

Pause

Stop

Program Panel Entry

Search

Skip Tracks


About CD sound

CD Program Panel

Table of Contents


About CD sound

>> Related topics

Since their commercial market debut in 1983, compact discs have become a clear favorite of serious audiophiles.  Offering impeccable 44.1KHz quality, CDs have long been established as the main players in modern home entertainment systems, and now their versatility and unlimited potential as a multimedia vehicle are providing them with a central role in the world of computer audio.

Sound Impression's CD Player operates as cleanly and crisply as CD sound itself.  With two clicks of the mouse you can initialize your disk, play an audio CD, then turn to any other Sound Impression or Windows task and enjoy the sounds in the background.


CD Program Panel

>> Related topics

The Program Panel entry button converts the CD Player into a programming panel in which you can select or exclude tracks and create a Play List that can be stored and retrieved whenever you load the same compact disc.

The panel's track lists are arranged on two horizontal rows--each offering 12 track windows-

The upper track row, the Play List row, shows the order in which tracks will be played when you return to the main panel and select Play.

You can remove tracks from the Play List simply by clicking on the number of the track you want to remove.  If you want to remove the entire Play List at once,  click the Clear button (the "X" button) on the right side of the panel.  You can then build a new Play List with selections from the bottom row of tracks.

The lower row, the Selection List row, lets you choose individual tracks to add to the Play List.  When you click on a Selection List track number, the track is appended to the Play List row.

You can add any number of tracks to the Play List in any order you wish.  You can even place the same track several times in a row.

Note: the Selection List row shows the number of tracks available on your disc.  If your disc has fewer than 12 tracks, you'll have blank windows at the end of the Selection List.  If the disc has more than 12 tracks, arrows are added to the either end of the panel to allow you to scan forward and backward.  Just click on the arrows (or click and hold for speed scanning) to locate additional tracks.

To play your Play List in a continuous loop, choose the Loop button.  When selected, the Loop button changes from green to yellow; an indicator will also show in the timer window when you return to the CD Player.  When a loop is playing you can, from the CD Player, pause or stop the loop any time or skip to the next track in a loop.

When you're satisfied with your Play List arrangement, exit the programming panel and return to the CD Player interface by clicking the Return button.

After you've arranged a Play List and returned to the CD Player, the active program indicator ("PROG") appears in the CD Player's track number display.

Click the CD Player's Play button to hear your new track arrangement.

Maintaining the order

To save your programmed Play List for future sessions, click the Save Play List button before exiting the Program Panel.  The Play List will automatically be restored each time you load and initialize the same CD.  You can change the Play List again any time and click the Save Play List button to save the new order.

Program Panel buttons:

Loop. Click here before exiting the Program Panel and your Play List will be played in a continuous loop.

Save Play List.

Return to CD Player.

Clear the Play List.

If more than 12 tracks are present, arrows appear on either side of the Selection List and Play List rows to let you scan through all available tracks.


CD Program Panel diagram

>> Related topics


Waveform Editor, overview
Waveform Editor

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Sound Impression's Wave file production studio lets you play, record, edit, modify and add special effects to any existing wave file or newly created waveform.  Sixteen Waveform Editors, or edit windows, are available during your Sound Impression session.

Each edit window is an independent module.  You can move, enlarge, minimize, maximize or hide them independent of the main Rack and independent of one another.

You can work in an unoccupied edit session as if it were a blank page in a Windows word processor or graphics program.

The main elements of a Waveform Editor "page" are two view windows, four rows of editing and modification tool buttons, a Paste Bar with positioning cursor, a set of dynamic positioning displays, a set of volume controls and a Pitch Scroll bar.

Among the tasks you can perform in any Waveform Editor window:

Cut or copy entire waveforms or selected segments, then paste the data into a second edit window or into another location in the same window.

Quickly "clean up" a waveform using Noise Filter, Remove Silence, Add Silence, Cut, Crop and other tools.

Add special effects such as Echo, Chorus, Flange, Fade, Pan and Crossfade to entire sessions or segments.

Use the Pitch Scroll or Falsify function to speed up or slow down the sound of a waveform.

Modify the data format of any file, changing sample sizes and rates and switching between mono and stereo.

Increase or decrease volume (gain) for an entire session or segment.

Control wave, input and master volume without having to return to the Rack.

Use markers for more precise editing capabilities.

Save selected segments of a wave file to disk.

Use Sound Impression's Object Linking and Embedding feature to transfer waveforms to other OLE-compliant Windows applications.

Use markers for more precise editing capabilities.


Using the Zoom window

Waveform Editor: other features

Table of Contents (popup)


Calling an edit session window

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To call a Waveform Editor session window:

Click the Waveform Editor button on the Wave Recorder/Player; or

Choose the Wave Editor item from the Title Panel's Edit menu (keyboard: Alt,E,W); or

Choose a numbered button on the Session Manager button panel


Loading an edit session

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There are three ways to load wave files into Waveform Editor windows:

Method 1: Double-click on any *.WAV file in File Manager (or equivalent utility)

If Sound Impression is open, double-clicking on a file with a *.WAV extension in File Manager (or an equivalent directory management program) loads the file into the next available session in the Wave Recorder/Player and displays the edit window containing the newly loaded file.

If Sound Impression isn't open, the action launches the program with the selected file loaded into the Wave Recorder/Player and the first Waveform Editor session.

Method 2: Drag-and-drop.

To load a group of Wave files:

1.	Activate File Manager (or equivalent) and locate a directory containing one or more Wave files.  Position the directory on your screen so that some portion of the Wave Recorder/Player is visible behind File Manager.

2.	Select one or more Wave files.  Use your shift or control keys to make group selections (check your Windows manual if you're not familiar with group selection procedures).

3.	Press and hold your mouse button on any of the selected file names and, still holding the mouse button down, drag the file or group of files across your screen to the visible part of the WR/P.

4.	Release the mouse button to drop the selection onto the WR/P graphic.

Files are loaded into the Wave Recorder/Player in alphabetical order.  The first file is dropped into the current session.  If the current session is occupied but the occupant file hasn't been changed, the new file automatically replaces it.  If the occupant file  has been changed but not saved, you're given an opportunity to save it.

Other files in the group are loaded in order into unoccupied sessions.  If there are more files than unoccupied sessions, the extra files aren't loaded.

Method 3: Use the Wave Recorder/Player's File Open button to load the current session.

Use the Skip buttons to move to an unoccupied session (one in which the Occupied Session indicator is grayed), then click File Open and load a file.  You can also load files into an occupied session, but if the occupant file hasn't been changed, the new file automatically replaces it.

Method 4: Open a Waveform Editor session and use its File Open button.

1.	Open an edit session.

2.	Click File Open and choose a file.  If the session is occupied but the occupant waveform hasn't been saved, you'll be given an opportunity to save it before the new file loads.


View/scroll area
The View/Scroll Area

See diagram at end of this topic window	>> Related topics

An edit window's lower viewing area--the View/Scroll Area--always displays the waveform in its entirety.

The window has two moving parts--two vertical bars that are initially located on the left and right sides of the window.  You can drag these Zoom Bars horizontally to any position in the View/Scroll Area.

As either or both of the bars are drawn inward, the upper viewing area--the Edit Area--is redrawn to display the portion of the waveform contained between the Zoom Bars. Drag the bars closer together to zoom in on a specific segment of the waveform, drag them further apart to zoom out again.

If you select a segment of the Edit Area, the selection will also be highlighted in the View/Scroll Area to show the selection's position relative to the length of the waveform.

The View/Scroll Area also contains a cursor locator that shows the location of the paste bar cursor relative to the total length of the waveform.  This feature is handy when you're zoomed in on a waveform segment.

Scrolling Waves

The View/Scroll Area acts as a "scroll bar" for the Edit Area:

When you're zoomed in on the waveform (that is, when the Zoom bars are positioned anywhere but in their default positions at either side of the View/Scroll Area), you can place your mouse on any point between the Zoom bars and drag left or right to rapidly scroll across the waveform.  As you scroll, the Edit Area displays the segment contained between the Zoom bars.

If you click on the View/Scroll Area outside of the Zoom bars, the zoomed segment shifts to the point at which you clicked.

Click on the "home" points for the Zoom bars at either end of the View/Scroll Area to shift the zoomed segment left or right in small increments.


Edit area
The Edit Area

See diagram at end of this topic window	>> Related topics

You can select any portion of the waveform that appears in the Edit Area, then cut, copy, paste, play or modify the selected portion.  You can even cut or copy a selection from one edit session and paste it into any point in any other session.

The selection process

To select the entire contents of the Edit Area, double-click anywhere in the window's box.

To select only a segment of the Edit Area, position your mouse at any point and drag horizontally in either direction.  As you move the mouse, the portion of the waveform over which you drag is highlighted (see diagram above).  When you release the mouse button, the selected portion remains highlighted.  You can then play the selected portion or edit it using any of the Waveform Editor tools.

If you want to see the selected segment in more detail, click the Zoom button on the lower toolbar.  With a little practice, you can zoom in and select "slivers" of sound smaller than a thousandth of a second.

To extend or retract the selection, position your mouse cursor over the rightmost or leftmost point of the selection, press and hold down your right mouse button, and drag in either direction.  The selection extends or retracts as you drag.  You can also extend or retract the selection by using the Shift+Left Arrow and Shift+Right Arrow keys.

The diagram below shows an Edit Area containing a stereo waveform with two markers in place.  The small "indentation" on the Paste bar is a play progress indicator, which appears only when a waveform is being played.  The diagram shows the cursor in Play mode; clicking the cursor alternates it between Play and Paste modes.


The Paste Bar and Paste Cursor
The Paste bar and Paste/Play cursor

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The Paste/Play cursor rides horizontally along the Paste bar above the Edit Area.  The cursor can be in one of two modes--Paste or Play--which you can alternate by clicking anywhere on the Paste bar.

In the picture below, the Paste cursor is active; if you were to click the Play button, play would commence from the beginning of the waveform.  If any portion of the waveform were highlighted, play would commence from the beginning of the highlighted segment.

In this next example, the Play cursor is active; if you were to click the Play button, play would commence from the cursor position rather than from the beginning of the selected segment.

Whether the cursor is in Paste or Play mode, its essential function remains the same: it marks the point at which data will be pasted into the Edit Area.

The cursor can be moved to any point in the waveform by dragging it right or left along the Paste Bar.  Its precise position is displayed in the top information display next to the Edit Area.  The cursor position is also tracked in the lower View/Scroll Area to allow you to see its position relative to the waveform as a whole when you're zoomed in on a segment.

When you move the cursor in Paste mode, its position is marked by a thin vertical line running through the Edit Area.


Pitch Scroll and Info Panel
The Pitch Scroll Bar

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The panel between the two view windows features a scroll bar that lets you quickly change the pitch of the current waveform.

To use the Pitch Scroll, simply slide the scroll bar button to establish a new sample rate for the current waveform.  Move it to the right to "speed up" the sound of the waveform or move it to the left to "slow" the sound.  For even more precise control:

Click an arrow button at either end of the scroll bar to change the waveform's sample rate in increments of one.

Click on the bar beside the scroll bar button to change the sample rate in increments of ten.


Dialog box notes

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All settings boxes are offered with startup defaults (noted in the descriptions of each dialog and displayed in each diagram).  Whenever you change a setting, however, Sound Impression maintains the new setting until you change it again or close Sound Impression.  The next time you open the program, the dialogs will once again contain their default settings.  The only exception is in the Preferences and Modify Wave File Format dialogs, which allow you to save settings for subsequent startups.


Keyboard shortcuts
Using the keyboard in edit sessions

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You can use the following keys whenever a Waveform Editor session is active:

I/O functions

Key	Action
R	Record
P	Play
S	Stop
Spacebar	Pause
Waveform segment selection

Key	Action
Shift+Right Arrow	Extend selection right
Shift+Left Arrow	Extend selection left
Del	Deselect highlighted selection
Editing functions

Key	Action
Ctrl+Del	Cut
Ctrl+Ins	Copy
Ctrl+C	Crop
Ins	Paste
Other functions

Key	Action
M	Drop a marker at the current Paste Cursor location


Waveform Editor features
Positioning/Measurement displays

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The set of five digital display windows next to the Edit Area offers the following information:

	Current location of Paste/Play cursor Left edge of highlighted segment Length of highlighted segment Current mouse pointer position in Edit Area Length of waveform
Stretching the height of an edit window reveals the following two additional displays:


Using the Zoom window
Using the View/Scroll window

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The bottom portion of each Waveform Editor window offers a full-length view of the waveform.

This section has its own positioning system that lets you quickly zoom in on any portion of the signal.  The system is comprised of two vertical bars that are initially located on the left and right sides of the section.  You can click on either of these bars, and, holding down your mouse button, reposition the bar anywhere along the waveform.

The top section of the window is actually a view of all that falls between these two bars.  So as either or both of the bars are drawn inward, the top section will change to reflect the zoom.  Draw the bars closer together to zoom in on a specific segment of the waveform, draw them further apart to zoom out again.

Zooming and selecting

1. Double-click anywhere on the Edit window to select (highlight) the entire visible window.

2. Press and hold your right mouse button in the midst of a selection in the Edit window and drag left or right to shift the selection width to a new area of the waveform.

3. Press and hold your right mouse button on either side of a selection and drag left or right to expand or retract the selection.

4. Click any area (right or left) of the View/Scroll window outside the Zoom Bars to shift the bars and the zoomed  segment they contain.  (See #6 for shifting in smaller increments.)

5. Press and hold your left mouse button between the Zoom Bars and drag right or left to shift the bars and the zoomed segment they contain.

6. Press and hold your left mouse button on a Zoom Bar and drag it left or right.

7. Click on either end of the View/Scroll window to shift the Zoom Bars and the zoomed segment they contain right or left.  This produces a shift in small increments.  To shift in larger increments, see #4.


Clear Track
Clear Session

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Clears the edit session to produce an unoccupied, untitled session.  If the session contains a file that has been changed, you're given an opportunity to save it.


Noise Filter

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One-step removal of pop and hiss from the entire waveform or segment.


Gain

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Increases or decreases the amplitude of a waveform or segment.  If the current session contains a waveform formatted in stereo, the adjustment can be made to either the left or right channel or to both channels simultaneously.

Gain is used when you want a waveform or segment to be louder or quieter relative to other waveforms or other parts of the same waveform when played back at the same volume.

If, for example, you want each track in a composition to have the same intensity of volume, you can either decrease the Gain on the stronger waveforms or increase the Gain on the weaker waveforms before adding them to the composition.

Range of adjustment is --100 (which creates silence) to 300 percent.

The Gain dialog can be revisited as many times as is necessary.


Reverse

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Note: This function is disabled (its button is grayed out and the function is unavailable) if the current waveform is virtualized

Reverses a waveform or a selected portion so it plays backward.


Fader

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Sound Impression's Fader doesn't limit you to standard fade-ins and fade-outs: it also lets you fade in at the end or fade out at the beginning of a selected segment.

The Fader dialog box lets you set the high and low fade limits.  The High limit establishes the highest amplitude within the area of the fade.  For example, if you have a two-second fade-in at the beginning of a session and you set the High limit to 50 percent, there will be a sharp increase in amplitude when the session comes out of its fade at the two-second mark.   The High limit is initially set at 100 percent.

The Low limit, initially set to zero, establishes the lowest amplitude within the area of the fade.  If, for example, you set a two-second fade-out at the beginning of a session and use the default High/Low limits, the sound will open with a fade from full amplitude to zero amplitude and then jump to full amplitude again at the two-second mark.

The Fade In and Fade Out selection boxes are initially set for the standard effect:  Fade in at the beginning of the session and Fade out at the end.  To set a fade-out at  the beginning of a session, first select "Do not fade out" in the Fade Out box, then "Fade in at beginning" in the Fade In area.  This automatically makes the "Fade in at end" choice available in the Fade Out area, which you can choose if you want to balance the effects at either end of the session.

The final step is to set the length of the fades.  They can be set independently, with upper limits of 25 seconds each.   If you use only one fade and set the fade-length longer than the playing length of the session, the fade-length you set will be ignored and the actual fade will be adjusted to session length (though the fade-length you set will still appear in the dialog box).  For example, if you set a 10-second fade-in on a five-second session, and use Low/High settings of zero and 100, the fade will still be five seconds, with full amplitude at the end of the session.

The same rule applies if you set both fade in and fade out and the sum of the two fade-lengths exceeds the length of the session.  Your fade-length settings will be ignored and the fade will be produced as if you had set a balanced fade.  A side effect of this is a reduction in the maximum amplitude.  The amount of reduction depends on the extent to which your summed fade-lengths exceed the session length.


Integrating waveforms
Integrate sessions

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Note: This function is disabled (its button is grayed out and the function is unavailable) if the current waveform is virtualized

Unlike Merge, which places a second file into a separate channel to create a stereo effect (see later in this section), this function integrates a second session into the current session.

Multiple sessions can be integrated, but you must add them one at a time.

To integrate a session into the current session, click the Add button in the Integrate dialog box, then choose a waveform from the button list of available sessions.

If a session contains a waveform, its button number is blue; if the session is blank, its number is gray.  When you select a session for integration, its button number changes to yellow.

If a segment of the session in which you're working is highlighted, the integrated session will be inserted at the beginning of the highlighted area.  If the integrated session is longer than the highlighted area or longer than the session into which it is being integrated, it is truncated.

Click the Integration dialog's Subtract button to remove sessions that have already been integrated.

The integration principle also allows you to use Subtract to bring another session into the mix: if you Subtract a session that is not already present, you are, in effect, ordering the session to be Added.


Add or Subtract Silence
Add or Remove Silence

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Note: Both the Add Silence and Remove Silence functions are disabled (their buttons are grayed out and the functions are unavailable) if the current waveform is virtualized

Add Silence

Lets you add as much as 20 seconds of silence beginning at a selected point in a waveform.  Silence is inserted at the current paste cursor location.

As with any paste operation in Sound Impression, the insertion is processed immediately, so make sure the paste cursor is exactly where you want it before clicking the OK button in the Add Silence dialog box.

The default insertion amount is half a second.  The setting is changed using the scroll bar in the dialog: click the arrow buttons at either end of the bar to increase or decrease the amount by a hundredth of a second, click on the bar to move it in tenth-of-a-second increments.  For more rapid change, drag the button on the scroll bar right or left.

Remove Silence

Deletes selected ranges of silence in a waveform.

The Remove Silence dialog box lets you decide which areas to search (beginning, middle or end) and the minimum and maximum amounts silence you want to cut.

You can set the function to search for instances as brief as a tenth of a second and as long as 20 seconds.  Any silence found within the range will be eliminated from the search areas that you select.

If you check "Beginning," the program searches the area between the beginning of the session and the first audible sound.  If you check "End," the search area falls between the last audible sound and the end of the session.  "Middle" conducts a search between the first and last audible sounds. If you select all three search areas, the program cuts all patches of silence that fall within the range.

The Silence Threshold Level is your definition of what constitutes "silence."  If you set it at the maximum 99.9 percent, almost all samples that fall within the search ranges will be targeted for removal.  Minimum silence threshold is 0.01 percent.

All three search areas are checked at startup.  The default deletion range is 0.2 to 5.0 seconds.  Default silence threshold level is 2 percent.


Echo

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The echo dialog box lets you choose from either standard Echo, Chorus or Flange effects.  Only one of the three can be selected from the Activate box in each visit to the dialog, but if you choose standard Echo, you can set as many as three separate levels and adjust each level independently.

Any of the three echo types can be applied to an entire waveform or a selected segment.

The first step in applying echo effects is to choose the type of echo from the Activate group box.

Chorus activates the Group Size and Crowding settings box.  The range for both effects is 1 to 10.  Group Size is initially set to a value of 7, Crowding to 6.

Chorus generates a single echo, the strength and delay of which is established by the Group and Crowding settings.  Group establishes the volume.  When Group is set at its maximum volume (10), the echo matches the volume of the original sound.

The length of the gap between the original sound and the echo is determined by the difference between the Group and Crowding settings.  If Crowding is equal to group, the echo will be offset only slightly, enhancing the original sound.  If Crowding is set higher than Group, the enrichment becomes less discernible and, if the "negative gap" is too wide, the echo will simply blend into the original, with the only noticeable change being a slight increase in volume.

Flange activates the Flange Delay and Rate settings box.

Flange produces a "bounce-back" effect of varying depth and delay, much like the echo that emanates from buildings and other objects as a plane passes overhead.  Flange works best on clear, sharp vocal and instrumental sounds.

Flange Delay is the gap, in milliseconds, between the echo and the original sound.   Delay ranges from 1 to 9,999 milliseconds (up to 10 seconds), with an initial setting of 230ms.   Flange Rate, which controls the intensity of the effect, ranges from 0.1 to 10.0, with an initial setting of 3.0.

Chorus or Flange effects are available when any of the three Echo levels are checked in the Activate box.

You can apply any of the three Echo levels as a single effect, or you can add them in any combination.  Each Echo level has its own Delay and Decay settings box.

Delay is the amount of time which separates each echo; it can range from 1 to 9,999 milliseconds (10 seconds).

Long echo Delays can provide interesting results on a long session, but serve no purpose in a short session.

For example, if you have a recording of the word "testing" in the middle of a three-second file and you set only Echo One with a two-second (2,000 ms) Delay and the default 48 percent Decay, the first incidence of the echo of the word "testing" would not be heard, because it would just be starting as the session was ending.  If, however, you were to add six or seven seconds of silence to the end of the same session, and then repeated the echo settings, you would hear several decaying echoes of "testing," spaced two seconds apart, before the session finished.

Decay is the level to which the echoed sound decreases in amplitude, or "fades away"; it ranges from zero to 99 percent.

Setting Decay to zero will, of course, provide you with echoed duplicates of the original sound, spaced by the amount of Delay you set.  With a small Delay, each instance of the echo would be practically indistinguishable from its predecessor, and, depending on its contents, the entire waveform could turn into a noisy muddle.

Setting Decay to its highest level is equally impractical for most applications: the echo would drop away so dramatically that even its first instance would be nearly inaudible.


Pan/Crossfade

>> Related topics

This dialog lets you apply single Pan effects between channels either way or use a Crossfade, in which the left channel fades to the right channel while the left channel "crosses" it and fades to the right.

You can set both the extent and the limits of the fades.

The function works only on stereo files, and the button is disabled if the current waveform is not formatted in stereo.


Time Scale Definition

>> Related topics

Calls a dialog box that lets you set the basis for the positioning and measurement information displays next to the volume controls.

The definition dialog offers four choices: Music Beats, SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Time Code, Samples, and Minutes/Seconds/Milliseconds.  When you switch modes, the button graphic changes to indicate the current mode (default mode is Minutes/Seconds/Milliseconds, represented on the button as a "T").

Using the Music Beat definition with markers

If you choose Music Beats, you can set beats per measure, tempo and ticks by simply typing them into the edit boxes in the definition dialog.

To calculate the tempo of a particular piece of music, open a Waveform Editor window and follow these steps:

1. Load a music file.

2. Place one finger above the "M" key on your keyboard and another above the "P" key.

3. Press the "P" key to start the music.  Tap the "M" key to the music beat.  As you tap, markers are dropped into the Edit Area.

4. When the music stops, call the Time Definition Scale dialog.  Click the "Average" button to reveal the average tempo of the music.


Signal View: Real or Absolute
Waveform views: Real/Absolute

>> Related topics

Default is Real view, which shows the waveform both above and below the baseline.  Absolute view places the entire waveform above the baseline, which is reestablished at the bottom of the Edit Area.

To switch views, click the button.  The button graphic reflects the current view.


Signal View: Line or Envelope
Waveform views: Envelope/Line

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Default is Envelope view, a "filled" view of the waveform signal.  The Line view shows a single line tracing of the signal.

To switch views, click the button.  The button graphic reflects the current view.


Edit area magnification
Change Edit Area magnification

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Changes the level of magnification of the waveform in the Edit Area without affecting the waveform's amplitude.

You can step through magnification levels with single button clicks.


Merge into Stereo
Merge into Stereo/Split into Mono

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Note: Both the Merge into Stereo and Split into Mono functions are disabled (the button is grayed out and the functions are unavailable) if the current waveform is virtualized

If the current edit session contains a mono session, you can use Merge to import a second signal and insert it into the right channel to create a stereo effect.

A dialog box lets you choose a session to merge from among the occupied sessions. Sessions that contain signals available for importing are  represented with blue button numbers.  When you select a session, its button number changes to yellow.  Gray-numbered buttons represent blank sessions, which are unavailable for importing.

The inserted waveform appears in the top portion of the edit session (the right channel).  The session from which the inserted waveform is copied is not affected.

If the edit session already contains a stereo session, clicking the Merge/Split button lets you export, or "split" the right channel into a session of its own.

The Split into Mono Sessions dialog box offers the same set of session buttons described above, except the blue-numbered buttons represent unoccupied sessions. Only unoccupied sessions can receive a waveform exported by the Split function.


Modify File Format
Modify Wave Data Format

>> Related topics

Use this button to change any of the three basic attributes of a Wave file: the number of channels, the sample rate, and the sample size.   Format also offers a toggle called Falsify, which lets you change the speed of the waveform without actually changing its data.

Format settings always match the settings of a newly-loaded session.  If you open a mono session, for example, and then merge a second file to create a stereo effect, the settings automatically change to stereo.  If you split off one of the sessions, the Channel setting changes back to mono.

If you clear a session, however, the format of the previous occupant of the session will be retained until you change it or until a new file is opened into the session with different settings.

Data Format defaults (for new recordings) are mono, 8-bit sample size, and 11025 Hz (Hertz, or samples per second) sample rate.  To create new defaults for subsequent Sound Impression sessions, change the settings and click the Save button.  To return to the previously-saved set of defaults, click the Defaults button.  The Restore button lets you undo a change while still in the dialog box.

The only item that isn't retained by the Save function is Falsify.   This special effect is used only when you want to speed up or slow down the sound of a waveform by 100 percent.  You must check it each time you want to use it, then choose "Yes" when asked if you want to retain the changes.

For example, if you check Falsify then change Sample Rate to 22,050 from 11,025, the playing length of the file will be reduced by 100 percent but the actual amount of data is unchanged, so the file size remains the same.

The same rule applies if you check Falsify and then double the sample size to 16 bits or change the file to stereo.

The net effect of Format changes depend entirely on the capabilities of your sound card.  Changing a mono file to stereo is an immediately visible procedure, and, with most sound cards, you'll notice the change when you play the file.

Increasing the sample rate or size is not so apparent, however, and may have little or no effect on sound quality unless your card supports the higher-level attributes.  If it doesn't, you'll only be needlessly enlarging your file.

For example,  boosting a file with a sample rate of 11,025 to 22,050 Hz will double the size of the file with no appreciable difference in quality when played on a card hat can only support the lower rate.


Crop

>> Related topics

Lets you delete everything except a selected portion of the session.  Just select the portion of the signal you want to keep and click the Crop button to delete the rest.


Cut, Copy and Paste
Cut, Copy, Paste

>> Related topics

These three functions work just as they do in most other Windows applications--except they use Sound Impression's own internal clipboard instead of the Windows clipboard.

Just select the portion you want to cut or copy and click the appropriate button.  You can then use the Paste command to insert the cut or copied signal portion elsewhere in the same file or into any other Waveform Editor session.

Pastes are inserted at the position of the Paste Cursor, and the inserted waveform flows to the right of the cursor position.


Zoom

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The Zoom button lets you zoom in on a selected segment of the current waveform.

When you click the button the Edit Area is filled with a zoomed picture of the selected segment.  To zoom in closer, select another segment and click the Zoom button again.  As you move in for more detail, the View/Scroll Area displays the position of the zoomed portion relative to the entire file.

Clicking the Zoom button with nothing selected in the Edit Area alternates the view between the current zoomed area (the area between the Zoom Bars in the View/Scroll Area) and full length view.


Scrub

>> Related topics

Sound Impression's Scrub feature lets you locate specific sounds by dragging your mouse pointer across a waveform.

The principle is similar to that used in the 'review' or 'cue' features available on some tape recorders.

To use the feature, click the Scrub button and drag the mouse pointer, slowly or quickly, across any portion of the waveform.

Just as there are limits to the speed at which you can move the buttons on scroll bars, there are limits to the speeds at which you can scrub-play a file.  The limits depend on the sample rate of the file being scrubbed.  The feature works best on higher resolution waveforms (e.g. 44kHz).  At lower resolutions, such as 11kHz files, the scrub range is narrower, and you may find that extremely slow or extremely rapid scrubbing doesn't match the speed of your mouse movements.

You can scrub waveforms even if you're zoomed in on a small segment of the waveform, but again, the range at which a segment can be scrubbed is narrowed as you zoom in closer.

System capabilities also affect scrubbing performance. As a rule, if your system has trouble producing 'clean' sound when running higher resolution files, scrubbing the same files will produce erratic results as well.


Undo

>> Related topics

Note: This function is disabled (its button is grayed out and the function is unavailable) if the current waveform is virtualized

Sound Impression's Undo function lets you change your mind after making an edit in a Waveform Editor window.  Click this button (if active) to discard the last editing change and revert to the previous version of the file.

Undo is not always available (it's not available when the edit window contains a virtualized waveform), and you can force it off to conserve memory.  To disable Undo, call the Session Manager and click the Disable Undo button.


Edit session volume control
Edit session volume controls

>> Related topics

The three "knobs" on the left side of all edit windows let you establish volume for the Wave, Input and Master controls without returning to the Rack.

When you change volume with these controls in any edit window, matching controls on the Rack and in all other edit windows are changed to match the new settings.


Click the Back button on the panel above to return to the previous screen.


Click the labels for definitions of component features and functions.  To return to the previous screen, click the Back button on the panel above.


Wave

A sound file format (extension *.WAV) used by Windows multimedia applications.


MIDI

Acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.  Sound Impression uses general MIDI files (*.MID extension) and RIFF MIDI files (*.RMI extension).


Reveal/conceal Mixing Panel

Check this box to have the Mixing Panel appear at startup.  Remove the check (by clicking the box) to have the Mixing Panel hidden at startup.  (Shipped default: Revealed.)


Reveal/conceal Wave Recorder/Player

Check this box to have the Wave Recorder/Player appear at startup.  Remove the check (by clicking the box) to have the Wave Recorder/Player hidden at startup.  (Shipped default: Revealed.)


Reveal/conceal MIDI Player

Check this box to have the MIDI Player appear at startup.  Remove the check (by clicking the box) to have the MIDI Player hidden at startup.  Shipped default: Reveal.


Reveal/conceal CD Player at startup

Check this box to have the CD Player appear at startup.  Remove the check (by clicking the box) to have the CD Player hidden at startup.  (Shipped default: Revealed.)


Start with Rack normal size or minimized

Toggle this check box to have the Rack (main screen) start normally or minimized when you launch Sound Impression.  (Shipped default: Normal size.)


Reveal/conceal Menu Bar at startup

Toggle this check box to have the Menu Bar revealed or concealed when you launch Sound Impression.  (Shipped default: Revealed.)


Choose Rack background panel color

Choose a background color for the Rack.  New choice is immediate when you click Save and Close.  Choices--light, medium and dark--are shown below.  (Shipped default: medium gray panel background.)


Start with an open Edit session window

Check this box if you want an Edit session window open and in the forefront the next time (and each time) you start Sound Impression.  (Shipped default: Edit window not shown at startup.)


Start with Wave Composer open

Check this box if you want the Wave Composer open the next time (and each time) you start Sound Impression.  (Shipped default: Composer not shown at startup.)


Start with Session Manager open

Check this box if you want the Session Manager open the next time (and each time) you start Sound Impression.  (Shipped default: Session Manager not shown at startup.)


Start with "dial" style Mixing Panel volume controls

Check this box to toggle between round dial-style volume controls and sliding lever-style controls (the latter is the shipped default).  New choice is immediate when you click Save and Close.


Saving your startup configuration changes

Be sure to click the Save button after making any startup configuration changes.  Otherwise, your changes won't be saved and the current configuration will apply the next time you start Sound Impression.


Closing the Preference dialog box

If you made any changes to the startup configuration or to the color map, remember to click the appropriate Save button before clicking the Close button.  Otherwise, your changes won't be saved.


Saving your color changes

When you get the right color mix for your selected features, click the save button and either close the dialog or choose another feature to change.  You'll see the changes the next time you access any edit window.


Resetting colors to the defaults

This button resets colors to the Shipped defaults.  Original program color values are noted in the description of each item.  Click the item name in the sample Preferences dialog shown here to jump to the description.


Color change display

Current color levels show in the box beside the scroll buttons, and the numbers change as you scroll.  The overall color mix, shown in the box in the bottom right corner of the dialog, also changes as you scroll, letting you see the effects of your adjustments as you make them.


Changing color values: single increments

The left scroll buttons add or subtract base color from the mix in 10-unit increments, while the right buttons let you add or remove color one unit at a time.  Clicking and holding down the mouse button on any scroll button accelerates the adjustment.


Changing color values: 10-unit increments

The left scroll buttons add or subtract base color from the mix in 10-unit increments, while the right buttons let you add or remove color one unit at a time.  Clicking and holding down the mouse button on any scroll button accelerates the adjustment.


Mixing new color values

Select an object from the list and then mix a new color from the available  red, green and blue "inks."  Each color has a range of intensity from zero to 255, and each has its own pair of scroll buttons with which you can adjust the overall color balance.


Changing colors: Markers

Changes the color of the markers that can be dropped into the Edit and View/Scroll areas of a Waveform Editor window.  (Shipped default: Blue.)


Changing colors: Scroll end caps

Changes the color of the Waveform Editor's two View/Scroll Area end caps (the moveable bars that normally reside at either end of the area).


Changing colors: Time Line

Changes the color of the Time Line that appears above the waveform in the lower Zoom area of all Waveform Editor windows.


Changing colors: Selection highlighting

Changes the color of the highlighting in the Edit Area of a Waveform Editor session window.


Changing colors: Waveform background

Changes the background color in the Edit Area of a Waveform Editor session window.  Default: black.


Changing colors: Waveform baselines

Changes the color of the horizontal line (or lines, if stereo in effect) that runs horizontally through the center of a waveform in a Waveform Editor session window.


Changing colors: Waveform tracing

Changes the color of the waveform "signal" contained in the Edit Area of a Waveform Editor session window.


Changing colors: Window background

Changes the window background panel color of Waveform Editor sessions.


Changing colors: Window text

Changes the color of the information panel text in Waveform Editor sessions.


Windows control box

The box in the top left-hand corner of most windows and dialog boxes.  The control box offers a menu of basic screen and program management functions.  Menu items may differ in different windows, depending on the type of window accessed.  Control box functions are also available by clicking a window's icon when it is minimized.


Menu bar

Sound Impression's menu bar, located on the Title Panel, offers a variety of basic file and screen management functions, most of which are available as buttons elsewhere in the program.  Menu items can be accessed by clicking one of the four main menu choices (File, Edit, Options or Help) and then selecting an item from the dropdown list, or via keyboard combinations.  To use the keyboard, press Alt, then the first letter of the main menu choice (F, E, O or H), then the underlined character (or first character) of the item you want to activate.  A selection in the startup configuration options section of the Preferences dialog box lets you hide the menu bar for subsequent Sound Impression sessions.


The Minimize Button

Minimize, the button with the downward-pointing arrow on the top right-hand corner of most windows, is used to reduce the window to an icon.  Minimize is also available via the Windows control box (the box in the top left-hand corner) on most windows.


Conceal/Reveal components

Any component except the Title Panel can be alternately concealed or revealed any time, either by clicking the component's button on the Title Panel or by selecting the component's item in the Options menu.


Preferences

The preferences dialog box, available by clicking the Preferences button on the Title Panel or by selecting the Preferences item in the Options menu, lets you set alternate startup configurations and to change the colors of many elements of the Waveform Editor.


Help

You can call online Help from three places in Sound Impression: from the Title Panel (Help button or Help menu), or from a button on the Waveform Editor.  The latter button takes you directly to the Help topic for the edit session window.


Volume Controls

Vertical levers control volume for left and right channels.  Separate controls are available for input devices, each of the three "playing" components and for Master volume.  To adjust left/right volume simultaneously, drag the area between the levers.


Input Buttons

These buttons let you select an input source from which to pipe sound to the Wave recorder.


Bass and treble controls

These two dials let you adjust the tone of output or recorded input.


SurroundSound (SRS) buttons

The SRS buttons allow you to switch SurroundSound capability on and off and to enable the SurroundSound Mono-to-Stereo feature.


Mute

Silences output (or input, if recording) from all currently running devices.


Record Input control

Serves as the master control when setting recording levels for Mic, Aux, CD or Synth input. The level for each device and channel is determined by the lesser of the Record Input control or the device control.


Chorus control

Use this control to change the system's chorus level for all tracks simultaneously.


Reverb control

Use this control to change the system's reverberation level


Playing components

The three "playing components"--the Wave Recorder/Player, the MIDI Player and the CD Player--each have separate volume and balance controls on the Mixing Panel.


Master volume controls

Volume for any of the input sources or the three "playing components" is established at the lesser of the volume setting for the component (or source) and the Master volume setting.  Thus, if the right channel setting for the CD Player is set at half-volume and the Master control is at full volume, CD sound will be heard at half of its maximum volume.


Mixing mode selector\indicators

These small Mixing Panel indicators let you establish separate volume and balance settings for Play or Record modes for each component or source.  Just click the indicator to change it from Play mode (green) or Record mode (red).


Balance controls

These vertical levers let you set separate left/right balance for any component or source.


Input volume controls

You can establish separate volume settings for any input source by clicking one of the Input Source buttons then using the input volume control.


Edit Area

The area of a Waveform Editor session that provides a detail view of a waveform and in which waveforms can be edited.

More...


Waveform baselines

The horizontal line (or lines, if stereo in effect) that runs horizontally through the center of a waveform in a Waveform Editor session window.


Paste bar

The gray bar that runs horizontally above the Edit Area in a Waveform Editor session.  The Paste bar is the anchor for the Paste cursor, which marks the point at which any pasted waveform segments enter the picture.

More...


Paste cursor

Marks the point at which cut or copied waveform segments are pasted into the current waveform.

More...


Maximize button

Available only on Waveform Editor sessions, the Maximize button is the upward-pointing arrow


'Side' toolbar

A set of five buttons that let you change the view of a waveform.


Real view

Real view shows a waveform both above and below the baseline.

More...


Absolute view

Absolute view places the entire waveform above the baseline, which is reestablished at the bottom of the Edit Area.

More...


Line view

Line view shows a single line tracing of the waveform.

More...


Envelope view

Envelope provides a "filled" view of a waveform.

More...


Change view area magnification

Changes the level of magnification of the waveform in the Edit Area without affecting the waveform's amplitude.

More...


View/Scroll Area

The lower waveform viewing area.  This box provides a view of the waveform in its entirety, and lets you zoom in on selected segments.

More...


Zoom bars

The two vertical bars at either end of the View/Scroll Area let you zoom in on any segment of a waveform.  The area between the bars appears in the Edit Area.

More...


'Top' toolbar

This row of buttons provides file management functions as well as waveform modification, adjustment and special effect functions.


Clear Session

Clears the edit session to produce an unoccupied, untitled session.  If the session contains a file that has been changed, you're given an opportunity to save it.

More...


File Save As

Saves a waveform or segment using a standard File Save dialog box, which lets you choose the name and location for the Wave file.

More...


Noise Filter

One-step removal of pop and hiss from the entire waveform or segment.

More...


Gain

Increases or decreases the amplitude of a waveform or segment.  Gain is used when you want a waveform or segment to be louder or quieter relative to other waveforms or other parts of the same waveform when played back at the same volume.

More...


Reverse

Reverses a waveform or a selected portion so it plays backward.

More...


Integrate sessions

Unlike Merge, which places a second file into a separate channel to create a stereo effect (see later in this section), this function integrates a second session into the current session.

More...


Add silence

Lets you add as much as 20 seconds of silence beginning at a selected point in a waveform.  Silence is inserted at the Paste Cursor location.

More...


Remove silence

Deletes selected ranges of silence in a waveform.  The Remove Silence dialog box lets you decide which areas to search (beginning, middle or end) and the minimum and maximum amounts silence you want to cut.

More...


Echo

The echo dialog box lets you choose from either standard Echo, Chorus or Flange effects.  Standard Echo lets you can set as many as three separate levels and adjust each level independently.  Any of the three echo types can be applied to an entire waveform or a selected segment.

More...


Fader

Sound Impression's Fader offers standard fade-ins and fade-outs and also allows you to fade in at the end or fade out at the beginning of a selected segment.

More...


Pan/Crossfade

The dialog box called by this button lets you apply single Pan effects between channels either way or use a Crossfade, in which the left channel fades to the right channel while the left channel "crosses" it and fades to the right.

More...


Time scale definition

Calls a dialog box that lets you set the basis for the information provided in the Information Panel.  The dialog offers three choices: Music Beats, Samples and Hours/Minutes/Seconds.  If you choose Music Beats you can set beats per measure and tempo, and have your highlighted selections snap to the chosen beat.

More...


Volume control

Controls the volume of the current waveform, master volume and input device volume.  To use the controls, hold down your left mouse button and slide the mouse straight forward to increase volume, or draw it straight backward to lower volume.  Side-to-side mouse movement has no effect.

More...


Pitch scroll

The Pitch Scroll lets you quickly establish a new sample rate for the current waveform.  Move it to the right to "speed up" the sound of the waveform or move it to the left to "slow" the sound.

More...


'Bottom' toolbar

Offers a set of input/output controls plus a range of waveform modification functions.


Pitch and Time

This feature is not implemented in this edition of Sound Impression.


Scrub

Click this button then drag your cursor across the waveform to locate specific sounds.

More...


Merge into Stereo/Split into Mono

If the current edit session contains a mono session, you can use Merge to import a second signal and insert it into the right channel to create a stereo effect.  If the edit session already contains a stereo session, clicking the Merge/Split button lets you export, or "split" the right channel into a session of its own.

More...


Crop

Lets you delete everything except a selected portion of the session.  Just select the portion of the signal you want to keep and click the Crop button to delete the rest.

More...


Cut

Works the same as the cut function in most other Windows applications, except it uses Sound Impression's own internal clipboard instead of the Windows clipboard.

More...


Copy

Works the same as the copy function in most other Windows applications, except it uses Sound Impression's own internal clipboard instead of the Windows clipboard.  Just select the portion you want to copy, then click this button.  You can then use the Paste command to insert the copied signal portion elsewhere in the same file or into any other Waveform Editor session.

More...


Paste

Works the same as the paste function in most other Windows applications, except it uses Sound Impression's own internal clipboard instead of the Windows clipboard.  The Paste command inserts a cut or copied signal portion elsewhere in the same file or into any other Waveform Editor session.  Pastes are inserted at the position of the Paste Cursor, and the inserted waveform flows to the right of the cursor position.

More...


Zoom selection

Clicking this button fills the Edit Area with a zoomed picture of a selected segment of the waveform.  To zoom in closer, select another segment and click the Zoom button again.  As you move in for more detail, the View/Scroll Area displays the position of the zoomed portion relative to the entire file.  Clicking the Zoom button with nothing selected in the Edit Area restores the full session view in both view areas.

More...


Modify Wave Data Format

Use this button to change any of the three basic attributes of a Wave file: the number of channels, the sample rate, and the sample size.   Format also offers a toggle called Falsify, which lets you change the speed of the waveform without actually changing its data.

More...


Active track indicator

"Lights up" when the current track is available for playing.


Eject CD

Click this button to eject a CD from the CD-ROM drive.  Some CD-ROM drives require manual ejection of discs.  Note: If your disc does not reinitialize after clicking this button, see the "Eject button" note in the CD Player topic.


Close CD (deinitialize)

What serves as the save button on the other components is used by the CD Player to deinitialize, or "close," the disc in the CD drive.  Clicking the Close CD button  causes all component buttons except Initialize CD to be dimmed.


Initialize CD

This button, used to call the File Open dialog on the Wave Recorder/Player and the MIDI Player, is used to initialize the disc in your CD-ROM drive.  When this button is clicked the component's Play, Scan, Skip and Play List buttons are highlighted in preparation for playing.  The disc initialization function is also available by choosing CD from the File menu on the Title Panel's menu bar (Alt,F,C).


Active program indicator

"Lights up" when a MIDI Play List has been loaded or programmed using the Program Panel.


Occupied track indicator

"Lights up" when the current MIDI session is occupied and available for playing.


Track number window

Shows the current track number.  On the MIDI Player, you can click this window to call the MIDI Play List.


Save MIDI Session

Calls a standard file save dialog box, except the purpose is to save your MIDI Play List instead of a file.


Open MIDI file(s)

You can load as many as eight files at once through the MIDI Player file open dialog box.


Track information

Click the "faceplate" graphic to reveal basic information about the current MIDI track.  To conceal the information, click the graphic a second time.


Active function indicators

Indicators located beside the Timer that "light up" when the Loop, Pause, or Search functions are active.


Timer window

Shows the elapsed time while playing or recording a Wave session or playing a MIDI or CD track.


Loop

Click this button then click Play to run all occupied tracks in sequence in a continuous loop.  When loop is active, an indicator lights up in the digital display window.  You can use the Pause or Stop buttons to interrupt the loop at any time.  To deactivate the function, click the Loop button a second time.

More...


Skip sessions/tracks

Changes the current session or track.  Click once or press and hold your left mouse button on a Skip button to switch sessions on the Wave Recorder/Player or through all available tracks on the MIDI or CD players.  The current session or track number changes as you skip.


Sound level indicator

These LED-style indicators respond to signal strength when a Wave file is played or recorded in the Waveform Recorder/Player or Waveform Editor windows.


Sound level indicator

The MIDI Player's sound level indicators display activity on each of 16 channels when a MIDI file is played.


Session number window

Shows the number of the current session.  This is the file that will be played if you click the Play button or edited if you click the Waveform Editor.


Recording indicator

"Lights up" when the Record button is pressed on either the Wave Recorder/Player or in a Waveform Editor session.


Stereo indicator

"Lights up" when the current session contains a waveform formatted in stereo.


Waveform Editor button

Calls the current Waveform Editor session to the forefront.


Wave Composer button

Calls the Wave Composer.


Session information (Cassette panel)

Click the Cassette graphic to reveal basic information about the Wave file that occupies the current session.  To close the information window, click the graphic a second time.


File Save

Saves the current session or track to disk.  File Save calls a standard Windows file save dialog box, which lets you decide where and by what name you want to save the current session or track.

More...


File Open

On all components other than the CD Player, File Open calls a standard Windows dialog box from which you can select a file to insert into the current session or into your MIDI Player's Playlist.  The MIDI Player allows the opening of several files at a time.  You can also call File Open from the Title Panel's menu bar by choosing File and then selecting Wave (Alt,F,W) or MIDI (Alt,F,M).

More...


Occupied session indicator

This indicator "lights up" when the current session contains a waveform, even if unsaved or untitled.


Search

Takes you to a new point in time in the current session.  These buttons emulate the Fast Forward and Rewind functions on an analog device.


Stop

Immediately stops any playing or recording activity on the current session.  If Loop is active, Stop deactivates it.

More...


Pause

Interrupts play of a Wave session or MIDI or CD track.

More...


Play

Click the Play button on the appropriate component or window to hear the current Wave session, composition, or MIDI or CD track.  To play your sounds in a continuous loop, click the Loop button then click Play.

More...


Record

Records from the currently selected input device to the current Wave session.

More...


Extended marker functions

Calls a dialog box from which you can perform additional functions using waveform markers.


Place waveform marker

Click this button to place a marker at the current Paste Cursor position.  The mark begins at the left edge of the marker graphic.  The marker will also appear in the Zoom Area.


Remove waveform marker

Removes markers from the Edit Area.  Each time you click this button the marker closest to the current position of the Paste Cursor is removed.  The marker is also removed from the Edit Area window.


Waveform marker

These bars are used to mark precise reference points in a waveform.  Markers are placed at the current Paste Cursor position in the Edit Area when you click the Place Waveform Marker button.  To remove a marker, click the Remove Waveform Marker button.


File length display

Shows the total current length of the waveform.  Depending on the Time Definition setting the display can indicate the waveform length in one of the following ways:

Minutes/seconds/milliseconds (default)

Samples (actual byte length of the file)

Music beats

SMPTE scaling


Mouse pointer position display

Shows the current position of the mouse pointer in the waveform.


Paste cursor position display

Shows the current Paste Cursor position.


Selection length display

Shows the length of a highlighted area of the waveform.


Selection starting point display

Shows the starting point of a highlighted area of the waveform.


Modified waveform indicator

Lights up (yellow) to alert you that the format of the current waveform has been modified.


OLE indicator

Lights up (yellow) when the waveform is the subject of an OLE link.


Waveform format display

Shows the sample size and sample rate of the current waveform.


Zoom line

This Zoom Area reference points to the current position of the Paste Cursor.


Link or embed Waveform

Lets you link or embed the waveform into another Windows application.

Also see Sound Impression OLE.


Link/Embed

Lets you link CD sound segments or current mixing panel settings, or link or embed the current MIDI track into another Windows application.


Session Manager

Calls the Session Manager, which lets you quickly access other Waveform Editor windows and enable/disable the Undo feature.


Waveform selection

Drag your mouse cursor across the Edit Area to select a portion of the waveform.  You can then play, copy, cut, apply special effect or perform most any other editing or modification task on the highlighted portion.


Undo

Lets you reverse an edit or modification.

More...


Sound level meters

Respond to playing and recording in an edit window.


Return to MIDI Player

Switches from the Program Panel back to the MIDI Player component.


Return to CD Player

Switches from the Program Panel back to the CD Player component.


Save CD Play List

Saves a programmed Play List for future sessions.  The Play List will automatically be restored each time you load and initialize the same CD in subsequent Sound Impression sessions.


Clear Play List row

Removes the entire Play List at once.  You can then build a new Play List with selections from the bottom row of tracks.


Track scan arrows

If more than 12 tracks are loaded into the MIDI Player or if the currently loaded CD has more than 12 tracks, arrows are added to the either end of the Selection List to allow you to scan forward and backward.  If you add more than 12 tracks to the Play List, the arrows will appear at either end of that row as well.  Just click on the arrows (or click and hold for speed scanning) to locate additional tracks.


Selection List row

Lets you choose individual tracks to add to the Play List.  When you click on any of the 12 visible track windows, the track number you select is appended to the Play List row.


Play List row

Shows the order in which tracks will be played when you return to the main panel and select Play.  The Play List row is filled by clicking on boxes from the lower Selection List.


Track numbers

MIDI or CD tracks are represented by numbered boxes.  Selections made from the lower row of numbers are appended to the Play List row.


Program Panel entry button

Provides access to the MIDI or CD Program Panels, which let you create a Play List from available tracks.


News/Updates

>> Table of Contents

Using the News/Updates list


Virtualized waveforms

>> Related topics

Sound Impression employs a special "virtualization" process to enable you to load, display and work on large waveforms with greater speed and efficiency.  Unless you change the startup default "boundary" that controls virtualization (instructions for changing the boundary are listed below), all wave files you open are virtualized.

Why would you want to change the virtual boundary?  Because, as do most performance enhancements, virtualization requires a tradeoff.  In Sound Impression, the tradeoff is the disabling of a group of six editing functions--Reverse, Add Silence, Remove Silence, Split/Merge, Integrate and Undo--in edit windows that contain a virtualized waveform. These functions are disabled (their buttons are grayed out) during virtualization because they tend to consume a disproportionate amount of memory of the type required by the process.  All other edit window functions and features are enabled and available in virtualized windows, and all functions remain enabled in other active windows that do not contain virtualized waveforms.

The virtualization process takes into account several factors, primary among which are the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) on your system and the total amount of memory available to Windows (the total includes RAM; for more on Windows' memory allocation processes, see the topics RAM/Virtual Memory Recommendations and The Windows Swap File).  Sound Impression checks both of these numbers when you start the program and each time you conduct an operation on a non-virtualized waveform.  It then weighs the memory totals against the size of the file you're working on and automatically assigns a working mode--either virtualized or not--to the file.

Virtualized waveforms are marked by a <virtualized> label on the edit session's title bar (see picture below). When an edit window containing a virtualized waveform is minimized, the characters <v> appear beneath the session's icon.  As mentioned earlier, the startup virtual boundary is zero (0), which means that initially, all files in all Waveform Editor windows are assigned the virtual mode and bear the <virtualized> label.

  Title bar of edit window containing a virtualized waveform.

Virtual boundary cautions

The virtual boundary is the amount of virtual memory--in megabytes--that becomes the ceiling for non-virtualized wave files.  That is, if you set a virtual boundary of 1, all wave files you load and work on that are less than 1 megabyte in size will not be virtualized and will be dealt with exclusively in memory.

Before offering the directions for resetting the boundary, a word of caution: Setting the virtual boundary to a number higher than you need can lead to the consumption of all virtual memory available to Windows and could lead to Windows' locking up during the operation of Sound Impression.  If you need the six functions noted above for editing operations on a large file, the recommendation is to set the virtual boundary to a number no higher than the number of megabytes required by the file.  If, for example, you want to edit a 4.3 megabyte file using the six "disabled" functions, set the virtual boundary to 5.  When you're through editing the file, it's highly recommended that you save your work, exit Sound Impression, and reset the virtual boundary to a lower value (0, for maximum performance).

One more word of warning: No matter how large the file you need to edit, do not set the virtual boundary to a number equal to or higher than the amount of memory available to Windows.  To check the amount of memory currently available to Windows, choose the About item in the Sound Impression Control Box menu (top left corner of the Rack). If Windows shows 16MB of memory available, for example, you should set the virtual boundary to no more than 15MB.  Even then, you may not be able to escape the automatic virtualization of the file, since requests for exclusive rights to such large blocks of available memory  allocations aren't always practical--particularly when other multimedia applications are running in the background--and overall system performance is bound to suffer.

Changing the "virtual boundary"

The virtual boundary must be changed before starting Sound Impression.  When the program is opened, it reads its virtual boundary setting from its initialization file and uses that same boundary until the program is closed.  If you're already in an editing session and you need to change the boundary, save all of your work, close Sound Impression, change the boundary according to the following instructions, then reopen the program to use the new boundary.

To change the boundary:

1.	Using any ASCII text editor (such as Windows' Notepad), open the Sound Impression initialization file AUDIO.INI.  The file is located in your main Windows directory.

2.	The AUDIO.INI file is divided into several sections, each of which are topped by a heading enclosed in square brackets.  The virtual boundary "key line" is in the section headed [Audio]. The key line reads as follows:

VirtualBoundary=0

Zero is the default value; this is the number to change if you need to increase the ceiling.  When editing the line, change only the number, and try to refrain from placing any spaces or any other characters on the line.  If the VirtualBoundary=0 key line is missing altogether, you can type it in again exactly as shown above, adding a carriage return after the boundary number.

3.	After changing the boundary to its new value, save the AUDIO.INI file, close the editor and start Sound Impression.


Introduction

>> Related topics

Sound Impression is a full-featured sound recording and production system for the Microsoft Windows 3.1 environment.

It offers an intuitive stereo component rack-mount interface that lets you play, record, edit, modify, mix, compose and combine sound and music from a range of sources with just a click or two of the mouse.  As easy as it is to learn and use, the program packs all the power and sophistication you'll need to get the most out of your audio hardware investments.


File menu

>> Related topics

Click an item   for details	Keys Alt,F Alt,F,W Alt,F,M Alt,F,C Alt,F,X	Result Shows this dropdown menu. Calls a Wave File Open dialog box. Calls a MIDI Open dialog box. Initializes a compact disc. Closes Sound Impression.


Edit menu

>> Related topics

Click an item for details	Keys Alt,E Alt,E,W Alt,E,S Alt,E,M	Result Shows this dropdown menu. Calls the current Waveform Editor window. Calls the Session Manager. Calls the MIDI List.


Options menu

>> Related topics

Click an item for details	Keys Alt,O Alt,O,W Alt,O,I Alt,O,C Alt,O,P	Result Shows this dropdown menu. Conceals/reveals the Wave Recorder/Player. Conceals/reveals the MIDI Player Conceals/reveals the CD Player Calls the Preferences dialog box.


Help menu

>> Related topics

Click an item   for details	Keys Alt,H Alt,H,C Alt,H,A	Result Shows this dropdown menu. Opens the Sound Impression Help System (this file). Calls the Sound Impression About box.


Show Wave Editor
Waveform Editor

>> Related topics

Calls the Waveform Editor window for the current track.  The current track number is shown in the display next to the Waveform Editor button..Depending on system memory, as many as 16 edit windows can be loaded and available on the desktop at any time.

Menu Bar location: Edit, Edit

Keyboard: Alt,E,E


Preferences
Preferences  [image] Click button for Preferences dialog box

>> Related topics

Used to customize colors on the Waveform Editor windows and set the startup configuration for Sound Impression.

The dialog box can be called from the Title Panel either by clicking the button or by choosing Preferences from the Options menu.

Menu Bar location: Options/Preferences

Keyboard: Alt,O,P


Preferences dialog box

For definitions, click on any dialog box feature


Hide/Reveal Components
Conceal/Reveal Components

>> Related topics

These buttons are used to alternately conceal or reveal the four lower Sound Impression components.  Click a button once to conceal a component, once more to reveal it again.

From left to right, the buttons act on the Mixing Panel, Wave Recorder/Player, the MIDI Player, and the CD Player.

Menu Bar locations:
Options, Mixer to Conceal or Reveal the Mixing Panel
Options, Wave to Conceal or Reveal the Wave Recorder/Player
Options, MIDI to Conceal or Reveal the MIDI Player
Options, CD to Conceal or Reveal the CD Player

Keyboard:
Alt,O,M to Conceal or Reveal the Mixing Panel
Alt,O,W to Conceal or Reveal the Wave Recorder/Player
Alt,O,I to Conceal or Reveal the MIDI Player
Alt,O,C to Conceal or Reveal the CD Player


Help/About

>> Related topics

Help command calls this Help system.

Choose either the Title Panel's Help button or the Help|Contents menu item to open the Help system to the system's main contents.

Keyboard:

Alt,H,C

About shows the version number of your copy of Sound Impression.  It is available only as an item on the Title Panel's Help menu or on the Windows Control box menu (upper left corner of the Title Panel).

Keyboard:
Alt,H,A (Menu bar) or
Alt+Spacebar,A (Windows Control box)


Exit

>> Related topics

Closes Sound Impression.

The program can only be closed by using this command, available on the Title Panel menu bar (File menu), or by selecting Close from the Windows Control box in the upper left corner of Sound Impression's main screen.

Keyboard:

Title Panel menu bar: Alt + [F]ile, E[x]it

Windows Control box: Alt + Spacebar, C; or Alt+F4

If you have any unsaved edits or changes to any Waveform Editor window, you will be given an opportunity to either save them or cancel the shutdown operation.


MIDI List

>> Related topics

Another quick way to change tracks--and, while you're at it, see the name of the track you're moving to--is to use the MIDI List.

In addition, you can use the MIDI List to remove tracks from the MIDI Player.  For users with external MIDI devices connected to their sound cards, the dialog also lets you select input and output devices and to link to a MIDI editor.

Calling the MIDI List

The list can be called anytime after you load your first track.  It can be called from either of two points int he program:

By choosing MIDI List from the Edit menu on the Title Panel's menu bar (Alt,O,M); or

By clicking the Track Number window.

 or

Keyboard:

Title Panel menu bar: Alt + [E]dit, [M]IDI List

You can keep the MIDI List box open and in view while you play files or perform work elsewhere in Sound Impression.

To remove the MIDI List box from view, open the list window's control box then choose the Close item. (Alt,Spacebar,C or Alt+F4 when the list box is the active window).

Changing Tracks

The list shows you the track number and name of all files currently loaded into the MIDI Player. To make any track the current track, double-click its name on the list.

Emptying Tracks

You can remove any track from the MIDI Player by selecting the track on the MIDI List and clicking the Emtpy button.


MIDI Player Options

>> Related topics

The MIDI Player Options dialog allows you to select MIDI input and output devices.

Choosing Input and Output Devices

The two dropdown lists at the bottom of the MIDI List box show all MIDI devices available to your system. The "MIDI OUTPUT device selection" box allows you to choose which device will receive the output of the MIDI player. The "MIDI INPUT device selection" box allows you to choose which input device (keyboard or other MIDI instrument) will be connected to the chosen output device when the MIDI Thru option is selected.


MIDI Thru Option

>> Related topics

If you have a MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI input device) connected to the MIDI input connection on your sound card, you can use the keyboard to play the MIDI instruments on the sound card. Use the "MIDI Thru" item in the Options menu to enable and disable the MIDI thru option. You must select input and output devices using the MIDI Player Options dialog before using MIDI thru.


Mixing Panel

The Mixing Panel offers several features that let you maintain control over volume and balance for all components and input sources.


 Mixing Panel

Related Topics

Click diagram labels for component definitions.

The Mixing Panel offers several features that let you maintain control over volume and balance for all components and input sources.

Features include:

Slide controls for adjusting the volume and left/right balance for all components and input devices, plus one set for Master control.

Input source buttons let you select a port or device type for recording.

Adjusting volume and balance

To change volume or balance hold your left mouse button on any sliding lever and drag the lever to a new setting.

Vertical levers control volume for left and right channels. To lock and move both levers simultaneously, position your mouse between them and drag them up or down. Horozontal levers control balance.

The Master control adjusts overall volume and balance relative to the setting of the other controls.


Volume and balance controls

Related Topics

To adjust volume and balance levels for a specific device or component, use the slider sets on the middle of the Mixing Panel.

The five device/component volume slider sets are:

Mic, for controlling volume level for input from your sound card's Microphone port.

Line, for controlling volume level for input from your sound card's Line port.

CD, for controlling output volume level for the CD Player or for input from your sound card's Auxiliary port.

Synth, for controlling output volume level for the MIDI Player or for input from your sound card's Synthesizer port.

Wave, for controlling output volume level for the Wave Recorder/Player and Waveform Editor modules.

Two other slider sets are available on either side of the panel. These control Master output levels (described below) and master Record Level. Recording issues are described in the next topic.

To adjust volume using any slider:

1.	Position the mouse cursor over a slider button, then click and hold your left mouse button down.

2.	While still holding the mouse button down, slowly move the mouse away from you or toward you. The mouse movement causes the slider to move up or down on the component. Moving the slider up increases volume; moving it down decreases volume.

Except for the microphone control (which is always mono only), each slider set offers independent control over left and right channels.

Master volume control

The Master control adjusts overall output volume relative to the settings of the other output controls. Volume for each channel is determined by the lesser of the Master control or the component control on the same channel.

If, for example, the right Synth slider is set to one-quarter, the right Wave slider is set to three quarters and the right Master slider is set to half, MIDI Player output will be heard at 25 percent of its maximum volume and Wave Recorder/Player (or Waveform Editor) output will be heard at 50 percent of its maximum volume when the Play button is clicked on those components.

The Master control has no effect on Mic or Line input levels. Instead, the Record Input slider set acts as the "master" control for those devices, as it does for recordings made through the Line, Synth and Auxiliary ports of your sound card.


Input volume and balance adjustments

Related Topics

To set volume levels for a recording:

1.	Select an input source by clicking one of the buttons on the left side of the Mixing Panel. Choices are Mic, Line, Aux, Synth or All. The first four buttons select devices connected to specific ports on your sound card. The "All" button lets you set levels for multiple input devices simultaneously. The active input source is indicated by highlighted (blue) button lettering.

2.	Set volume levels and balance levels for the selected device or devices. The Record Input slider on the left side of the mixer acts as the master control for recording levels. For more on slider and master control usage, see Volume and Balance controls.

3.	Start the input feed by turning on the device connected to the selected port or ports (or turn on your microphone for mic recording).

4.	Click the Record button on the Wave Recorder/Player or in a Waveform Editor window.

Note: You can also make adjustments to volume and balance levels while recording. For example, you can "fade out" one channel by slowly and evenly sliding the channel's Record Level slider downward during a recording.


Bass and treble controls

Related Topics

Use the Mixing Panel's bass and treble controls to adjust the tone of output or recorded input. Levels can be adjusted any time prior to or during playback or recording. For instructions on using these types of controls, see Using dial controls.


Bass and treble controls
SurroundSound (SRS) buttons

Related Topics

The Mixing Panel's SRS button set lets you enrich the output from any device by providing SurroundSound capability. The top SRS button is an on/off switch. When SurroundSound is on, an indicator on the button is highlighted (green). When SurroundSound is toggled off, the indicator is gray.

The other SRS button lets you add a "stereo" effect to mono files when SRS is on. When you have a mono file loaded, click this button before playing the file. As with the SRS on/off switch, the Mono-to-Stereo button has an indicator that is highlighted when the feature is active.


Muting output or input

Related Topics

Use the Mixing Panel's mute button (bottom right on the component) to silence output--or input, if recording--from any currently playing devices.

The characters on the mute button are black when mute is off, and highlighted (blue) when the feature is active.

Note: Mute doesn't halt input or output, it merely silences it. A recording continues, for example, when the mute button is clicked, producing a patch of silence in the recording that lasts as long as the period in which mute is active.


Mixing Panel: Contents/Cross Reference

Mixing Panel diagram

Volume and balance controls

Input volume and balance adjustments

Bass and treble controls

SurroundSound buttons

Muting output or input


Related Topics

Mixing Panel diagram

Volume and balance controls

Input volume and balance adjustments

Bass and treble controls

SurroundSound buttons

Muting output or input


Initialize CD

>> Related topics

This button, used to call the File Open dialog on the Wave Recorder/Player and the MIDI Player, is used to initialize the disc in your CD-ROM drive.  When this button is clicked the component's Play, Scan, Skip and Play List buttons are highlighted in preparation for playing.

The disc initialization function is also available by choosing CD from the File menu on the Title Panel's menu bar (Alt,F,C).

Both the button and the menu item are disabled while a CD is playing.

Note: If you click the Initialize CD button when a disc has already been initialized,  the Play List automatically resets to its default or programmed order.


Opening Wave files
Opening Waves from the Wave Recorder/Player

The WR/P's File Open button calls a standard Windows file open dialog box from which you can load a Wave file into the edit session.


Save MIDI Play List

>> Related topics

Calls a standard file save dialog box, except the purpose is to save your programmed MIDI Play List instead of a file.

The dialog box appears with the default *.MDS MIDI Play List extension inserted into the file name box.  Simply move to the drive or directory where you keep your MIDI files and/or Play Lists, and replace the asterisk with a name for your Play List.


Close CD

>> Related topics

What serves as the save button on the other components is used by the CD Player to deinitialize, or "close," the disc in the CD drive.  Clicking the Close CD button  causes all component buttons except Initialize CD to be dimmed.

It's a good idea to use the Close CD function before changing discs.


Info Cassette

>> Related topics

You can get basic information about the file in the current session by clicking the cassette graphic next to the Session Number window.  The Session Info window contains the file name (if any) of the current session, along with its playing length, sample rate and sample size.


Recording
Record

>> Related topics

Records from the currently selected input device to the current Wave session.

Recording begins immediately if the current session is unoccupied.

If the session is occupied by an unchanged or saved file--a replaceable file, in other words--recording will begin immediately and the recording will replace the occupant file.

If the current session contains unsaved changes, recording is delayed; a message box appears to give you the opportunity to either save the session or cancel the Record operation.

When recording starts, the arrow cursor changes to a microphone and a red recording indicator comes on in the window directly above the Record button.  As you record, the Sound Level indicator moves in response to signal strength and the timer displays the elapsed time of the recording.

To record:

1.	Choose an input device by selecting one of the three Input Source buttons on the left side of the Mixing Panel.  You can also choose to record from the CD Player.

2.	Make any necessary volume adjustments to the selected input device by clicking the Mixing Mode indicator to green and using the volume controls to set volume to an acceptable level.

3.	If using the CD Player as your source, load and initialize an audio CD, then select a track.

4.	Click the Record button on the Wave Recorder/Player, then immediately start your Input feed or click the Play button on the CD Player.

5.	When finished recording, click the Stop button on the Wave Recorder/Player, then stop the feed from the Input device or component.

The Timer on the WR/P will immediately reset.  You can then click Play to hear your recording.


This feature is not available in this edition of Sound Impression.  For information on the advanced version of the program, which contains this and other extended features, check the inserts that accompanied your Sound Impression program disk.  If the inserts are not available, call 510-527-1011.


A note about Windows fundamentals

>> Related topics

You'll note that now and again we advise you to check your Windows manual regarding certain procedures.   Most of these are routine Windows operations, and all are covered in your Windows User's Guide.

Please refer to the Windows User's Guide if you aren't familiar with such fundamentals as the proper use of your mouse for clicking, dragging or otherwise controlling screen elements such as menu bars, scroll bars, and icons; using core Windows programs (e.g., Program Manager, File Manager, Control Panel); and using dialog boxes to change settings or to locate, open or save files.

When we do discuss fundamental Windows operations or features, it is, in most cases, only for the sake of continuity.


Related topics

Tech Note Contents


Button Help

Press and hold your right mouse button on any button or feature in Sound Impression to reveal a quick description of the feature

Example:


Tech Note Contents


Conventions
Using the keyboard in Sound Impression

>> Related topics

Key issues

Sound Impression is largely mouse-driven, but keyboard shortcuts are available in the following areas:

You can use access key combinations to activate any command or function on the main screen Menu Bar or in the Windows Control Box of any Sound Impression screen.

While working in a Waveform Editor session, you can use most of the standard Windows editing key combinations to edit waveforms and use shortcut keys for sound input/output functions.

Forms of reference

The following conventions are used to describe keyboard usage in Sound Impression:

To use a key combination that includes one or more commas in its description (e.g., Alt,Key1,Key2), press the Alt key, then Key1, then Key2.  Example: "You can close Sound Impression by choosing Exit from the File menu (Alt,F,X)."

To use a key combination that includes a plus sign in its description (e.g., Alt+Key1), press the Alt key and Key1 simultaneously.  Example: "You can cut the highlighted selection by clicking the Cut button or pressing Shift+Insert."

Keyboard shortcuts:

Waveform Editor


Related topic:

Keyboard shortcuts in the Waveform Editor


Wave watching

"Wave" is the popular name for the *.WAV file format that has given voice to Windows and is used by Sound Impression's recording and editing features.

Wave files can be large.  Not only do they require a lot of storage space on your hard disk, but they require a great deal of disk space and virtual memory while you work on them.  You should be particularly mindful of available disk space when reformatting or recording a file.  Otherwise, you could exceed available system resources in the midst of an editing procedure, risking data loss or system "freezes".

The rule of thumb: make sure you have at least twice as much virtual memory and twice as much available disk space than is required by any single edit session.

How big are Wave files?  Click here for the Wave file size formula and examples.


Related topics

Tech Note Contents


The Wave file-size formula

For definitions, click terms on the "board"

Examples

File Length: 10 seconds

Sample rate	Sample size/Channels

(samples/sec.)	8-bit mono	8-bit stereo	16-bit mono	16-bit stereo

11kHz (11,025) =	110K	220K	220K	440K

22kHz (22,050) =	220K	440K	440K	880K

44kHz (44,100) =	440K	880K	880K	1.76MB

File Length: 60 seconds

Sample rate	Sample size/Channels

(samples/sec.)	8-bit mono	8-bit stereo	16-bit mono	16-bit stereo

11kHz (11,025) =	662K	1.32MB	1.32MB	2.64MB

22kHz (22,050) =	1.32MB	2.64MB	2.64MB	5.28MB

44kHz (44,100) =	2.64MB	5.28MB	5.28MB	10.56MB


Related topics

Tech Note Contents


Wave file size

The byte size of a *.WAV file.  This is the actual amount of space the file takes up on your hard disk.  Wave files are created at more than a megabyte a minute at "voice quality" (8-bit/11kHz/mono) and more than 10 megabytes a minute at "CD quality" (16-bit/44kHz/stereo).


Sample rate

A sample is the construction unit of digital sound.  When analog sound is digitized, it must be sampled (converted to samples) to allow a computer to store and retrieve it.  The sample rate is the number of units per second at which a particular sound is sampled.  For example, at the standard sample rate of 11kHz, sound is created (or recreated, when you reformat) at 11,025, samples per second.  At 22kHz, or 22,050 samples per second, the sound quality is significantly better because twice as many samples are packed into each second of sound.


Recording length

The length of a Wave recording, in seconds.  Each second of a Wave file contains an enormous amount of information.  For example, a file recorded at 11kHz contains 11,025 sound "snapshots" packed into each second of running time.  File length, like all other variables in the Wave size equation, is readily available in each Waveform Editor window.


Channels (stereo or mono)

Wave files can be formatted in mono, for "voice" quality recordings, or "doubled" to stereo, for a fuller, richer sound.  The fuller, richer sound is achieved at a price: it requires twice as much storage space in terms of file size (bytes) on your hard disk drive.  A 600K mono file, for example, requires 1.2MB when reformatted to stereo.


Sample size

Computers process and store information in byte-size quantities, and each byte is made up of eight bits.  Thus, an 8-bit sample size means that a sound is constructed of single bytes, whereas a 16-bit sample size means that two bytes, or 16 bits, are used to produce each sample "snapshot" of sound.  A 16-bit sample size produces better quality sound, of course, but requires twice as much storage space.


System requirements

>> Related topics

In addition to an installed sound board, the minimum requirements to run Sound Impression are:

A 386- or 486-based IBM PC or fully compatible personal computer.

4MB RAM.

One floppy disk drive. Note: Sound Impression is packaged with 3.5-inch diskettes, but 5.25-inch diskettes are available; see package insert for details.

A hard disk drive with at least 2.5MB free for program files.

Microsoft Windows 3.1 running in 386 enhanced mode.  Note: Windows 3.1 requires DOS 3.1 or later; DOS 5.0 is recommended.

An EGA, VGA or higher resolution graphics adapter and matching monitor.

Mouse or other pointing device.

Arial TrueType font (for correct display of Sound Impression text attributes).

A CD-ROM drive, with Windows 3.1 drivers installed (required only by the CD Player;  a CD-ROM drive is not otherwise required).


Related topics

Tech Note Contents


Troubleshooting

>> Related topics

q:

I load an audio CD into my CD-ROM drive, click the Initialize CD button, then click Play.  I then get an error message telling me the CD-ROM isn't available.  I know my drivers are installed correctly, so what else could it be?

a: Some CD-ROM drives need as much as a minute to properly initialize a CD.  To find out if yours is one of these, click the Close CD button, remove your CD, then reload it and wait a little longer before clicking the Initialize button.

You can have a similar problem after clicking the eject button on the CD Player.  The CD-ROM graphic on the CD Player includes an "eject" button.  This button will eject a disc from many CD-ROM drives, but on some brands of drives it could provoke to a "CD Player not available" message the next time you try to play a disc.

The reason is that the eject button sends an "eject mode" message to the CD-ROM drive.  On most drives, the eject mode message is carried out through full ejection of the disc; on some, however, it merely puts the drive into a different mechanical state which, in effect, has it waiting for a second eject message that can only be sent by clicking the eject button on the device itself.

The solution, if yours is a drive that only partially carries out the message and thus delivers the "not available" message, is to physically eject the disc from the drive, click the deinitialize button (see below), then insert the disc again and reinitialize the disc and player.

q:

When I click the Play button on the Wave Recorder/Player, only a portion my session plays back.  Where's the rest of it?

a: If you open the Waveform Editor for the session in question, you'll probably find that a portion of your session is highlighted.  When you select a segment of a waveform and then press Play--either from the editor or from the WR/P--Sound Impression plays back only that segment.  To deselect the segment,  click anywhere in the Edit area.   Make sure you don't drag your mouse and accidentally select a "sliver" of the waveform.  Then click the Waveform Editor's Play button and you should hear the entire session.

q:

I used the Preferences dialog box to change colors for the Waveform Editor and order an edit session window to appear when I start the program.  I restarted Sound Impression, and the Waveform Editor came up but my color changes were ignored.  Why?

a: You clicked the Save button to record your startup configuration change but you didn't click the Save button for your color changes.  If you make changes in both areas of the Preferences dialog, you must click both Save buttons.

q:

I click the Eject button on the CD Player, but my CD doesn't eject.

a:  Not all CD-ROM drives will eject a CD when you use this feature.  With some, you have to use the eject button on the CD-ROM drive.

q:

A friend gave me some Wave files, but they don't play on Sound Impression.  Why not?

a:  Your friend's files may be Waves in name only.  Wave files have a specific format, and simply adding a *.WAV extension to sound files created in other formats--which your friend apparently did--doesn't make them Waves.  Same goes for *.MID files.  You can't load a non-compliant MIDI file into the MIDI Player.  If you have a binary file viewer you can check on the veracity of Wave and MIDI files.  Waves have the word "RIFF" at the top of the file and the identification "WAVEfmt" following shortly thereafter.  MIDI files begin with the characters "MThd" with "MTrk" following close behind (the two identifying strings are separated by other characters).


Related topics

Tech Note Contents


Technical notes
Sound Impression Setup notes

Requirements and recommendations

Hard disk space and the TEMP area

Sound Impression and 'stacked' drives

Virtual memory

Swap files

32-bit access

CPU note

DOS version recommendation

Windows version/mode requirements

Arial TrueType requirement

Mouse requirement

Driver notes

Wave audio driver

MIDI driver

CD-ROM driver

Multimedia Timer driver


Requirements and recommendations

Hard disk space and the TEMP area

Sound Impression and 'stacked' drives

Virtual memory

Swap files

32-bit access

CPU note

DOS version recommendation

Windows version/mode requirements

Arial TrueType requirement

Mouse requirement

Driver notes

Wave audio drivers

MIDI drivers

CD-ROM drivers

Multimedia Timer driver


Recommendations: Free hard disk space
Hard disk space and the TEMP area

>> Related topics

Minimum: Sound Impression program files occupy approximately 2MB of space on your hard disk drive. Above that, you'll need enough disk space to accommodate your sound file libraries and the results of any edits or modifications you make to active sound files. Wave file format modifications require special attention, since they can boost the physical size of a file by as much as 16 times as soon as the modified file is saved. You should also be mindful of available space when Sound Impression's Undo feature is enabled, since any Wave file edit or modification results in the automatic storage of an "undo image" of the complete file in your Windows Temp directory.

For best results: Ensure that your "Temp" directory is assigned to the hard disk drive partition that has the most available disk space.

What to look for:  The Temp directory is an area of your hard disk that Windows and Windows applications such as this one use as a "storage bin" for temporary files. To find out if you have a Temp directory explicitly assigned, use an ASCII text viewer to check your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (it's on the root directory of your startup drive) or drop to DOS and type SET at a DOS command line.  Look for the word TEMP among the displayed variables.  If present, the assignment points to a hard disk directory (common reading: "TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP").  If no TEMP directory is assigned in AUTOEXEC.BAT, Windows takes care of the assignment itself, directing all temporary files generated by the environment and its applications into the main Windows directory.

It doesn't matter whether the directory is assigned explicitly or if Windows takes charge of it; the important thing is to ensure that the drive that receives temporary files has plenty of free disk space available.  You can check drive disk space (actual free disk space, not "Free Memory") using File Manager or a number of other Windows utilities.  You can also drop to DOS and run a DIR listing on each of your drive partitions (warning: do not use CHKDSK to check disk space while Windows is running).  Whichever drive has the most free disk space (and is likely to keep that space open) is the best candidate for your Temp directory.

To change the Temp directory assignment, close Windows and back up your AUTOEXEC.BAT file by copying it to a new file name (i.e., COPY AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.BA1).  Then open AUTOEXEC.BAT with a text editor and, at or near the bottom of the batch file, insert the line SET TEMP=X:\TEMP, where X is the letter of the drive you select for your Temp directory and Y is the name of the directory.  If you choose Temp as the directory name, create the directory by typing MD X:\TEMP. Then reboot your machine.

Why: Temporary files are created by applications, including Sound Impression, while performing certain disk-based operations.  When they're no longer required by the program that issued them or when you exit the program normally, temporary files are erased.

Though they may do it for only a short period of time, these "invisible" files occupy hard disk space like any other file.  And they can be large, particularly when conducting operations on *.WAV files.  For that reason the rule of thumb is to keep at least twice as much disk space open as the size of the largest *.WAV file you're working on.  For even greater comfort, work with a four-fold margin.

Warning: Since programs routinely "clean up" the Temp directory after using it, the directory can appear to be empty.  It may still, however, contain hidden files that are being used by a running application. Deleting a temporary file while a program is using it is a potentially disastrous mistake. To be on the safe side, do not delete the Temp directory or any files in the Temp directory while working in Windows. Temporary files can get "stuck" in the Temp directory after a system crash or other anomoly, but the safest time to clean out any such "leftovers" is after you exit Windows.


Related topics

Tech Note Contents

Sound Impression and 'stacked' drives


Requirements: Virtual memory
RAM/Virtual memory recommendations

>> Related topics

For Best Results:

16MB or more of virtual memory, which should include:

8MB or more of RAM;

A permanent swap file; and

32-bit disk access.

Though Sound Impression will run with as little as 4MB of RAM, performance may be sluggish when working with large Wave files and the maximum size of Wave files that you can record or play in any single edit session will be restricted to an amount less than the environment's allowable maximum.

Components of virtual memory

RAM and free disk space are the main ingredients of virtual memory--Windows' way of allowing you to run more programs and access more data than would be possible using physical memory alone.  Windows creates virtual memory by finding the largest contiguous block of space on your hard disk drive.  It reserves that space by installing a swap file--a hidden file that is used to swap data to and from the disk as needed.

A large virtual memory swap file gives Windows more "elbow room" in which to work with large files.  More RAM lets Windows build a larger swap file and lets virtual memory work faster.

You can keep tabs on the amount of virtual memory currently available by using any resource monitoring utility or by checking Program Manager's About box.

To find the size and type of swap file that your system is using, you'll have to go to the place where the swap file is built--the 386 Enhanced section of the Control Panel.  The information you need is provided by clicking the section's Virtual Memory button, then the Change button.

Here's the way it should read:

The swap file should be configured as Permanent (Windows offers a Temporary option as well, but for the sake of stability, keep it Permanent).

The 32-bit disk access box should be checked.

The swap file should be set to the Recommended Size.

The Recommended Size will be less than the Maximum Size, but don't bother setting the file to maximum--Windows won't use more than the Recommended amount.

The Maximum figure can be used to determine the amount of fragmentation on the selected disk drive.  If the Maximum Size is significantly less than the number shown in the Space Available box, your disk is probably fragmented.

As mentioned earlier, the Windows swap file occupies the largest contiguous block of space it can find on a selected drive.  If disk data is fragmented, that contiguous block won't be of optimal size.

To create a larger swap file, and thus increase your virtual memory, change the swap file type from permanent to "none," exit Windows, and use a disk optimization utility to defragment your disk.  Then return to Control Panel and configure your swap file to the new Recommended size.


The Windows Swap file


Requirements: Windows swap file
The Windows swap file

>> Related topics

The swap file is one of the two primary components of virtual memory.  The other component is Random Access Memory (RAM).

The swap file can be created, checked or reconfigured using the Control Panel's 386 Enhanced/Virtual Memory utility.

If you don't have one already, create a permanent swap file on your hard disk drive, and set it at the maximum amount recommended by Windows.

If you have a Temporary swap file, we recommend that you reconfigure it as Permanent.

For instructions on creating or reconfiguring the swap file, see your Windows User's Guide.


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RAM/virtual memory recommendations


Requirements: CPU minimum
CPU

>> Related topics

Requirement: Sound Impression requires that your computer be equipped with at least an 80386 processor.

For best results: A 486-based computer is highly recommended for recording and playing back Wave files formatted at 44kHz or higher.

Many 386-based machines appear to have problems recording or playing back Wave files formatted at 44kHz or greater.  You may still be able to produce 44kHz files, but you probably won't be able to hear the results at peak quality unless you play back the same file on a 486 computer with a fast hard disk drive (15ms or faster average access time).

The fundamental problem is that at 44kHz, data moves faster than an average 386 system can store it.  This limitation is more pronounced when dealing with 44kHz files formatted in stereo.  When such files are played on a 386-based system you may get erratic, interrupted output; at worst, the system could lock up.


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Sound Impression and 'stacked' drives


Requirements: DOS version
DOS version recommendation

>> Related topics

Requirement: Either MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.3 can handle the demands of Windows 3.1 in 386 enhanced mode, but DOS 5.0 is a more capable and efficient operating system than its predecessors.

For Best Results: We recommend DOS 5.0 or later (or its technical equivalent) as the operating system for this version of Sound Impression.


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Requirements: Windows version/operating mode
Windows 3.1/enhanced mode

>> Related topics

Requirement: Sound Impression requires Windows version 3.1 or later.  It will not run on earlier versions.

Sound Impression also requires that Windows be run in 386 enhanced mode (as opposed to standard mode).  If you're not already running in 386 enhanced or you're unsure of your current operating mode, consult your Windows User's Guide for instructions on how to determine the mode and, if necessary, reconfigure Windows for 386 enhanced.


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Requirements: TrueType enabled
TrueType

>> Related topics

Requirement: For correct display of some text elements, Sound Impression requires that TrueType be enabled.

If during Setup the status report list indicates that TrueType is not enabled, you should switch TrueType on after installing Sound Impression.  Instructions are contained in the Arial TrueType font topic.

If the Status report includes the line, "TrueType enable switch not present", then Setup was unabled to determine whether or not TrueType is enabled.  In this case, you should, after installation is complete, check the Control Panel/Fonts/TrueType dialog to make sure TrueType is actually enabled before using Sound Impression.  For instructions on how to check TrueType's current status, see the Arial TrueType font topic.


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Arial TrueType font


Requirements: Arial TrueType font
Arial TrueType font

>> Related topics

Requirement: For correct display of some text elements, Sound Impression requires that the Arial TrueType font be present and on your Windows fonts list.

If during Setup the status report list indicates that the font is not present or is not on your font list, you should, after installation is complete, follow the instructions below to copy the font to your hard disk and place it on your font list.

If you're still in the Setup process, you can use the Edit/Copy menu item from the menu bar above to copy the instructions to the clipboard.  When Setup is complete, copy the clipboard text into a Notepad file and follow the instructions to make the necessary changes.  Note: The Windows clipboard can only hold one piece of information at a time.  If you copy the instructions to the clipboard and then later find that the text has been replaced by some other item before you had a chance to copy it to a Notepad file, you can retrieve the instructions again from the main Sound Impression Help file.  Just open the Help file on its own (Sound Impression doesn't have to be running), then search for the keyword Arial or TrueType.

Checking for Arial

The Arial font is part of the Windows 3.1 package but, like most fonts, it can be removed.

If you're not sure whether or not Arial is installed, open Windows' Control Panel and double-click the Fonts icon.  A dialog box shows the fonts currently installed on your system.

If Arial is listed, you should then check that TrueType fonts are enabled.  Click the TrueType button in the Fonts dialog and see if the Enable TrueType box is checked.  If it isn't, click the box and restart Windows.

If TrueType is enabled but the Arial font isn't present, click the Add button in the Fonts dialog.  Locate the directory in which your system fonts are kept (usually the main Windows directory or its System subdirectory).  If Arial shows up among the available fonts, add it.  You need only add Arial "regular"; its Bold and Italic styles aren't needed by Sound Impression.

If Arial isn't on your hard disk, you must reinstall it from your Windows Setup Disks.  The font files are stored in compressed form on the disks.  Their compressed file names are ARIAL.TT_ and ARIAL.FO_ (TrueType fonts require two files each).  They will be expanded to ARIAL.TTF and ARIAL.FOT.

To expand them you need a Windows utility called EXPAND.EXE.  The utility should already be present in your main Windows directory (it was placed there when you installed Windows).  If EXPAND.EXE has been removed, copy it to your hard disk from your Windows Setup Disk set.  This file is not compressed.

To decompress and copy the Arial font files to your hard disk:

1.	Drop to DOS and type the following at the DOS prompt:

expand a:arial.fo_ c:\windows\system\arial.fon

2.	Type the following at the next prompt:

expand a:arial.tt_ c:\windows\system\arial.ttf

3.	Return to Windows, activate Control Panel, and click the Fonts icon.

4.	In the Fonts dialog box, click the Add button.

5.	Choose Arial.

6.	Close Control Panel and start Sound Impression.  All Sound Impression text elements will now display correctly.


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TrueType


Recommendation: 32-bit disk access

>> Related topics

For best results, make sure Windows' 32-bit access mode is enabled.

This feature is highly recommended to enhance the performance of Sound Impression on most 80386- and 80486-based computers.

The only types of computers that may not benefit from 32-bit access capabilities are some models of battery-powered portables, and even then only when the machines' power-saving features are active.

The 32-bit access mode check box is available in the Virtual Memory section of the Control Panel's 386 Enhanced utility.


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Requirements: Mouse

>> Related topics

Though some shortcut and access key combinations are available for waveform editing and other tasks, Sound Impression requires a mouse for most functions.

If you don't have a mouse you can continue with Setup and install a mouse later.

Any Windows-compatible two- or three-button model will do.


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Setting up: Wave audio drivers
MCI Wave audio driver

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If the line "Wave audio driver not detected" appears on the system status list during Setup, you may need to reinstall Windows' MCI Wave audio software driver.

The driver, called MCIWAVE.DRV, is installed through Windows' Control Panel.  The warning above is issued when Setup detects that the driver is either not present or not properly installed.

For instructions on installing the MCIWAVE.DRV, see your Windows User's Guide.


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Setting up: CD-ROM drivers
MCI CD-ROM driver

>> Related topics

If the line "CD-ROM driver not detected" appears on the system status list during Setup and you have a CD-ROM drive installed, you may need to install Windows' CD driver.

The warning above is issued when Setup detects that the driver, called MCICDA.DRV, is either not present or not properly installed.

For information on the driver and its installation, consult your Windows User's Guide.

If you don't have a CD-ROM drive installed in your system, you can ignore the status report warning.


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Setting up: MIDI drivers
MCI MIDI driver

>> Related topics

If the line "MIDI driver not detected" appears on the system status list during Setup, you may need to reinstall Windows' MCI MIDI audio software driver.

The driver, called MCISEQ.DRV, is installed through Windows' Control Panel.  The warning above is issued when Setup detects that the driver is either not present or not properly installed.

For instructions on installing the MCISEQ.DRV, see your Windows User's Guide.


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Setting up: Multimedia Timer driver

>> Related topics

If the line "Multimedia Timer not detected" appears on the system status list during Setup, you may need to reinstall Windows' TIMER.DRV through the Windows Control Panel.

This driver, normally installed by Windows 3.1 during its own setup, controls the timing functions of Windows multimedia devices.  If it is not present and installed, you'll experience difficulties when attempting to run two or more multimedia devices simultaneously.

If the "Timer" item is listed among your drivers in the Control Panel's Drivers utility, the driver is probably installed and you may ignore the warning.

For instructions on installing the Multimedia Timer and other multimedia drivers, check your Windows User's Guide.


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Windows 3.1/enhanced mode

Sound Impression requires Windows version 3.1 or later.  It will not run on earlier versions.  Sound Impression also requires that Windows be run in 386 enhanced mode (as opposed to standard mode).  If you're not already running in 386 enhanced or you're unsure of your current operating mode, consult your Windows User's Guide for instructions on how to determine the mode and, if necessary, reconfigure Windows for 386 enhanced.


Sound Impression and 'stacked' drives

>> Related topics

Problem: Stacked hard disk drives can cause performance problems when working with large, complex Wave files, particularly on less powerful machines using slower hard disk drives.

Background: Stacking increases the perceived capacity of a hard disk drive by dynamically compressing and decompressing software as you work.  However, the ability of the stacking mechanism is often exceeded by the demands of playing or recording large, complex Wave files (such as 16-bit, 44kHz files).  Such files dont compress well in the first place, and attempts to do so dynamically can produce skips or gaps as files are replayed or recorded.  On a slower machine (such as a 386SX), the problem becomes more pronounced, since the stacking mechanism must operate at a slower rate than it would on a faster machine, such as a 486.  If the computer is equipped with a slower-hard disk drive (slower than 15ms access), quality will be further degraded as the three employed processesdisk access, stacking mechanism and system messagingtry to keep up with the demands of a massive amount of Wave data.  The result is often a noisy file as the needed synchronization between these processes misses small parts of the required data.

Solutions:  Many different types of stacking mechanisms are available for the PC, and some are slightly more amenable than others to the demands of multimedia applications such as Sound Impression.  In any case, youll get better results when using such mechanisms on slower machines with slower disk drives if you keep your Wave files on an unstacked partition of your disk.  Most stacking applications require the presence of an unstacked partition, and some let you adjust its size.  When you record, record to the unstacked area.  If possible, install or move your Sound Impression application to the unstacked partition.

Not only will this lead to better performance, but it will also give you a truer picture of disk space availability.  Since Wave files are compressed by only a tiny fraction of their actual size even by the most capable compression mechanisms, they actually consume a much larger portion of a stacked drive than their size suggests.  This can be misleading when youre trying to determine space availability, and the misapprehension could lead to disk full errors (or more serious problems, such as system lockups) during a recording.  When you store and record Waves to an unstacked drive or partition, however, file sizes and space availability are constant factors that can be calculated precisely.


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Sound Impression OLE

>> Related topics

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) allows you to transfer any sound file or composition from Sound Impression to any other Windows application capable of receiving OLE data.

Sound Impression's unique implementation of OLE permits the transfer of any supported sound data--Wave, MIDI, CD, even the current Mixing Panel settings--to an OLE "client" application with just a few clicks or keystrokes.  The implementation is also self-registering, which means that Sound Impression takes care of all OLE registration issues for you.

How to link sound data

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

How to embed sound data

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature


How to link a Wave file

>> Related topics

To link a Sound Impression Wave file to a Windows OLE client application:

1.	Open a Waveform Editor session.  You can load an existing file, record into an unoccupied session or paste in a segment from another session.

2.	Click the session's OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic).  A dialog box entitled "Embed and Link OLE Objects" appears.  Click the dialog's Link button.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to insert the waveform.

4.	Choose Paste Link (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The Sound Impression "Sound" icon (a microphone) is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Playing or editing the link:

To play the linked waveform, simply double-click the Sound icon or choose Activate (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit|Links menu.

To edit the sound, choose Edit from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  The command calls a single Sound Impression Waveform Editor session with the requested Wave file open and ready for editing.  After editing (or replacing) the file, click the session's OLE button and choose Update from the popup dialog.  The sound link in the client document will immediately reflect the changes.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


How to link a MIDI file

>> Related topics

To link a Sound Impression MIDI file to a Windows client application:

1.	Open a MIDI file into the MIDI Player.

2.	Click the OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic) on the main screen Title Panel.  A dialog box entitled "OLE for MIDI and CD" appears.  Click the Link button in the MIDI section of the dialog.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to insert the MIDI file.

4.	Choose Paste Link (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The Sound Impression "Music" icon (a keyboard) is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Playing or changing a MIDI link:

To play a linked MIDI file, simply double-click the Music icon or choose Activate (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  Sound Impression will open with the linked MIDI file loaded.  To halt play, click the Stop button on the MIDI Player.

To change a MIDI file link:

1.	Choose Edit from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  The command opens Sound Impression (if it isn't already open) and loads the MIDI Player with the linked file.

2.	Replace the linked file with a new file.

3.	Click the Title Panel's OLE button, then click Update in the OLE dialog.  The client document will now contain the new MIDI file link.

Note: Many client applications also allow you to change links by simply choosing Change Link in the application's Edit|Links menu or dialog box.  The command calls a File Open dialog from which you can choose a new MIDI file.  The new link will offer the same functionality as its predecessor.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


How to link a CD sound segment

>> Related topics

To link a Sound Impression CD sound segment to a Windows client application:

1.	Initialize an audio CD in the CD Player.

2.	Click the OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic) on the main screen Title Panel.  A dialog box entitled "OLE for MIDI and CD" appears.  The CD portion of the dialog lets you set a starting and ending time for the CD segment.  After setting the length, click the CD section's Link button.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to insert the CD sound segment.

4.	Choose Paste Link (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The Sound Impression "CD" icon is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Playing or changing a CD sound segment link:

To play a linked CD sound segment, simply double-click the CD icon or choose Activate (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  Sound Impression will open and, if the CD bearing the requested sound segment is present in your CD-ROM drive, the program will automatically initialize the disc, locate the correct segment and play it.  If the CD isn't present in the CD-ROM drive, you'll be asked to insert it.  To halt play, click the Stop button on the CD Player.

To change a CD sound segment link:

1. Choose Edit from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  The command opens Sound Impression (if it isn't already open) and locates the CD segment as noted above.

2. Click the Title Panel's OLE button.  Change the time segment for the current audio CD or load and initialize a new CD and enter a new segment.

3. Click Update in the OLE dialog.  The client document will now contain the new CD sound segment link.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


How to embed a Wave file

>> Related topics

To embed a waveform into an OLE client application:

1.	Open a Waveform Editor session.  You can load an existing file, record into an unoccupied session or paste in a segment from another session.

2.	Click the session's OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic).  A dialog box entitled "OLE for Wave files" appears.  Click the dialog's Copy Embedded Object button.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to embed the Wave sound.

4.	Choose Paste Special (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The command calls an object selection dialog box.  Choose Sound object from the list.  The Sound Impression "Sound object" icon (a microphone) is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Playing or editing the embedded Sound object:

To play the embedded sound file, double-click the Sound icon or choose Sound Object|Play (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.

To edit the waveform, choose Sound Object|Edit from the client application's Edit menu.  The command calls a single Sound Impression Waveform Editor session with the requested Wave file open and ready for editing.  After editing (or replacing) the file, click the session's OLE button and choose Update Object from the popup dialog.  The client document's embedded waveform will immediately reflect the changes.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a MIDI file


How to embed a MIDI file

>> Related topics

To embed MIDI sounds into an OLE client application:

1.	Open or select a MIDI track.

2.	Click the Title Panel's OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic).  A dialog box entitled "OLE for MIDI or CD" appears.  Click the Embed button in the dialog's MIDI section.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to embed the MIDI file.

4.	Choose Paste Special (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The command calls an object selection dialog box.  Choose Music object from the list.  The Sound Impression "Music object" icon (a keyboard) is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Playing or editing the embedded Music object:

To play the embedded MIDI file, double-click the Music icon or choose Sound Object|Play (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file


How to link Mixing Panel settings

>> Related topics

To link the current Mixing Panel settings to a Windows client application:

1.	Make your volume and balance adustments on the Mixing Panel.

2.	Click the OLE button (the button bearing the "chain-link" graphic) on the main screen Title Panel.  A dialog box entitled "OLE for MIDI and CD" appears.  Click the Link button in the Mixer Level Queue section of the dialog box.

3.	Open the client application and document.  Place your cursor at the position in which you want to insert the Mixing Panel settings.

4.	Choose Paste Link (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit menu.  The Sound Impression "Mixer" icon is immediately inserted into the document at the cursor position.

Using the Mixing Panel settings link:

To use the Mixing Panel settings link, simply double-click the Mixer icon or choose Activate (or equivalent) from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  Sound Impression will open (if it's not open already) and its Mixing Panel settings will immediately be reset to those that were saved in the link.

To change a Mixing Panel settings link:

1.	Choose Edit from the client application's Edit|Links menu.  The command opens Sound Impression (if it isn't already open) and resets the Mixing Panel, as noted above.

2.	Adjust the Mixing Panel's volume and balance controls to new settings.

3.	Click the Title Panel's OLE button then click the Link button in the Mixer Panel Queue area of the dialog box.

3.	Click Update in the OLE dialog.  The client document will now contain the new Mixing Panel settings.


OLE overview

Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


OLE overview

>> Related topics

Object Linking and Embedding is the process of transferring data from one Windows application to another, enabling the destination ("client") application to use the data as if it were its own.  OLE also enables the client application to call up the source application (the "server") in order to edit or update data objects.

OLE clients (applications capable of receiving Sound, Music and CD sound objects from Sound Impression) include Windows Write, Cardfile, Word for Windows, and most of the popular word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and multimedia software created for Windows 3.1.

Linking versus embedding

When you transfer data using OLE, information is inserted into a client document, increasing its file size.  Embedding a sound file into a client document--particularly a Wave file--can increase the size of the document by a vast amount, since the file, packaged with a few other necessary pieces of information such as the icon that represents the sound, actually becomes part of the document.  Linking requires less overhead, since it only transfers essential information about the form and function of the data, rather than the data itself.

Embedding is more secure, however, since the only way the data can be changed is through the client document.  If, for example, you embed a Wave file into a memo, the only way the sound portion of the memo can be changed is if the reader of the memo opts to edit it from within the application in which it is being read (and heard).

Linked data, on the other hand, can be changed or edited at either end of the link, which means that if you link a Wave file to a memo and later inadvertently change the contents of the file in Sound Impression, the next time you "hear" the memo, it will contain the new message, not the original one.  This disadvantage can be turned to advantage, however: with linking, you can update Waves in documents without having to open the documents that contain them--a timesaver if, for example, you need to change an announcement that is linked to several different documents.

Another major difference between linking and embedding is that after you link a sound to a document, you can change the sound file that was the subject of the link, but you can't rename it or move it from the drive and directory it was in when you made the link.  If you do, the link will be "severed."  With embedding, you can do whatever you want with the original Wave; the embedded file is completely independent and can be moved with its host document.

Either way, the server application (Sound Impression or whatever other program delivers your sound objects) must always be accessible--that is, somewhere on the DOS path--in order for linked or embedded objects to be replayed or edited.


Sound Impression's self-registration feature

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


Sound Impression's self-registration feature

>> Related topics

Upon installation, Sound Impression assumes control of the "Sound" object in the Windows 3.1 environment.  This object, registered by Sound Impression to allow easy transfer of Wave data using Object Linking and Embedding, is normally assigned to a Windows applet called Sound Recorder.

Sound Impression also automatically reregisters itself as the Sound object each time it is run.  This "autoreregistration" protects the links you create with Sound Impression by preventing other applications from permanently establishing themselves as the Sound server.

In addition to the Sound object, Sound Impression automatically registers Music (MIDI) and Compact Disc (CD sound segment) objects.

Sound Impression's self-registering capability establishes automatic file associations between Sound Impression and all *WAV (Wave), *MID (Standard MIDI) and *RMI (RIFF MIDI) files.  This allows you to simply click on any of these file types in File Manager (or equivalent Windows file management utility) to start Sound Impression with a file loaded, or to drag-and-drop a file or group of files from File Manager into Sound Impression.


OLE overview

Link a Wave file

Link a MIDI file

Link a CD sound segment

Link the current Mixing Panel Settings

Embed a Wave file

Embed a MIDI file


Wave Composer
The Wave Composer

>> Related topics

This powerful feature lets you visually mix as many as 16 wave files into a single composition.

The Composer can be opened from three places in Sound Impression:

From the Wave Composer button on the Wave Recorder/Player;

From the Wave Composer button on the Session Manager; or

From the Wave Composer item on the Title Panel's Edit Menu (Alt,E,C).

Using the Composer

Sound Impression composition is a three-step process: add wave files, position them, then build the composed file.

You can't load files directly from disk into the Wave Composer; it can only use files that are already loaded and available as editable tracks.  You can make additonal files available (up to a total of 16) by using the File Open function on either the Wave Recorder/Player or any Waveform Editor window.

Files are selected for mixing by using the row of 16 Edit Session buttons at the top of the Wave Composer.  The buttons correspond to Sound Impression's 16 editable tracks.  Occupied track numbers appear in blue (these are the ones available for mixing); unoccupied tracks are grayed.

The selection process is as easy as clicking an active track number then clicking anywhere on the Composer's View Window.  When a track is selected, its Edit Session button will change from blue to yellow.

You can test-each track before adding it by clicking the Play button located near the track number row.  Information about the selected track appears below the row.

Each added file appears as a box inside a horizontal lane in the View area.  The relative lengths of the files are indicated by the lengths of the boxes.


Building a composition

Composer features and functions


Building a composition

>> Related topics

After adding files to the Composer you can reposition tracks in either of two ways:

Click and drag the track box either direction along its lane; or

Click the arrows on the panel at either end of each lane.  To shift the track faster, hold your mouse button down on an arrow.

When you have your tracks correctly positioned, click the Build Composition button to mix your creation into a single product.

You'll be provided with an estimate of the time Sound Impression requires to mix the composition.  When the composition process is complete, you can press the lower Play button to hear the result.


Composer features and functions


Snapping tracks into place
Snap-To/Show Title buttons

>> Related topics

A set of four radio buttons below the Composer's View Area let you switch file titles on or off and get help with block alignment.

Show file names and position

Show Titles switches on a display of the file names (along with an abbreviated path) of all track blocks in the composition.  The display also shows the current location of the block within the composition.  The location is measured according to the scale defined in the current Time Definition Function dialog box (available in any edit window).

Snap blocks into position

For quick, precise alignment of tracks, use the Snap-To buttons.  Use Snap to Beginning when you want to align the beginning of a selected track block with the beginning of a track block in a lane above or below it.  Use Snap to End when you want to align the end points of two track blocks.  Snap to Marker lets you line up blocks according to markers that you may define within each edit session.

To use Snap-To:

1.	Click a Snap-To radio button.  When clicked, the button color changes from gray to red.

2.	Select a Track Block and drag it right or left until its starting or end point is close to the beginning or end of the block with which you want it aligned.  When using Snap to Marker, position the beginning or end of the selected block as close as possible to the position of a marker in the adjacent block.  Release your mouse button and the selected block will snap into alignment.

To deactivate Snap-To, click an active (red) Snap-To button.


Positioning by the numbers

>> Related topics

Four pieces of information displayed directly above the View area offer further assistance in positioning your tracks:

Drag is the location of the entry point--relative to the beginning of the composition--of the last track added to the composition or the last track box selected for repositioning.  To see the entry point of any track, select the track box with your mouse then check its Drag location.  This statistic is dynamic; that is, it changes as you shift a track box left or right.  Drag location is displayed in minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second.

View Width shows the span of time currently visible in the View area.  This figure changes as View Size is enlarged or reduced.  At the default 2X View Size, View Width is one minute, two seconds.  At 1X, the width is 31 seconds.  At 4X, it is two minutes, four seconds (as shown in the sample above),  and at  8X, it is doubled again to the maximum View area of eight minutes, 16 seconds.  The total available composing area can be scanned using the horizontal scroll bar located below the View area.

View Offset is the amount of the total available composing time that has been forced "off-screen" to the left of the View area when the scroll bar is used to advance to later positions in time.  As you scroll left again, View Offset is reduced.

Build Length shows the total time length of the composition as currently structured.


Wave Composer features and functions

>> Related topics

Click any button, graphic or title for a description of the item's function.

Help

New Composition (clear)

Modify Wave Data Format

Play/Test Play

Stop

Compose

Assign Composition

Shift Composition Left

Shift Composition Right

Time Detail

Remove Track

Pause

Session Manager

View Window Magnification


New Composition
New Composition (clear)

>> Related topics

Clears the entire View area to let you start again or prepare for new work.  If you built a composition but didn't save it, you'll be given an opportunity to do so before the View area is cleared.


Remove
Remove track

>> Related topics

Lets you eliminate a single track block from the composition.  Just click the button, position the "trashcan" cursor on a track block, then click to remove the block.  A warning message is provided before the track is removed.


Change View Window magnification
Change View area magnification

>> Related topics

The View Size feature lets you magnify or reduce the sizes of all Track Blocks in the View area.  The blocks are resized proportionately.

If you have several small tracks in your composition, you can use View Size to enlarge them all at once to make them easier to see and reposition.  Compositions that include several long tracks might benefit from an overall reduction in view size.

View sizes are 1X, 2X (the default), 4X, 8X and 16X.  As View Size is changed, View Width, described below, changes to match the new size.


Time Detail

>> Related topics

Click the Time Detail button, then, using the question-mark pointer, click a track block.  This calls a dialog box that lets you set a precise starting point for the selected track.  The dialog box includes the Session number, name and length (in time), and the settings box displays the track's current starting point in the composition.  Use the scroll buttons to change the point in time at which you want the track to begin, then click OK.  The track block is immediately repositioned at its new starting point.


Using the track shift arrows

>> Related topics

You can move blocks using the arrows at either end of any lane.  Single clicks cause track blocks to move one unit in either direction (the unit length depends on the View Size).  For more rapid movement, press and hold your left mouse button on a Track Shift arrow.


Compose
Build Composition

>> Related topics

When all tracks are in position, click the Compose button to build your composition.

The Compose message box provides an estimate of the time Sound Impression will require to mix the composition.  The actual time may be more or less, depending on your system's level of performance and available memory.

When the process is complete, you can hear your composition immediately by clicking the Play button at the bottom left corner of the window.  If your composition is a lengthy one, you can use the Pause and Stop buttons to interrupt playback.  Note that these three buttons are disabled until a composition is built.


Assign Composition

>> Related topics

To place a composition in a session of its own, click the Assign Composition button.

The Assign Composition dialog box includes a set of session buttons that show which sessions are available to receive the composition.  Only unoccupied sessions, represented by buttons with blue numbers, are eligible.   In contrast to the Session Selection buttons, the occupied sessions have their buttons disabled in the Assign Composition dialog.

If no unoccupied sessions are available, the only way to save the composition is to select an occupied session and then clear it using the Waveform Editor.

Your first choice for clearing should be a session that is not included in the composition--preferably one that has not been edited or modified since its loading.

If no such session exists and you still wish to assign your composition to a session, you must clear one of the sessions included in the composition.  Use the Session Manager button to call the list of available sessions, then make a selection.  When the Waveform Editor for that session appears, click the Clear Session button.  If the session contains any unsaved modifications, you'll be given an opportunity to save them.

When you return to the Composer (again using the Session Manager button, but this time from the Waveform Editor session), click the Assign Composition button again and assign your composition to the available track number.

Important: If the assignment is made to a session that is included in the composition, the existing session will be replaced in the composition.  Example: You have 16 different sessions in your composition.  You build your composition, then decide to clear Session 10 to hold the composition.  After clearing Session 10 in the Waveform Editor window, you return to the Composer and assign the composition to the now-unoccupied session.  When you click OK in the Assign Composition dialog box, the session box that formerly represented the contents of Session 10 will automatically be replaced by a session box representing the assigned composition.


Saving a composition

>> Related topics

An assigned composition must still be saved to disk, as you would with any other modified Sound Impression session.  To save your work, use the Session Manager button to open the Waveform Editor window for the session number to which you assigned the composition, then use the Session's File Save function.


Shift Composition Left/Right

>> Related topics

You can shift the entire composition left or right by clicking the Shift Composition buttons.  Single clicks advance the composition one unit (the length of the unit depends on the View Size.  For continuous movement, press and hold your mouse button on one of the Shift Composition buttons.


Show Wave Composer
Calling the Wave Composer

>> Related topics

The Wave Composer can be called from several points in Sound Impression.

The most direct approach is to click this button, which is located beneath the Track Number window on the Wave Recorder/Player.  The Composer can also be called from the main screen menu bar and has a permanent place on the Session Manager, which is itself readily accessible from any window in Sound Impression.

Note: Only one copy of the Wave Composer is available; if it's already open (but hidden or obscured), you can use this button to bring it to the forefront.

Menu Bar location: Edit, Composer

Keyboard: Alt,E,C


Edit session selection buttons

A set of 16 buttons that let you select Waveform Editor sessions for inclusion in a composition.


Session information panel

Displayed directly above the View area, the panel offers four pieces of information that assist you in positioning tracks in the Wave Composer view area.


Remove session

Lets you remove a session from a composition by deleting its track block from the view area.


Time Detail

This calls a dialog box that lets you set a precise starting point for the selected track.  The dialog box includes the Session number, name and length (in time), and the settings box displays the track's current starting point in the composition.


Shift composition left

Shifts an entire composition to the left within the view area.


Shift composition right

Shifts an entire composition to the right within the view area.


View area

The area of the Wave Composer in which tracks (Edit sessions) are placed and repositioned to create a composition.


Track shift arrows

You can move blocks using the arrows at either end of any lane.  Single clicks cause track blocks to move one unit in either direction (the unit length depends on the View Size;more on that shortly).  For more rapid movement, press and hold your left mouse button on an arrow.


Snap-To, Show Title buttons

This set of four radio buttons below the Composer's View Area let you switch file titles on or off and get help with block alignment.


View area scroll bar

Lets you scroll the entire width of the Wave Composer view area.


Composition: Stop

Stops the playing of a composition.


Composition: Pause

Pauses the playing of a composition.


Composition: Play

Used to test a composition prior to assigning the work to a track and then saving it to disk as a Wave file.


Track blocks and lanes

Lanes are the vertical strips on which Edit sessions, represented by proportionately sized blocks, are repositioned in the process of creating a composition.


View size selector

The View Size feature lets you magnify or reduce the sizes of all Track Blocks in the View area.  The blocks are resized proportionately.


Assign composition

To place a composition in a session of its own, click the Assign Composition button.  The Assign Composition dialog box includes a set of session buttons that show which sessions are available to receive the composition.


Build composition

After inserting and positioning tracks in the Wave Composer View area, click the Build Composition button to mix your creation into a single file.


New composition (clear view area)

Clears the entire View area to let you start again or prepare for new work.  If you built a composition but didn't save it, you'll be given an opportunity to do so before the View area is cleared.


Session audition: Play

Used to test an Edit session before adding it to a composition.


Session audition: Stop

Stops the playing of an Edit session.


The Session Manager

This handy "window-switcher" lets you jump to any of 16 edit session windows, open the Wave Composer or, if it has been minimized or obscured, restore Sound Impression's main Rack.  You can call the Session Manager from buttons on the Waveform Editor or Wave Composer, from the Title Panel's Options menu, or by clicking the Session Number window on the Wave Recorder/Editor.


Help/About
Help

>> Related topics

The Wave Composer Help button provides direct access to the Wave Composer Help file.


Stop

>> Related topics

Stops the auditioning of a wave session or the playing of a composition.


Pause

>> Related topics

Interrupts the playing of a composition.

When Pause is in effect, the button graphic changes from blue to yellow.


Play

>> Related topics

The upper Play button lets you hear available tracks before committing them to the mix.  The lower Play button is used to play your composition (it is grayed, or unavailable, until you build a composition).


Session Manager

>> Related topics

Click any button or feature for information

  <-- Terse mode

	I	Verbose mode
	V

The Session Manager is Sound Impression's main "switchbox", letting you move quickly among any of the 16 available Waveform Editor sessions and other key program components.

Other Session Manager features and functions include:

Synchronized Start, which lets you simultaneously start more than one Rack component for playing or recording.

Aliasing, which lets you assign descriptions to any or all files in a session and then save the aliases in a *.WVS session file for later retrieval.

The ability to enable or disable Undo.

Indicators to let you know at a glance which edit windows contain waveforms, which are "blank," and the session locations of currently playing files.

Opening the Manager

The Session Manager can be called from several points in Sound Impression:

Click the Session Manager button (shown above) on the Title Panel, Wave Composer, or in any Waveform Editor window.

Choose Options|Select on the main screen menu bar (Keyboard: Alt,O,S).

Click the track number display (shown below) on the Wave Recorder/Player.

Using the Manager

Calling edit windows

To call any edit window to the forefront, click its number on the Session Manager's numbered button panel.  Yellow buttons represent occupied sessions, blue numbers represent unoccupied ("blank") sessions.

Switching modes

You can switch the Manager to either Verbose (full function) or Terse (limited function) mode by choosing the Verbose/Terse item in the Session Manager's control box.  The bontrol box is the "hyphen" button in the top left hand corner of the manager window.  Shortcut keys for mode-switching are Alt,Spacebar,V if you're in Terse mode and Alt,Spacebar,T if you're in Verbose mode.

Other Session Manager functions

For details on other functions and features, click the button at the top of this topic to call the Session manager diagram topic and then click on any feature on either graphic.


Synchronized Play/Record

>> Related topics

The Play/Stop buttons on the Session Manager (Terse or Verbose mode) allow you to synchronize playing and recording of all Rack components.

When you click the synch dialog's Go button, all selected devices activate simultaneously.  To stop all devices at the same time, click the Session Manager's Stop All button.

Note that unless you have more than one sound card on your system, the Play Wave and Record Wave check boxes are mutually exclusive.

The Play functions start the current sessions or tracks and at the currently displayed starting positions as shown on the main Rack.  If you need to make any adjustments to session or track selection or starting positions, call the Rack to the forefront (you needn't close the synch start dialog), make your adjustments, then switch back to the dialog and click GO.


Show Rack

The Rack button provides ready access to Sound Impression's main screen.  If the Rack is already open but minimized or obscured, this button brings it to the forefront.


Session Manager Preferences

Offers two sets of options that control the persistence and behavior of the Session Manager.

On Use lets you decide what you want the manager to do when an edit session is selected.  Minimize reduces the manager to an icon, Close removes the manager from view entirely and Do Not Change leaves it alone (behind the selected edit session).

Window Order lets you decide whether you want the manager to remain Always on Top (in front of all other open windows), Always on Bottom (behind all other open windows), or to accept its current state ("Don't Care").


Control box

Offers a menu of standard Windows functions including Restore, Minimize, Move and Switch To (which calls the Windows Task Manager).  Since the Session Manager window size is fixed, the Size and Maximize items are disabled.  The menu also offers a Hide option, which removes the Session Manager from the desktop,and a Terse/Verbose mode switch.


Minimize button

Reduces the Session Manager to an icon.  Minimize is also available as an item in the control box (accessible through the "hyphen button" in the top left-hand corner).


Edit session buttons

Click these buttons to call Waveform Editor windows to the forefront.  Yellow numbers represent edit windows that contain waveforms; blue numbers represent "blank" windows.  A small green indicator next to a button means that the edit session is currently being played.


Help

Takes you directly to the Session Manager section (this file) of the Sound Impression Help system.


Enable/disable Undo

Lets you switch Sound Impression's Undo feature on or off.  When the Undo feature is disabled, Sound Impression doesn't have to keep your every last move in memory.  This could provide for an increase in performance, but you won't be able to change your mind on edits while working in a Waveform Editor window.


Play

Calls the Synchronized Start dialog box, which lets you start simultaneous playing or recording on several Rack components.  For more, see Synchronized Play/Record


Clear all sessions

Removes all waveforms from all 16 edit sessions.  If any sessions contain unsaved or modified waveforms, you're given an opportunity to save them before they're cleared.


Load a new *.WVS session

Calls a standard file open dialog to let you open a new wave session.


Save this session to a *.WVS file

Saves the current arrangement of wave files, along with aliases and device settings, to disk.


Call the Wave Composer

Brings the Wave Composer to the forefront.


Hide all edit windows

Removes all currently visible edit windows and edit window icons from the desktop.


Session settings

Lets you assign aliases (file descriptions) to each wave file in the session.  Aliases are saved when you save the session to a *.WVS file.


Wave file alias

File descriptions typed into the alias box appear here.


Stop

Stops the playing or recording initiated by the Session Manager's Synchronized Start feature.


Selected device

This column shows which devices are assigned to which files in the current session.  Only applicable to systems equipped with two or more sound cards.


Session Manager title bar

Shows the name and path (or as much of the path as can be displayed) of the current wave file collection (scenario).


File name column

Shows the file names of all currently loaded wave files, along with untitled edit sessions that contain waveforms.  A plus sign (+) preceding the file name means either that the session contains unsaved data, an alias has been applied to it or the file has had a device reassignment.


Copyright information

Information in this online document is subject to change without notice
and does not represent a commitment on the part of the copyright holder.
The software described herein is furnished under a license agreement
or nondisclosure agreement, and may be used or copied only in accordance
with the terms of that agreement.  It is unlawful to copy this software on any
medium except as specifically allowed in the license or nondisclosure
agreement.  The purchaser may make one copy of the software for backup
purposes.  No part of this online document or the information it contains
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including by photocopying, recording, or information storage
and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal
use, without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder.

COPYRIGHT © 1991-1994  DENNIS MCMAHON


About Sound Impression

Version: 3.7

See package insert for complete information on Technical Support Services.

COPYRIGHT © 1991-1994  DENNIS MCMAHON


Technical Support

>> Related topics

See package insert for complete information on Technical Support Services.


Related topics

Sound Impression Version Info (About)

Tech Note Contents


Registering Sound Impression

>> Related topics

See package insert for important Registration information.


Related topics

Technical support

Sound Impression Version Info (About)


News/Updates list instructions

The News/Updates list represents a series of articles dealing with product updates, technical information and other items of interest that are offered as supplements to the Sound Impression Help System.

Not all of the "hotspots" will always call an article.  Only one text file, NEWS01.TXT, was shipped with this copy of Sound Impression.  The 12-item News/Updates list is offered in order to accommodate future supplements and make it easy for you to access the articles directly from the Help file.  Future articles will be made available via various online services and directly from Technical Support.  For more information on this and other Technical Support services, see the special insert in your Sound Impression package.

If you click an item and receive a "File Not Found" message or other error message, the article probably hasn't yet been issued.  You can also receive such a message, however, if the file in question has been renamed, moved off your system's path, or if the delivery vehicle for the article, Windows' Notepad, is not present on your path.  To see which files are available, check the directory that contains your Sound Impression program files.  The articles will be named as shown on the News/Updates list.  If you don't have Notepad on your system, you can read the files with any other ASCII text editor or viewer.