BIAS Peak - 5.0 User Manual

Peak

Version 5.0

Software User’s Guide

TM

INSTALL LICENSE AGREEMENT

This legal document is an agreement between you, the end user (“YOU” or
“LICENSEE”), and BIAS, Inc. BY CLICKING “INSTALL” ON THE FOLLOWING
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AND PROMPTLY RETURN THE SOFTWARE AND THE OTHER MATERIALS
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FOR A FULL REFUND. YOUR USE OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL CONSTITUTE
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1. GRANT OF LICENSE. In consideration of payment of the license fee,
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2. AUTHORIZATION KEY. You must register this SOFTWARE within 14 days
of installation either online (http://www.bias-inc.com/support/register/),
via fax [phone]), or phone [phone]). If the
SOFTWARE has not been registered within 14 days of installation, it will
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3. OWNERSHIP OF SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION. As LICENSEE,
you own the media on which the SOFT WARE and DOCUMENTATION are
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Subject to these restrictions, and if the SOFT WARE is not copy-protected,
you may make one (1) copy of the SOFTWARE solely for backup
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backup copy.

5. USE RESTRICTIONS. As the LICENSEE, you may physically transfer the
SOFTWARE from one computer to another provided that the
SOFTWARE is used on only one computer at a time. You may not
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LICENSEE, and may not be assigned or otherwise transferred to anyone,
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permanent basis except as expressly provided herein.

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instrumentality of the United States Government, the SOFT WARE and
DOCUMENTATION are “commercial computer software” and
“commercial computer software documentation”, and pursuant to FAR

12.212 or DFARS 227.7202, and their successors, as applicable, use,
reproduction and disclosure of the Software and Documentation are
governed by the terms of this Agreement.

8. TERMINATION. This License is effective until terminated. This License
will terminate automatically without notice from BIAS if you fail to
comply with any provision of this License. Upon termination you shall
destroy the DOCUMENTATION and all copies of the SOFTWARE,
including modified copies, if any.

9. UPDATE POLICY. BIAS may create, from time to time, updated versions
of the SOFTWARE. At its option, BIAS will make such updates available
to LICENSEE and transferees who have paid the update fee and returned
the registration card to BIAS.

10. BIAS PRODUCT SUPPORT.

Unlimited Complimentary Self Help Options

If you have questions about installing or using your BIAS products, please
check the manual or user guide first, you will find answers to most of
your questions there. If you need further assistance, please check:

http://www.bias-inc.com/support.html – for frequently asked questions,
an extensive database of related articles, troubleshooting tips, and more.

Limited Complimentary Technical Assistance

Ninety days of technical support assistance for up to three incidents is
available with the initial purchase of Type 1 BIAS products (Peak, Deck,
SoundSoap Pro). Ninety days of technical support assistance for a single
incident is available with the initial purchase of Type 2 BIAS products
(Peak DV, Peak LE, Deck LE, SuperFreq, SoundSoap 2). Type 3 products
(OEM versions) are excluded. Thirty days of technical support assistance
for a single incident is available with the purchase of paid upgrades to
Type 1 and Type 2 BIAS products. The support period begins when the
product authorization code (PAC) is initially issued following the product
registration. To receive e-mail or telephone technical support, you will
need a valid serial number and must be registered for a current BIAS
product. Please keep your original product serial number and PAC in a
safe place as it will be required for support. For customers preferring e­mail assistance, please use the email form available on our web site at:

http://www.bias-inc.com/support.html

Or, email: [e-mail]

For customers preferring telephone assistance, (connect and toll charges
apply), please have your computer running and close by the phone and
call us at: [phone]

(9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays)

Peak 5 User’s Guideii

Fee-based Technical Support Options

Fee-based Support is available for those customers whose support period
has expired or for Type 3 (OEM version) customers. Please call:

[phone]

(9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays)

For customers living outside of North America, please contact your local
BIAS distributor, or contact BIAS directly. A list of BIAS distributors may
be found at: http://www.bias-inc.com/distributors.html

BIAS Support Policy and Hours

BIAS, Inc. support policy and hours are subject to change without notice.

Sales and Non-Technical Customer Service

For product information, sales, and other non-technical customer
service, please email or call:

[e-mail]

US: 1-800-775-BIAS (2427)

International: [phone]

(9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays)

No technical support is available at the numbers or email address above.

11. MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement is governed by the law of the State of
California.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY AND LIMITED WARRANTY

THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION (INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USE) ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. FURTHER,
BIAS DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS
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ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR
CORRECTION.
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respective periods stated above. Some states do not allow limitations on duration
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THE ABOVE ARE THE ONLY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, THAT ARE
MADE BY BIAS CONCERNING THE BIAS PRODUCT. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN
INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY BIAS, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS,

AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY
INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY, AND YOU MAY NOT RELY ON ANY
SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC
LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO
STATE.
NEITHER BIAS NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS PRODUCT SHALL BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING
SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

This Disclaimer of Warranty and Limited Warranty is governed by the laws of the
State of California.

Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire to
contact BIAS for any reason, please contact in writing:

BIAS Customer Sales and Service
1370 Industrial Ave.
Suite A
Petaluma, CA 94952
USA

Copyright 1996–2004 BIAS, Inc.

Credits:
Peak 5 Software: Steve Berkley, Andrew Kimpton, Guillermo Garcia, David Ralley,
Wayne Jackson, Eric Eizenman.

Audio Units™, Mac OS X™, Logic™, GarageBand™, Final Cut Pro™,
SoundTrack™, iPod™ and Macintosh™, are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.

VST™, WaveLab™, Cubase SL™, Cubase SX™, and Nuendo™ are registered
trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies, AG.

Pro Tools™, RTAS™ & AudioSuite™ are registered trademarks of Digidesign, Inc.
Avid™ is a registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc.
Digital Performer™ is a registered trademark of MOTU, Inc.
Premiere™ and Audition™ are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Sound Forge™ and Vegas Video™ are registered trademarks of Sonic Foundry,

Inc.
DirectX™ is a registered trademark of Microsoft, Inc.
Sonar™ is a registered trademark of Cakewalk, Inc.

User’s Guide:
Zac Wheatcroft, Bruce Bennett, Steve Berkley

Special Thanks to:
Christine Berkley, Jason Davies, Paul Knowles, Dan Spirlock, Gabe Khofri, Ben
Ventura, Lisa Stefan, Victor Cebreros, Megan Peterschmidt, Cory Stück, Kristen
Jacobs, Ben Hester, Larry Nilsen, Michael Van Landingham, Andrew Stone, Brent
Hurtig, Seamus Walsh, Andy Marcus, Ian & Christina Nyquist, Steve Cerilli, Ernest
Cholakis, Bil Bryant, Howard Frederics, CKSDE, Michael Anse, Michael Barrett,

License Agreement/Credits

iii

Marvin Bass, Chris Borgia, Daniel Brennan, Sean Charles, Donnie Christian, Barry
Diament, Jeff Dinces, Dr. Fred Bashour, Jason Fernandez, Scott Frankfurt, Chris
Griffin, Barry Higgins, Gary Hobish, James L. Jackson, Julian Kwasneski, Drew
Lavyne, Jeremy Lee, George Leger III, Ray Legnini, Ken Loge, Elvio Magliocca,
Darin Marshall, Peter McConnell, Arnaud Melese, Jim Miller, Heather Perkins, Paul
Pierron, Marc Poirier, Fernando Rodriguez, Marc Rosenberg, Brad Sarno, Jeremy
Scidmore, John O. Senior, Luke Slater, William Storkson, Craig Sylvern, Rudy
Trubitt, James Wadell, Brandon Ware, Jim Wintermyre, J. Mark Andrus, Michael
Barrett, Robbie Berman, Bruce Bennett, Ray Brunelle, BT, Will Carpmill, Chris
Clanin, Luke DeLalio, Dennie Edwards, Tom Erbe, Terje Finstad, Daniel Fisher,
Kelly Fitz, Mikail Grahm, Brian Hamilton, Tom Hays, Morris Hayes, Matt Isaacson,
Carson Kendall, peer landra, Igor Len, Randy M., Jose Ignacio Martin, Christophe
Masson, Riccardo Mazza, Ron Macleod, David Mash, Peter McCabe, David
McIntyre, Melvin & Milo Mole, Jeff Moore, Itai Neoran, NIN, Drayson Nowlan,
Martin O'Donnell, Larry Oppenheimer, Dan Phillips, Scott Plunkett, Gene Porfido,
Les Quindipan, Ralph, Bob Rice, Brad Sarno, Arne Schulze, Seva, Eli Shauriki,
Ronen Shloush, Craig Snoke, Alex Stahl, M. Stevens, Morten Stjernholm, Mark
Tinley, David Torn, Rudy Trubitt, Tsvika, Earl Vickers, Charles Wiltgen, Michael
Winter, and Tsuyoshi Yasukawa.

Peak 5 User’s Guideiv

BIAS Product Support:

Unlimited Complimentary Self Help
Options

If you have questions about installing or using your BIAS
products, please check the manual or user guide first,
you will find answers to most of your questions there. If
you need further assistance, please check:

http://www.bias-inc.com/support.html

for frequently asked questions, an extensive database of
related articles, troubleshooting tips, and more.

Limited Complimentary Technical
Assistance

Ninety days of technical support assistance for up to
three incidents is available with the initial purchase of
Type 1 BIAS products (Peak, Deck, SoundSoap Pro).
Ninety days of technical support assistance for a single
incident is available with the initial purchase of Type 2
BIAS products (Peak DV, Peak LE, Deck LE, SuperFreq,
SoundSoap 2). Type 3 products (OEM versions) are
excluded. Thirty days of technical support assistance for
a single incident is available with the purchase of paid
upgrades to Type 1 and Type 2 BIAS products. The
support period begins when the product authorization
code (PAC) is initially issued following the product
registration. To receive e-mail or telephone technical
support, you will need a valid serial number and must
be registered for a current BIAS product. Please keep
your original product serial number and PAC in a safe
place as it will be required for support. For customers
preferring e-mail assistance, please use the email form
available on our web site at:

http://www.bias-inc.com/support.html

Or, email:

[e-mail]

For customers preferring telephone assistance, (connect
and toll charges apply), please have your computer
running and close by the phone and call us at:

[phone]

9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays

Fee-based Technical Support Options

Fee-based Support is available for those customers
whose support period has expired or for Type 3 (OEM
version) customers. Please call:

[phone]

9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays

For customers living outside of North America, please
contact your local BIAS distributor, or contact BIAS
directly. A list of BIAS distributors may be found at:

http://www.bias-inc.com/distributors.html

BIAS Support Policy and Hours

BIAS, Inc. support policy and hours are subject to change
without notice.

Sales and Non-Technical Customer Service

For product information, sales, and other non-technical
customer service, please email or call:

Product Support Options

v

[e-mail]

US: 1-800-775-BIAS (2427)
International: [phone]

9AM-5PM Monday-Friday PST – excluding BIAS holidays

No technical support is available at the numbers or email
address above.

Peak 5 User’s Guidevi

vii

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introducing Peak

Welcome!......................................................................................................................................................................................................19

Who is Peak Designed For?............................................................................................................................................................20

What’s New in Peak 5?..................................................................................................................................................................20

Minimum System Requirements........................................................................................................................................................21

Maximizing Peak’s Performance.................................................................................................................................................................21

About Your User’s Guide...........................................................................................................................................................................21

About Peak LE..............................................................................................................................................................................................22

Getting Help with Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................23

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................................................................24

Chapter 2 - Installing, Registering, & Activating Peak

Installing Peak.............................................................................................................................................................................................27

Registration & Activation...........................................................................................................................................................................28

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................................................................30

Chapter 3 - Peak Basics

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................33

A Brief Explanation of Digital Audio..........................................................................................................................................................33

Sampling & Sample Rate........................................................................................................................................................................33

Bit Resolution..........................................................................................................................................................................................33

About Disk-Based Recording & Editing.....................................................................................................................................................34

Nonlinear Versus Linear Recording......................................................................................................................................................34

Nondestructive Editing..........................................................................................................................................................................34

Hard Disk Storage Requirements..........................................................................................................................................................34

Hard Disk Maintainance........................................................................................................................................................................34

Creating a New Peak Document........................................................................................................................................................35

Opening Existing Audio Documents..........................................................................................................................................................35

Opening WAVE Files................................................................................................................................................................................35

Opening Compressed Audio Documents.............................................................................................................................................35

Recently Opened Documents...............................................................................................................................................................36

Opening Dual Mono Files..........................................................................................................................................................................36

Dragging & Dropping Folders, Disks, & CD Audio Tracks.....................................................................................................................37

Recovering Damaged Audio Files..........................................................................................................................................................37

Saving & Closing Documents......................................................................................................................................................................38

Using the Save As & Save A Copy As Commands..................................................................................................................................39

Using POW-r™ Dithering.......................................................................................................................................................................39

Saving Compressed Audio Documents.................................................................................................................................................39

Closing Audio Documents......................................................................................................................................................................40

Peak Windows & Palettes.............................................................................................................................................................................40

Peak Audio Document Window..............................................................................................................................................................40

Transport Window...................................................................................................................................................................................43

Contents Window....................................................................................................................................................................................43

Peak 5 User’s Guideviii

Setting Preferences......................................................................................................................................................................................44

Setting Peak’s Playback Parameters.......................................................................................................................................................44

Dynamic Scrub Time..............................................................................................................................................................................45

Scroll During Playback............................................................................................................................................................................45

Move Waveform During Playback..........................................................................................................................................................45

Show Marker Times................................................................................................................................................................................46

Auditioning..............................................................................................................................................................................................46

Blending..................................................................................................................................................................................................46

Auto-Import Dual Mono.........................................................................................................................................................................47

Choosing Colors for the Audio Document Window............................................................................................................................47

Choosing a Time Format........................................................................................................................................................................47

Audio File Meter, Tempo & Timestamp Settings..................................................................................................................................48

Choosing A Scratch Disk.........................................................................................................................................................................48

Keyboard Shortcuts................................................................................................................................................................................49

The Toolbar...................................................................................................................................................................................................50

Quitting Peak................................................................................................................................................................................................51

Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................................................................51

Chapter 4 - Playback & Recording

Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................................55

Core Audio...................................................................................................................................................................................................55

Configuring Peak for Playback.....................................................................................................................................................................56

Playback Options....................................................................................................................................................................................57

Core Audio Settings Dialog....................................................................................................................................................................58

Configuring Peak for Virtual Instrument Playback................................................................................................................................59

Playing Audio with Peak..............................................................................................................................................................................60

The Transport Controls..........................................................................................................................................................................60

Triggering Playback of Multiple Audio Documents..............................................................................................................................60

Playing Virtual Instruments....................................................................................................................................................................61

Configuring Peak for Recording..................................................................................................................................................................61

Recording Options..................................................................................................................................................................................62

Record Settings.......................................................................................................................................................................................62

Multi-Document Recordings (Long Recordings).......................................................................................................................................64

Recording Audio...........................................................................................................................................................................................64

The Record Dialog..................................................................................................................................................................................65

Configuring Peak to Record Through Effects Plug-Ins..........................................................................................................................65

Recording.....................................................................................................................................................................................................66

Recording into a QuickTime Movie.......................................................................................................................................................67

Importing a Track from an Audio CD..........................................................................................................................................................67

Making Audio Connections.........................................................................................................................................................................68

Using the Macintosh’s Built-In Inputs & Outputs.................................................................................................................................68

Third-Party Audio Interfaces...................................................................................................................................................................70

Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................................................................71

Chapter 5 - Editing

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................................................75

Editing Audio with Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................75

Interactive Editing...................................................................................................................................................................................75

Nondestructive Editing...........................................................................................................................................................................75

Table of Contents

ix

Unlimited Undo & Redo.........................................................................................................................................................................75

The Audio Document Window...................................................................................................................................................................76

An Audio Waveform................................................................................................................................................................................76

A Selection...............................................................................................................................................................................................76

A Marker...................................................................................................................................................................................................78

A Loop.....................................................................................................................................................................................................78

Audio Between Adjacent Markers..........................................................................................................................................................78

Audio Info Area.......................................................................................................................................................................................78

Audio Info Dialog....................................................................................................................................................................................79

Selecting Audio.............................................................................................................................................................................................79

Markers & Selections as Navigational Aids.............................................................................................................................................80

Auditioning Audio........................................................................................................................................................................................80

Scrubbing.....................................................................................................................................................................................................80

Dynamic Scrubbing................................................................................................................................................................................80

Jog Scrubbing..........................................................................................................................................................................................81

Tape-Style Scrubbing..............................................................................................................................................................................82

Using Unlimited Undo & Redo....................................................................................................................................................................82

Essential Editing Functions..........................................................................................................................................................................84

Scratch Disks...........................................................................................................................................................................................84

Clearing the Clipboard to Reclaim Disk Space.....................................................................................................................................84

Cutting Audio..........................................................................................................................................................................................84

Deleting Audio........................................................................................................................................................................................85

Copying Audio.........................................................................................................................................................................................85

Pasting Audio...........................................................................................................................................................................................85

Replacing Audio......................................................................................................................................................................................86

Inserting Audio........................................................................................................................................................................................86

Duplicating Audio...................................................................................................................................................................................86

Cropping a Selection..............................................................................................................................................................................87

New Document from Selection..............................................................................................................................................................87

Silencing a Selection...............................................................................................................................................................................88

Inserting Silence into a Document.......................................................................................................................................................88

Repairing Clicks & Pops.....................................................................................................................................................................88

Show Edits..................................................................................................................................................................................................90

Using Crossfades & Blending to Smooth Edits........................................................................................................................................90

Creating Fade Ins & Fade Outs..................................................................................................................................................................92

Editing a Fade In/Fade Out Envelope..................................................................................................................................................92

Creating & Using Markers..........................................................................................................................................................................94

Creating Markers...................................................................................................................................................................................94

Delete Markers......................................................................................................................................................................................96

Regions.......................................................................................................................................................................................................98

Creating Loops...........................................................................................................................................................................................99

Crossfading Loops......................................................................................................................................................................................101

The Crossfade Loop Dialog..................................................................................................................................................................101

Crossfade Variations..............................................................................................................................................................................101

Using Loop Surfer.......................................................................................................................................................................................103

Making Loops into Regions..................................................................................................................................................................105

Using the Guess Tempo & Threshold Commands to Find Tempo..........................................................................................................105

Using Loop Tuner.......................................................................................................................................................................................106

Exporting Regions......................................................................................................................................................................................106

Editing QuickTime SoundTracks in Peak..................................................................................................................................................108

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................

............................................................................109

Peak 5 User’s Guidex

Chapter 6 - Playlists & CD Burning

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................113

Basic Playlist Concepts...............................................................................................................................................................................116

Creating a Playlist..................................................................................................................................................................................116

Adding Regions to a Playlist..................................................................................................................................................................116

Selecting Playlist Events.......................................................................................................................................................................116

About the Move Event & Trim Event Cursor Modes...........................................................................................................................117

Deleting Playlist Events........................................................................................................................................................................117

Using Undo & Redo..............................................................................................................................................................................118

Creating Transitions between Playlist Events......................................................................................................................................118

Auditioning Transitions.........................................................................................................................................................................118

Burning an Audio CD............................................................................................................................................................................119

Saving a Playlist......................................................................................................................................................................................119

Detailed Overview of Controls, Modes & Tools.......................................................................................................................................119

Miscellaneous Controls.............................................................................................................................................................................120

Saving, Closing & Opening Playlists....................................................................................................................................................120

Adding Regions to a Playlist..................................................................................................................................................................120

Undoing & Redoing..............................................................................................................................................................................123

Indexes..................................................................................................................................................................................................123

Control Area...............................................................................................................................................................................................123

Playlist Function Buttons......................................................................................................................................................................123

Counter Display....................................................................................................................................................................................127

Transport Controls................................................................................................................................................................................127

Crossfade Audition Controls................................................................................................................................................................128

Slip & Shuffle Mode Controls..............................................................................................................................................................130

Nudge Controls.....................................................................................................................................................................................131

Mode Checkboxes & Behaviors...........................................................................................................................................................137

Adding Disc-Specific CD-TEXT Metadata............................................................................................................................................139

Waveform View Area..................................................................................................................................................................................140

View Controls........................................................................................................................................................................................140

Waveform Display Area.........................................................................................................................................................................142

Cursor Modes & Tools...........................................................................................................................................................................145

High-Precision Editing Mode...............................................................................................................................................................147

Selecting Playlist Events.......................................................................................................................................................................147

Deleting Playlist Events.........................................................................................................................................................................148

Creating Transitions between Playlist Events......................................................................................................................................148

Setting Track Start Offsets....................................................................................................................................................................152

List View Area.............................................................................................................................................................................................153

List View Columns, Controls, & Data Fields........................................................................................................................................153

Changing the Order of Columns..........................................................................................................................................................159

Selecting Playlist Events........................................................................................................................................................................159

Deleting Playlist Events.........................................................................................................................................................................159

Changing the Names of Playlist Events................................................................................................................................................160

Changing the Order of Playlist Events..................................................................................................................................................160

Creating Transitions between Playlist Events......................................................................................................................................161

Editing Crossfades.................................................................................................................................................................................162

Setting Track Start Offsets.....................................................................................................................................................................164

Adding Metadata to Discs & Tracks......................................................................................................................................................165

Applying Effects Plug-Ins to Playlist Events..........................................................................................................................................167

Output Options..........................................................................................................................................................................................170

Burning Audio CDs....................................................................................................................................................................................170

CD Burning Options.............................................................................................................

................................................................170

Table of Contents

xi

Burning from a Playlist.........................................................................................................................................................................171

Burning from an Audio Document......................................................................................................................................................171

Burning from a Jam Image File.............................................................................................................................................................171

Creating a New Document from a Playlist................................................................................................................................................172

Exporting a DDP Fileset.............................................................................................................................................................................172

Exporting a Jam Image File........................................................................................................................................................................173

Exporting as Text........................................................................................................................................................................................174

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................174

Chapter 7 - DSP

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................177

Processing Audio with Peak’s DSP Tools...................................................................................................................................................177

Peak’s Audio Processing Tools...................................................................................................................................................................177

Add.........................................................................................................................................................................................................178

Amplitude Fit........................................................................................................................................................................................178

Auto-Define Tracks................................................................................................................................................................................179

Bit Usage................................................................................................................................................................................................182

Change Duration...................................................................................................................................................................................182

Change Gain..........................................................................................................................................................................................182

Change Pitch.........................................................................................................................................................................................184

Convert Sample Rate............................................................................................................................................................................185

Convolve................................................................................................................................................................................................186

Crossfade Loop.....................................................................................................................................................................................186

Envelope from Audio............................................................................................................................................................................188

Fade In & Fade Out...............................................................................................................................................................................189

Find Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................................189

Gain Envelope.......................................................................................................................................................................................189

Harmonic Rotate...................................................................................................................................................................................190

ImpulseVerb...........................................................................................................................................................................................190

Invert......................................................................................................................................................................................................192

Loop Tuner.............................................................................................................................................................................................192

Mono to Stereo & Stereo to Mono.......................................................................................................................................................192

Mix..........................................................................................................................................................................................................193

Modulate................................................................................................................................................................................................194

Normalize..............................................................................................................................................................................................194

Normalize (RMS)...................................................................................................................................................................................195

Panner....................................................................................................................................................................................................196

Phase Vocoder.......................................................................................................................................................................................196

Rappify...................................................................................................................................................................................................197

Repair Click...........................................................................................................................................................................................197

Repair Clicks..........................................................................................................................................................................................198

Remove DC Offset.................................................................................................................................................................................199

Reverse Boomerang..............................................................................................................................................................................200

Reverse..................................................................................................................................................................................................200

Strip Silence...........................................................................................................................................................................................200

Swap Channels......................................................................................................................................................................................202

Threshold..............................................................................................................................................................................................202

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................204

Peak 5 User’s Guidexii

Chapter 8 - Plug-Ins

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................207

Plug-Ins Included with Peak 5...................................................................................................................................................................207

Installing Plug-Ins.......................................................................................................................................................................................209

Audio Units Plug-Ins..............................................................................................................................................................................209

BIAS Plug-Ins.........................................................................................................................................................................................209

VST Plug-Ins..........................................................................................................................................................................................209

Organizing Plug-Ins with Folders..............................................................................................................................................................210

Using Effects Plug-Ins.................................................................................................................................................................................210

Inserts....................................................................................................................................................................................................210

Vbox.......................................................................................................................................................................................................210

The Vbox Matrix.........................................................................................................................................................................................212

Box Controls..........................................................................................................................................................................................212

Editing Effect Plug-In Parameters.........................................................................................................................................................214

Moving Plug-Ins.....................................................................................................................................................................................214

Changing Input Routing.......................................................................................................................................................................215

Creating Serial Plug-Ins Chains.............................................................................................................................................................215

Creating Parallel Plug-Ins Chains..........................................................................................................................................................215

Master Wet/Dry Controls......................................................................................................................................................................215

Master Input/Output Levels.................................................................................................................................................................215

Loading & Restoring Vbox Presets.......................................................................................................................................................216

A/B Comparisons..................................................................................................................................................................................216

Vbox Preferences..................................................................................................................................................................................216

Recording Through Effect Plug-Ins...........................................................................................................................................................216

Plug-Ins Envelope......................................................................................................................................................................................217

Plug-In Latency Compensation.................................................................................................................................................................217

Using Effect Plug-Ins with the Batch Processor........................................................................................................................................218

Using Virtual Instrument Plug-Ins.............................................................................................................................................................219

Configuring Peak for Virtual Instrument Playback..............................................................................................................................219

Loading Virtual Instruments on Inserts...............................................................................................................................................220

Playing Virtual Instruments.......................................................................................................................................................................220

Recording Virtual Instruments..................................................................................................................................................................220

Deactivating Virtual Instruments..............................................................................................................................................................221

Playing Virtual Instruments Alongside Audio Documents.......................................................................................................................221

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................222

Chapter 9 - Batch File Processor & Apple Events

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................225

Batch File Processor...................................................................................................................................................................................225

Input Area..............................................................................................................................................................................................226

Process Area..........................................................................................................................................................................................226

Save Changes Area................................................................................................................................................................................227

Errors & Cancelling Batch Processes...................................................................................................................................................228

Peak’s Audio Librarian Tools......................................................................................................................................................................229

Apple Events Support...........................................................................................................................................................................229

“Savvy” Core Suite of Apple Events......................................................................................................................................................229

Peak Events............................................................................................................................................................................................229

Example Scripts.....................................................................................................................................................................................230

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................230

Table of Contents

xiii

Chapter 10 - Samplers

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................233

Working with SMDI Samplers....................................................................................................................................................................233

SMDI Samplers......................................................................................................................................................................................233

SMDI Samper Error Messages & Troubleshooting..............................................................................................................................235

A Note about the Yamaha A3000...............................................................................................................................................................236

The Sampler Preferences Dialog...............................................................................................................................................................236

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................236

Chapter 11 - Peak Menus

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................239

Peak Pro Menu............................................................................................................................................................................................239

About Peak.............................................................................................................................................................................................239

Help.......................................................................................................................................................................................................239

Preferences............................................................................................................................................................................................239

Hide Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................................243

Hide Others...........................................................................................................................................................................................243

Quit Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................................243

File Menu....................................................................................................................................................................................................243

New........................................................................................................................................................................................................243

Open......................................................................................................................................................................................................244

Close......................................................................................................................................................................................................244

Close All.................................................................................................................................................................................................244

Save........................................................................................................................................................................................................244

Save As...................................................................................................................................................................................................245

Save a Copy As.......................................................................................................................................................................................245

Import CD Track....................................................................................................................................................................................245

Import Dual Mono................................................................................................................................................................................246

Recover Audio File................................................................................................................................................................................246

Export Dual Mono.................................................................................................................................................................................246

Export Regions......................................................................................................................................................................................246

Export as Text........................................................................................................................................................................................247

Batch Processor.....................................................................................................................................................................................247

Burn Audio CD......................................................................................................................................................................................247

Recently Opened Documents..............................................................................................................................................................247

Edit Menu...................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Undo......................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Redo.......................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Edits.......................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Cut.........................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Copy.......................................................................................................................................................................................................249

Paste.......................................................................................................................................................................................................249

Replace..................................................................................................................................................................................................249

Duplicate...............................................................................................................................................................................................249

Insert......................................................................................................................................................................................................249

Insert Silence.........................................................................................................................................................................................249

Silence...................................................................................................................................................................................................249

Delete....................................................................................................................................................................................................250

Delete Except Audio.............................................................................................................................................................................250

Crop.......................................................................................................................................................................................................250

Peak 5 User’s Guidexiv

Clear Clipboard.....................................................................................................................................................................................250

Select All................................................................................................................................................................................................250

Insertion Point at Selection Start/End..................................................................................................................................................250

Set Selection..........................................................................................................................................................................................250

Select Loop............................................................................................................................................................................................250

Previous Selection/Next Selection.......................................................................................................................................................250

Action Menu...............................................................................................................................................................................................250

Zoom Out..............................................................................................................................................................................................251

Zoom In.................................................................................................................................................................................................251

Increase Vertical Zoom.........................................................................................................................................................................251

Decrease Vertical Zoom........................................................................................................................................................................251

Fit Selection...........................................................................................................................................................................................251

Zoom Out All the Way...........................................................................................................................................................................251

Zoom at Sample Level...........................................................................................................................................................................251

Zoom at Sample Level (End)................................................................................................................................................................251

Snap To..................................................................................................................................................................................................252

Snap Start & End...................................................................................................................................................................................252

Snap Start..............................................................................................................................................................................................252

Snap End...............................................................................................................................................................................................252

Loop this Selection...............................................................................................................................................................................252

Nudge Loop Backward.........................................................................................................................................................................252

Nudge Loop Forward............................................................................................................................................................................252

New Marker............................................................................................................................................................................................252

Markers from Tempo.............................................................................................................................................................................253

New Region...........................................................................................................................................................................................253

New Region Split...................................................................................................................................................................................253

Capture Region to Playlist.....................................................................................................................................................................253

Markers to Regions................................................................................................................................................................................253

Nudge....................................................................................................................................................................................................254

Go To......................................................................................................................................................................................................254

Loop Surfer............................................................................................................................................................................................254

Guess Tempo........................................................................................................................................................................................255

Audio Menu................................................................................................................................................................................................255

Stop/Rewind..........................................................................................................................................................................................255

Play/Pause..............................................................................................................................................................................................255

Play Selection........................................................................................................................................................................................255

Play with Auditioning............................................................................................................................................................................255

Stop & Extend Selection.......................................................................................................................................................................255

Fast-Forward..........................................................................................................................................................................................256

Record....................................................................................................................................................................................................256

Record Settings.....................................................................................................................................................................................256

Hardware Options.................................................................................................................................................................................258

Hardware Settings.................................................................................................................................................................................258

Meters....................................................................................................................................................................................................258

DSP Menu...................................................................................................................................................................................................258

Add.........................................................................................................................................................................................................258

Amplitude Fit.........................................................................................................................................................................................259

Auto-Define Tracks................................................................................................................................................................................259

Bit Usage................................................................................................................................................................................................260

Change Duration...................................................................................................................................................................................261

Change Gain....................................................................................................................

......................................................................261

Change Pitch.........................................................................................................................................................................................261

Convert Sample Rate............................................................................................................................................................................261

Table of Contents

xv

Convolve................................................................................................................................................................................................262

Crossfade Loop.....................................................................................................................................................................................262

Envelope from Audio............................................................................................................................................................................262

Fade In & Fade Out...............................................................................................................................................................................263

Find Peak...............................................................................................................................................................................................263

Gain Envelope.......................................................................................................................................................................................263

Harmonic Rotate...................................................................................................................................................................................263

ImpulseVerb...........................................................................................................................................................................................263

Invert......................................................................................................................................................................................................264

Loop Tuner............................................................................................................................................................................................264

Mono to Stereo & Stereo to Mono.......................................................................................................................................................264

Mix..........................................................................................................................................................................................................265

Modulate................................................................................................................................................................................................265

Normalize..............................................................................................................................................................................................265

Normalize (RMS)...................................................................................................................................................................................266

Panner....................................................................................................................................................................................................266

Phase Vocoder.......................................................................................................................................................................................266

Rappify...................................................................................................................................................................................................266

Repair Click...........................................................................................................................................................................................267

Repair Clicks..........................................................................................................................................................................................267

Remove DC Offset.................................................................................................................................................................................268

Reverse Boomerang..............................................................................................................................................................................268

Reverse..................................................................................................................................................................................................268

Strip Silence...........................................................................................................................................................................................268

Swap Channels......................................................................................................................................................................................269

Threshold..............................................................................................................................................................................................269

Sampler Menu............................................................................................................................................................................................269

Send to Sampler....................................................................................................................................................................................269

Revert from Sampler.............................................................................................................................................................................269

Send All to Sampler...............................................................................................................................................................................270

Revert All from Sampler........................................................................................................................................................................270

E-mu, Ensoniq, ASR-X, Kurzweil, Peavey, Yamaha Sampler...............................................................................................................270

Plug-Ins Menu............................................................................................................................................................................................270

Vbox.......................................................................................................................................................................................................270

Inserts....................................................................................................................................................................................................271

Bounce...................................................................................................................................................................................................271

Options Menu............................................................................................................................................................................................271

Time Units.............................................................................................................................................................................................272

Sample Units.........................................................................................................................................................................................272

Use Loop in Playback............................................................................................................................................................................272

Scroll During Play..................................................................................................................................................................................272

Move Waveform During Playback........................................................................................................................................................272

Compute Max File dB...........................................................................................................................................................................272

Show Edits.............................................................................................................................................................................................272

Show Marker Times..............................................................................................................................................................................272

Show Overview......................................................................................................................................................................................272

Show Cursor Info..................................................................................................................................................................................272

Auto-Import Dual Mono.......................................................................................................................................................................273

Auto-Adjust Bounce for Latency...........................................................................................................................................................273

Audio Info..............................................................................................................................................................................................273

Dynamic Scrub Time.............................................................................................................

...............................................................274

Auto Snap..............................................................................................................................................................................................274

Keyboard MIDI Input............................................................................................................................................................................274

Peak 5 User’s Guidexvi

Movie.....................................................................................................................................................................................................274

“Open” Dialog After Launch.................................................................................................................................................................274

Window Menu............................................................................................................................................................................................274

Transport...............................................................................................................................................................................................275

Toolbar...................................................................................................................................................................................................275

Contents................................................................................................................................................................................................275

Movie.....................................................................................................................................................................................................275

MIDI.......................................................................................................................................................................................................275

Playlist....................................................................................................................................................................................................275

Tiling Windows......................................................................................................................................................................................275

Stacking Windows.................................................................................................................................................................................276

Hide All Audio Document Windows....................................................................................................................................................276

Toggle Contents Drawer.......................................................................................................................................................................276

Links Menu.................................................................................................................................................................................................276

Appendix 1 - Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts...................................................................................................................................................................................277

Appendix 2 - Peak Actions

Peak Actions...............................................................................................................................................................................................283

.

Appendix 3 - Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting – Before Calling for Help..............................................................................................................................................287

Glossary

Glossary......................................................................................................................................................................................................293

Chapter 1
Introducing Peak

Peak 5 User’s Guide18

Chapter 1: Introducing Peak

Welcome!

BIAS Peak™ is an advanced audio application that
provides superior tools for recording, editing, and
processing digital audio on the Macintosh computer.
Peak was specifically designed to meet the needs and
demands of audio professionals. By combining high­quality direct-from-disk digital audio editing features
with lightning fast destructive & nondestructive editing
environments, Peak provides unsurpassed audio editing
power, and makes a superb addition to multitrack audio
application programs, such as BIAS Deck™, Cubase™,
Digital Performer™, Live™, Logic™, Pro Tools™, and
practically any other application that deals with digital
audio. Peak offers advanced sampler support, and works
directly with many popular MIDI sampling keyboards
and rackmount samplers. Peak is also the perfect audio
complement to digital video editing programs, such as
iMovie™ and Final Cut Pro™.

Peak Features:

• Direct-to-disk recording and playback at all sample
rates supported by the sound hardware on your
Macintosh, or supported through third-party audio
hardware

• User-configured waveform display

• Support for commonly used audio document
formats, including AIFF, Sound Designer II™,
WAVE, QuickTime™, Raw, System 7 Sound, Sonic
AIFF, Paris™, JAM Image, AU, MP3, and MP4(AAC)
formats

• Non-destructive file-based editing with unlimited
undo and redo

• Professional editing abilities, including user-definable
fade curves, silence, and complete support for
cut/copy/paste with multiple undo and redo

• By using an application that supports Apple Events, such
as FileMaker Pro™, you can catalog your Peak sound
files and audition them from within the application

• Support for third-party digital audio hardware,
such as M-Audio™ or Mark of the Unicorn™ digital
audio interfaces, through Core Audio.

• Support for 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit audio files

• Support for third-party VST™ & Audio Units effects
and instrument plug-ins, allowing you to add
advanced signal processing features to Peak. Plug­ins from companies such as BIAS, Cycling `74™,
Steinberg™, Waves™, and Apple™ can be used
with Peak for digital filtering, noise reduction,
reverb, equalization, and other effects in real time

• The ability to create 100% Red Book compliant
(with CD-TEXT, ISRC codes, and PQ subcodes)
audio CDs directly from a Peak Playlist or audio
document

• Sophisticated Tools for looping, including Loop
Surfer™, Loop Tuner™, and Guess Tempo™

• Sampler Support

• Advanced Playlist editing and mastering options

• Automated batch file processing

• Customizable Toolbar and Keyboard Shortcuts

• QuickTime Movie window with scrubbing

Chapter 1: Introducing Peak

19

1

Who Is Peak Designed For?

Peak is designed for a wide variety of users, ranging from
composers and multimedia producers to sound
designers, mastering engineers, video editors, and remix
editors. Peak’s comprehensive recording, editing,
mastering, looping, and processing capabilities make it a
powerhouse tool for virtually any aspect of digital audio
production. If you are interested in sound and possess
imagination and creativity, Peak is for you.

What’s New in Peak 5.0?

Version 5.0 of Peak software has many new features and
enhancements, including:

• Completely redesigned Playlist with unlimited
undo/redo

• International Standard Recording Code (ISRC)
support

• PQ subcode support

• CD-TEXT support

• DDP File Export*

• POW-r™ Dither in Playlist

• Advanced Change Pitch algorithm

• Advanced Change Duration algorithm

• Advanced Sample Rate Conversion algorithm

• VBox 2.0 effects routing interface – now supports
Audio Units plug-ins, and VST/Audio Units
instruments

• MIDI support (for virtual instruments)

• Freq-4 v. 2.0 EQ Plug-In

• Automatic plug-in latency compensation

• Adjust Parameters while recording through plug­ins

• Support for Unicode & long file names (longer
than 32 characters)

• More accurate waveform display

• Auto-Define Tracks DSP tool

• Strip Silence DSP tool

• Envelope from Audio DSP tool

• RMS Normalize DSP tool

• New Region Split

• High Resolution Tape-Style Scrubbing

• Snap To options: CD Frames, Sony PS2™ &
Microsoft XBox™ loop boundaries, and custom
units

• Recover Audio File

• Preserve File Attributes in Batch Processor

• Multi-Document Recording (Long Recordings)

• Edit History in File Drawer

• HD Time Units (59.97 & 60 fps)

• Save Loop Flags in On/Off position

• Automatic Window Tiling

• New ImpulseVerb User Interface

• New Toolbar icons

• Support for Mac OS X v. 10.4 “Tiger”

• BIAS Key used for copy protection (multiple BIAS
product authorizations may be loaded into a single
BIAS Key)

Peak 5 User’s Guide20

Minimum System Requirements

To use Peak on a G4-equipped Macintosh computer, you
will need:

• ≥500mHz processor speed

• Mac OS X v.10.3 or later

• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM or higher
recommended)

• A hard drive with 18ms access time or better

• Color monitor, minimum 1024 x 768 resolution

• Core Audio support of third-party hardware for
playback requires drivers from hardware
manufacturer

To use Peak on a G3-equipped Macintosh computer, you
will need:

• ≥400mHz processor speed

• Mac OS X v.10.3 or later

• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM or higher
recommended)

• A hard drive with 18ms access time or better

• Color monitor, minimum 1024 x 768 resolution

• Core Audio support of third-party hardware for
playback requires drivers from hardware
manufacturer

Mac OS X v. 10.4 “Tiger” and a compatible CD

burner are required for burning CD-TEXT and
subcode metadata from a Peak Playlist document.

Please note that ImpulseVerb is not available when

using Peak on a G3 equipped Macintosh computer.

Maximizing Peak’s Performance

The following tips are optional, and will help you get the
best performance out of Peak and your Macintosh, but
they are not required.

To maximize Peak performance:

• Set your monitor to no more than thousands of
colors (the lowest setting that displays properly is
recommended for older Macintosh computers).

• Turn File Sharing off, unless you need it.

• Disconnect your Macintosh from any networks and
turn off AppleTalk, unless you need to be on a
network.

• Optimize your hard drive. (See Chapter 3 to learn
about proper hard disk maintenance.)

• Use a separate (i.e., a drive that is not also hosting
the operating system or Peak application) fast hard
drive as a scratch disk/record disk – BIAS
recommends at least a 7200 RPM rotational speed,
8 MB cache or higher, 18ms access time or better,
and a fast data transfer connection, such as SCSI,
FireWire 400/800, ATA, etc.

About Your User’s Guide

Peak is designed to be simple and intuitive. Your User’s
Guide is designed to help you set up and use Peak for
digital recording and editing as quickly and easily as
possible.

This User’s Guide assumes that you are familiar with
standard Macintosh operating techniques, including:

• Setting up, starting, and using your Macintosh

• Choosing commands from menus

• Clicking, double-clicking, selecting, Shift-selecting,

Chapter 1: Introducing Peak

21

1

dragging with the mouse, and other common
operations

• Opening, copying, saving and deleting files

• Opening, closing, scrolling, moving, re-sizing, and
selecting Macintosh windows

If you don’t know how to perform these tasks, please
refer to your Macintosh User’s Guide and spend a little
time learning about your Macintosh before going any
further. This will make using Peak much easier and more
enjoyable.

The Chapters in your Peak User’s Guide are arranged in
the order in which you would typically perform tasks
when embarking on an audio project:

• Chapter 1 introduces you to Peak and explains
some of the requirements for using it

• Chapter 2 explains how to install Peak and
configure your Macintosh for recording and
playback

• Chapter 3 introduces you to some basic concepts
of digital audio and disk-based recording, as well as
basic Peak operations

• Chapter 4 explains how to configure, record to,
and playback audio from hard disk in Peak using
Core Audio. It also explains how to import audio
from compatible CD-ROM drives

• Chapter 5 introduces you to the concepts and
techniques of nondestructive editing with Peak

• Chapter 6 explains how to create regions and
sequence their playback using Playlists, as well as
how to burn audio CDs export a variety of common
file formats

• Chapter 7 explains how to use Peak’s native DSP
tools

• Chapter 8 explains how to use Audio Units & VST
plug-ins, and how to use Vbox to enhance Peak’s
audio production capabilities

• Chapter 9 explains how to use Peak’s Batch File

Processor as well as how to use Apple Events for
file management

• Chapter 10 explains how to import samples
directly from compatible samplers (to edit or
process the audio using all of Peak’s functions) and
send the modified sample back to the sampler

• Chapter 11 describes each of the commands found
in Peak’s menus

• Appendix 1 lists the default Keyboard Shortcuts for
Peak

• Appendix 2 provides a troubleshooting guide for
commonly encountered problems

• A Glossary and an Index complete your Peak User’s
Guide

Look for important tips and notes whenever you
see this exclamation mark.

About Peak LE

Peak LE is a limited-feature edition of “Peak Pro”, and not
all features are available. Peak LE has a streamlined
feature set and includes the essential tools required for
music production, basic CD mastering, and editing the
audio content in files commonly used in non-linear video
editing systems.

If you are using the limited edition (LE edition) of Peak,
not all features will be available. Specifically, the
following features are not available in Peak LE:

• Add

• Advanced Playlist functions – Peak LE features a
basic Playlist

• Amplitude Fit

• Bit Depth and Sample rate limited to 24-bit/96kHz

• Bit Usage

Peak 5 User’s Guide22

• Convolve

• Crossfade Loop

• Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts

• Customizable Toolbar

• Dither

• Envelope from Audio

• Find Peak

• Harmonic Rotate

• Import Dual Mono

• ImpulseVerb

• Includes a 2-band edition of the Freq EQ plug-in

• Limited to using one effect/virtual instrument plug­in at a time

• Loop Surfer and Loop Tuner

• Meters Dialog

• Modulate

• Mono To Stereo

• Panner

• POW-r™ Dithering

• Phase Vocoder

• Rappify

• Recording Input Levels

• Recording Notepad

• Remove DC Offset

• Repair Click

• Repair Clicks

• RMS Normalize

• Sampler Support

• Specialized Apple Events for Playback from a
database such as FileMaker Pro

• Stereo To Mono

• Strip Silence

• Swap Channels

• Threshold

• Vbox is not included

Features that are not supported in Peak LE will

show this icon in the manual. Features
unavailable in Peak LE will appear greyed out in
their menus.

Getting Help with Peak

Peak provides a variety of helpful resources when you
run into questions. The first type is Toolbar Help, which
shows you the function of each icon in the Toolbar or
Transport. If you hold the mouse cursor over a
Toolbar/Transport icon for 2 seconds, the Toolbar Help
for that icon’s function will appear.

The next type of help is available under the Peak menu.
Choosing Help will open the .pdf format Peak User’s
Guide, which was installed along with Peak.

You may also use the Links menu to access additional

Chapter 1: Introducing Peak

23

1

LE

documentation, tutorials, and technical support online,
via the BIAS website.

BIAS recommends using these resources before
contacting Technical Support. The answers to most
common technical questions can be found online. Best
of all, using online help resources is free, easy, and
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
If you do need to contact Technical Support, please see

the BIAS Technical Support Policy on page 5 of this

user’s guide.

Conclusion

Now that you know a little about Peak, proceed to the
next chapter to learn how to install your software and get
started using it.

Peak 5 User’s Guide24

Chapter 2
Installing & Configuring Peak

Peak 5 User’s Guide26

Chapter 2:

2

Installing, Registering,
and Activating Peak

Installing Peak

Peak’s auto-installer software makes installation very
easy.

Your complete Peak system consists of:

• CD-ROM installer

• Serial number

• BIAS Key

• BIAS Key Panel (a System Preference Pane)

The BIAS Key is molded out of purple plastic, and is
manufactured by HASP (it reads “HASP” on the dongle
itself ) – this may be useful to know in case you also
use other dongles, and you happen to mix them up.

Before you install Peak, please check the

Minimum System Requirements on Page 21 of this

User’s Guide.

To Install Peak:

1. If you are using any virus protection software, turn
it off or temporarily remove it, and restart your
Macintosh.

running a program to determine if it can be
installed, click the Continue button.

4. When the Installer dialog appears, click the
Continue button.

5. Read the Software License Agreement – then click
the Continue button to proceed.

6. Click the Agree button if you agree to the terms of
the Software License Agreement.

7. Select the hard drive/volume on which you wish to
install Peak, and click the Continue button.

8. Click the Install/Upgrade button (depending on
the configuration of your user account, you may
need to enter your account password. If prompted
for your password, enter it and click the OK
button. If you do not know your account
password, please contact your system
administrator for assistance).

9. When the installation is complete, a message will
appear indicating that the installation was
successful. Click the Close button to quit the
Installer. (Don’t forget to turn back on any virus­protection software that you may be using the next
time you restart the computer).

2. Insert the Peak installer CD-ROM into your CD-ROM
drive – when its icon appears on your computer’s
desktop, double-click the Install Peak icon.

3. When prompted about the Installer package

Chapter 2: Installing, Registering, and Activating Peak

What Peak Installs:

• Peak Application

• Plug-Ins

27

• Peak Impulses

• Peak Envelopes

• Documentation

• BIAS Key Panel

When you have finished installation, you will be
prompted to launch the BIAS Key Panel, a system
preference pane that is installed along with the Peak
application. If you would like to register and activate
Peak at this point, have your Owner’s Certificate handy,
click the Launch BIAS Key button, and proceed to the
next section, “Registration & Activation”, where you will
find step-by-step directions on how to activate Peak.

Registration & Activation

Peak must be activated to work on your computer. You
must register Peak with BIAS in order to activate it.

The Peak activation system consists of the following
components:

• Serial Number (located on BIAS Owner’s
Certificate).

• The BIAS Key (a small hardware device that plugs
into an available USB port on your computer
system).

You must register with BIAS in order to activate it;
Peak will not launch after the 14-day Registration
Period unless you activate it.

The fastest and easiest way to register and activate Peak
is by accessing the BIAS Registration System online, via
the BIAS Key Panel.

The registration/activation process provides the
following services:

• Registers your software with BIAS – making you
eligible for technical support and product updates.

• Activates your BIAS Key, and unlocks Peak so that
it may be used permanently. Once the BIAS Key is
activated, you may move it from one system to
another, and use Peak on a different system. Keep
in mind that each license of Peak may only be used
on one computer system at a time.

You cannot use Peak without an activated BIAS
Key! If you plan to travel, or use Peak in mobile
situations, don’t forget to bring your key. Think of
the BIAS Key much like the keys for your car or
house – you cannot use Peak without it!

To Register/Activate Peak via the Internet:

If you are registering/activating directly following
installation, and have already clicked the Launch
BIAS Key Panel button in the Launch BIAS key
dialog, please skip directly to Step 2.

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences,
and then click the BIAS Key icon in the “Other”
section of the System Preferences window.

2. Insert the BIAS Key into an available USB port on
your computer system – when the key is properly
inserted and active, a red LED within the key will
light up.

3. In the BIAS Key Panel, select BIAS Peak V5.x in the
section labeled “Step 1: Select a Product”.

4. In the section labeled “Step 2: Register your BIAS
Product” – enter your Peak serial number in the
field labeled “Serial Number” ( Your serial number
is located on your Owner’s Certificate).

Peak 5 User’s Guide28

5. Click the submit button located to the right of the
Serial Number field – you will be prompted
whether you wish to register immediately or
register later.

If the computer on which you have installed Peak
has an active Internet connection, (or can be
temporarily connected to the Internet for this one­time activation process) it is recommended that
you register immediately by clicking the Register
Now! Button. If the computer on which you have
installed Peak does not have an active Internet
connection, (or cannot be temporarily connected
to the Internet) click the Later button.

If you choose to register later, a 14-day Registration
Period begins, during which Peak will be fully functional.
Be sure to register and activate Peak during this 14-day
period to ensure uninterrupted use.

If the computer on which you plan to use Peak cannot be
temporarily connected to the Internet, please see the
section on Alternate Methods of Registration/Activation,
which appears later in this chapter.

6. If you have an active Internet connection, click the
Register Now! Button.

7. When prompted, enter your email address and
click the OK button – if you have previously
registered products with BIAS (and you are
registering with the same email address), you will
be automatically recognized by the registration

system, and Peak 5 will be automatically activated.
If this is the first product you are registering with
BIAS, or if it is under a different name/email
address/company, etc. you will be asked to fill out
a brief registration form.

8. After completing the registration form (if
applicable), you will also be prompted to fill out a
brief questionnaire – to do so, click the Yes button.
If you prefer not to fill out the questionnaire, click
the No button, and go back to the BIAS Key Panel.

After completing Step 8 above, the Product Status
portion of the BIAS Key Panel should now list Peak as an
“Activated” product. If you need to use Peak on another
system, your BIAS Key is also activated, so you may run
Peak on a different computer system.

Alternate Methods of Registration/Activation

If the computer on which you plan to install Peak cannot
be temporarily connected to the Internet, for this one­time activation process, it is possible to register and
activate Peak Pro with the help of another Macintosh
computer, which is connected to the Internet.

To use this registration/activation method, the
Macintosh computer that has Internet access must
be running Mac OS X!

To Register & Activate the BIAS Key using another
Macintosh computer:

1. Follow the regular installation, registration, and
activation steps above on the Macintosh computer
that does have Internet access.

2. Once your BIAS Key is activated, simply transfer it
back to the Macintosh computer on which you
plan to use Peak.

Once the BIAS Key is activated, you may move it from
one system to another, and use Peak on a different
system.

Chapter 2: Installing, Registering, and Activating Peak

29

2

Your serial number appears on the Owner’s Certificate, included in the
Peak Pro package

How to Register & Activate Peak without an
Internet connection

If you do not have temporary Internet access on any
computer, or need help with any part of the
registration/activation process, please contact BIAS at:

Inside the US: 1-800-775-2427

International: [phone]

Conclusion

Now that you have installed, registered, and activated
Peak, please proceed to the next chapter to learn several
basic concepts and functions essential to using Peak.

Peak 5 User’s Guide30