Macromedia Soundbooth - CS3 User Guide
ADOBE®SOUNDBOOTH™ CS3
USER GUIDE
Copyright
© 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Adobe® Soundbooth™ CS3 User Guide for Windows® and Mac OS.
If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end user agreement, this guide, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or
copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license, no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or other wise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated.Pleasenotethatthe
content in this guide is protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end user license agreement.
Thecontentofthisguideisfurnishedforinformationaluseonly,issubjecttochangewithoutnotice,andshouldnotbeconstruedasacommitmentbyAdobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe Systems Incorporated assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this guide.
Please remember that existing artwork or images that you may want to include in your project may be protected under copyright law. The unauthorized incorporation of such
material into your new work could be a violation of the rights of the copyright owner. Please be sure to obtain any permission required from the copyright owner.
Any references to company names in sample templates are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organization.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Creative Suite, Encore, Flash, Photoshop, Soundbooth, and Version Cue are either registered trademarks or trademarks
of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. Windows is either registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac
OS is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (
MPEG Layer-3 audio compression technology licensed by Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson Multimedia (
http://www.apache.org/).
http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/fhg/iis/EN/bf/amm/index.jsp).
ASIO and VST are trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
Notice toU.S. Governmentend users:The Software and Documentationare “Commercial Items,” as thatterm is definedat 48 C.F.R. §2.101, consisting of“Com mercia l Comput er
Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation,” as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 C.F.R.
§12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §§227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, as applicable, the Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation are being
licensed to U.S. Government end users (a) only as Commercial Items and (b) with only those rights as are granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions
herein. Unpublished-rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. Adobe agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws including, if appropriate,
the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action clause and regulations contained in
the preceding sentence shall be incorporated by reference.
Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110, USA.
Contents
Chapter 1: Getting started
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Adobe Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Key features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals
Understanding sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Digitizing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 3: Workspace
Customizing the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Managing workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 4: Importing, recording, and playing audio
Configuring hardware inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Opening and recording files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
iii
Chapter 5: Editing and repairing audio
Displaying audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Selecting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Copying, cutting, pasting, and deleting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Fading, changing, and maximizing volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Repairing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Looping, stretching, and pitch shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Undo and redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 6: Effects
Applying effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Effects reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 7: Creating scores with AutoComposer
Get started with AutoComposer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Customizing scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Saving and exporting scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter 8: Working with Flash and video
Working with Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Working with video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 9: Saving audio and video files
Saving and closing files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Choosing file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Options for audio, AVI, and MOV formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Options for additional video formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Chapter 10: Keyboard shortcuts
Finding and customizing shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Common shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter 11: Digital audio glossary
Common audio terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
iv
Chapter 1: Getting started
Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read an overview of installation, Adobe Help,
and the many resources available to users. You have access to instructional videos, score templates, sound effects,
user communities, RSS feeds, tutorials, and much more.
Installation
Requirements
❖ To review complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® software, see the Read Me file
on the installation disc.
Install the software
1 Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.
2 Insert the installation disc into the disc drive, and follow the on-screen instructions.
1
Note: For more information, see the Read Me file on the installation disc.
Activate the software
Ifyouhaveasingle-userretaillicenseforyourAdobesoftware,youwillbeaskedtoactivateyoursoftware;thisisa
simple, anonymous process that you must complete within 30 days of starting the software.
For more informationon product activation, see the Read Me file on your installation disc, or visitthe Adobe website
at www.adobe.com/go/activation.
1 If the Activation dialog box isn’t already open, choose Help > Activate.
2 Follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: If you want to install the software on a different computer, you must first deactivate it on your computer. Choose
Help > Deactivate.
Register
Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.
❖ To register, follow the on-screen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install and
activate the software.
If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.
Read Me
The installation disc contains the Read Me file for your software. (This file is also copied to the application folder
during product installation.) Open the file to read important information about the following topics:
• System requirements
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
• Installation (including uninstalling the software)
• Activation and registration
• Font installation
• Troubleshooting
• Customer support
• Legal notices
Adobe Help
Adobe Help resources
Documentation for your Adobe software is available in a variety of formats.
In-product and LiveDocs Help
In-product Help provides access to all documentation and instructional content available at the time the software
ships. It is available through the Help menu in your Adobe software.
2
LiveDocs Help includes all the content from in-product Help, plus updates and links to additional instructional
content available on the web. For some products, you can also add comments to the topics in LiveDocs Help. Find
LiveDocs Help for your product in the Adobe Help Resource Center, at www.adobe.com/go/documentation.
Most versions of in-product and LiveDocs Help let you search across the Help systems of multiple products. Topics
may also contain links to relevant content on the web or to topics in the Help of another product.
Think of Help, both in the product and on the web, as a hub for accessing additional content and communities of
users. The most complete and up-to-date version of Help is always on the web.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Adobe PDF documentation
The in-product Help is also available as a PDF that is optimized for printing. Other documents, such as installation
guides and white papers, may also be provided as PDFs.
All PDF documentation is available through the Adobe Help Resource Center, at www.adobe.com/go/documen-
tation.Tosee the PDF documentation included with your software,look in the Documentsfolder on theinstallation
or content DVD.
Printed documentation
Printed editions of the in-product Help are available for purchase in the Adobe Store, at www.adobe.com/go/store.
You can also find books published by Adobe publishing partners in the Adobe Store.
A printed workflow guide is included with all Adobe Creative Suite® 3 products, and stand-alone Adobe products
may include a printed getting started guide.
Using Help in the product
In-productHelpisavailablethroughtheHelpmenu.AfteryoustarttheAdobeHelpViewer,clickBrowsetoseeHelp
for additional Adobe products installed on your computer.
These Help features facilitate cross-product learning:
3
• Topics may contain links to the Help systems of other Adobe products or to additional content on the web.
• Some topics are shared across two or more products. For instance, if you see a Help topic with an Adobe
Photoshop® CS3 icon and an Adobe AfterEffects® CS3 icon, you know that the topic either describes functionality
that is similar in the two products or describes cross-product workflows.
• You can search across the Help systems of multiple products.
If you search for a phrase, such as “shape tool,” enclose it in quotation marks to see only those topics that include all
the words in the phrase.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
A
C
D
B
4
Adobe Help
A. Back/Forwardbuttons (previously visited links) B. Expandable subtopics C. Icons indicatingshared topic D. Previous/Next buttons (topics
in sequential order)
Accessibility features
Adobe Help content is accessible to people with disabilities—such as mobility impairments, blindness, and low
vision. In-product Help supports these standard accessibility features:
• The user can change text size with standard context menu commands.
• Links are underlined for easy recognition.
• If link text doesn’t match the title of the destination, the title is referenced in the Title attribute of the Anchor tag.
For example, the Previous and Next links include the titles of the previous and next topics.
• Content supports high-contrast mode.
• Graphics without captions include alternate text.
• Each frame has a title to indicate its purpose.
• Standard HTML tags define content structure for screen reading or text-to-speech tools.
• Style sheets control formatting, so there are no embedded fonts.
Keyboard shortcuts for Help toolbar controls (Windows)
Back button Alt+Left Arrow
Forward button Alt+Right Arrow
Print Ctrl+P
About button Ctrl+I
Browse menu Alt+Down Arrow or Alt+Up Arrow to view Help for another application
Search box Ctrl+S to place the insertion point in the Search box
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Keyboard shortcuts for Help navigation (Windows)
• To move between panes, press Ctrl+Tab (forward) and Shift+Ctrl+Tab (backward).
• To move through and outline links in a pane, press Tab (forward) or Shift+Tab (backward).
• To activate an outlined link, press Enter.
• To make text bigger, press Ctrl+equal sign.
• To make text smaller, press Ctrl+hyphen.
Resources
Adobe Video Workshop
The Adobe Creative Suite 3 Video Workshop offers over 200 training videos covering a wide range of subjects for
print, web, and video professionals.
YoucanusetheAdobeVideoWorkshoptolearnaboutanyCreativeSuite3product.Manyvideosshowyouhowto
use Adobe applications together.
5
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
When you start the Adobe Video Workshop, you choose the products you want to learn and the subjects you want
to view. You can see details about each video to focus and direct your learning.
6
Community of presenters
With this release, Adobe Systems invited the community of its users to share their expertise and insights. Adobe and
lynda.com present tutorials, tips, and tricks from leading designers and developers such as Joseph Lowery, Katrin
Eismann, and Chris Georgenes. You can see and hear Adobe experts such as Lynn Grillo, Greg Rewis, and Russell
Brown. In all, over 30 product experts share their knowledge.
Tutorials and source files
The Adobe Video Workshop includes training for novices and experienced users. You’ll also find videos on new
features and key techniques. Each video covers a single subject and typically runs about 3-5 minutes. Most videos
come with an illustrated tutorial and source files, so you can print detailed steps and try the tutorial on your own.
Using Adobe Video Workshop
YoucanaccessAdobeVideoWorkshopusingtheDVDincludedwithyourCreativeSuite3product.It’salsoavailable
online at www.adobe.com/go/learn_videotutorials. Adobe will regularly add new videos to the online Video
Workshop, so check in to see what’s new.
Soundbooth CS3 videos
Adobe Video Workshop covers a wide range of subjects for Adobe Soundbooth™ CS3, including these:
• Editing audio
• Audio cleanup and restoration
• Polishing voiceovers using effects
• Creating music with AutoComposer
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
• Exporting audio to FLV files
Videos also show you how to use Soundbooth CS3 with other Adobe products:
• Working with markers and cue points
• Creating and modifying menus in Encore®
To access Adobe Creative Suite 3 video tutorials, visit Adobe Video Workshop at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_videotutorials.
Extras
To help you make the most of Adobe Soundbooth, you have access to a wide variety of resources. Some are installed
on your computer during thesetup process,others areincluded on the installation DVD,and even more are available
online through Resource Central.
Installed score templates
During software installation, 40 Soundbooth score templates are placed in the application folder. These score
template (.sbst) files can be previewed and opened in Adobe Bridge, or opened directly from the File menu. Each
template is produced by an expert musician, adding professional polish to your projects.
To view installed score templates, navigate to the following folder on your computer:
7
• Windows: [startup drive]/Program files/Adobe/Adobe Soundbooth CS3
• Mac OS: [startup drive]/Applications/Adobe Soundbooth CS3
Documentation on DVD
On the installation DVD, the Documentation folder contains a PDF version of Help, technical information, and
other documents such as reference guides and specialized feature information.
Online content from Resource Central
TheResourceCentralpanel(Window>ResourceCentral)connectsyoutothelatest,dynamicallyupdatedcontent
on the Adobe website. There, you’ll find extensive collections of sound effects and score templates that increase the
power of Soundbooth, as well as expert tips and tutorials that expand your audio knowledge.
Bridge Home
Bridge Home, a new destination in Adobe Bridge CS3, provides up-to-date information on all your Adobe Creative
Suite 3 software in one convenient location. Start Adobe Bridge, then click the Bridge Home icon at the top of the
Favorites panel to access the latest tips, news, and resources for your Creative Suite tools.
Note: Bridge Home may not be available in all languages.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
8
Adobe Design Center
Adobe Design Center offers articles, inspiration, and instruction from industry experts, top designers and Adobe
publishing partners. New content is added monthly.
You can find hundreds of tutorials for design products and learn tips and techniques through videos, HTML
tutorials, and sample book chapters.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
New ideas are the heart of Think Tank, Dialog Box, and Gallery:
• ThinkTankarticlesconsiderhowtoday’sdesignersengagewithtechnologyandwhattheirexperiencesmeanfor
design, design tools, and society.
• In Dialog Box, experts share new ideas in motion graphics and digital design.
• The Gallery showcases how artists communicate design in motion.
Visit Adobe Design Center at www.adobe.com/designcenter.
Adobe Developer Center
Adobe Developer Center provides samples, tutorials, articles, and community resources for developers who build
rich Internet applications, websites, mobile content,and other projects using Adobe products. The Developer Center
also contains resources for developers who develop plug-ins for Adobe products.
9
In addition to sample code and tutorials, you'll find RSS feeds, online seminars, SDKs, scripting guides, and other
technical resources.
Visit Adobe Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/developer.
Customer support
VisittheAdobeSupportwebsite,atwww.adobe.com/support, to find troubleshooting information for your product
and tolearn about free and paid technicalsupport options.Follow the Training link for access to Adobe Press books,
a variety of training resources, Adobe software certification programs, and more.
Downloads
Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, tryouts, and other useful software. In addition, the Adobe
Store (at www.adobe.com/go/store) provides access to thousands of plug-ins from third-party developers, helping
you to automate tasks, customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Adobe Labs
Adobe Labs gives youthe opportunity toexperience andevaluate new and emerging technologies and products from
Adobe.
At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources such as these:
• Prerelease software and technologies
• Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning
• Early versions of product and technical documentation
• Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with like-minded developers
Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers quickly become
productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early feedback, which the Adobe
development teams use to create software that meets the needs and expectations of the community.
Visit Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs.
User communities
User communities feature forums, blogs, and other avenues for users to share technologies, tools, and information.
Users can ask questions and find out how others are getting the most out of their software. User-to-user forums are
available in English, French, German, and Japanese; blogs are posted in a wide range of languages.
10
To participate in forums or blogs, visit www.adobe.com/communities.
Key features
Key features in Adobe Soundbooth CS3
Built for video editors, web designers and developers, motion graphics artists, and other creative professionals,
Soundbooth deliverstools foraudio editing,cleanup, sound design, andmusic creation—all within a familiar, Adobe
interface. With aset of powerful and intuitive tools, Soundbooth enables even those with very little audio experience
to quickly complete everyday tasks: recording and editing, removing unwanted noise, customizing sound effects,
adding sonic emphasis to a scene, or creating royalty-free music to match the mood of a production.
For a video about the Soundbooth workflow, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0242.
Intuitive audio editing with on-clip controls Improving audio is as easy as clicking on audio content. Soundbooth
provides instant cut, copy, and paste functions, and on-clip editingtools such as trim, fade, and volume control. With
just one click, youcan quickly fix, boost, decrease, or otherwise modify audio assets to better meet productionneeds.
(See “Editing and repairing audio” on page 31.)
Fast audio cleanup Rescue audio assets that might otherwise need to be re-recorded. Use audio cleanup tools to
remove the background hiss and hum from the sound of an air conditioner, rumble noise coming from the tape in a
video camera, clicks and pops from a wireless microphone, and other unwanted background noises and artifacts.
(See “Remove background noise” on page 42.)
AutoComposer with customizable Soundbooth Scores UseAutoComposertoeasilycustomizethelengthandmood
of music to match audio or video production. Open and customize Soundbooth Scores, and use keyframes to
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
animate a score’s intensity and instrumentation over time. Dozens of flexible Soundbooth Score templates are
included. (See “Creating scores with AutoComposer” on page 55.)
Fast mastering and vocal improvement Polish the overall sound of a track by applying any of the high-quality
mastering presets in Soundbooth. Then make your vocal tracks glisten with the one-click Vocal Enhancer. (See
“Mastering” on page 53 and “Vocal Enhancer” on page 54.)
More than 15 high-quality audio filters Manipulate audio using built-in effects like EQ, compression, reverb, echo,
chorus, distortion, time-stretching, and pitch-shifting. Choose from multiple presets or save custom presets for use
throughout projects. Stack up to five filters at a time with the Effects Rack, and then preview them in real time. (See
“Effects” on page 46.)
Heal sound using visual tools Spectral analysis and on-clip editing tools let you find and fix noise visually. Easily
identify and remove individual sounds from within an audio file using marquee and lasso tools similar to those
found in Adobe Photoshop. For example, the Auto Heal function works like the familiar Healing Brush tool in
Photoshop, cleanly removing an unwanted sound while leaving desirable audio intact. (See “Visually identifying
noise” on page 41.)
Record new assets Soundbooth lets you record original sounds foruse in Adobe Premiere®Pro CS3 or Adobe Flash®
CS3 Professional, orother audio and video environments. Add markerson the fly while recording and automatically
register take numbers or time stamps into filenames to better track and manage takes. (See “Record a new file” on
page 26.)
11
Customize thousands of included sound effects Access Adobe Bridge CS3 from Soundbooth to browse score
templates and sound effects and quickly add them to a project. Customize or modify sound effects with edits and
audio filters, and then save them for use in Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and other environments. (See “Browsing
assets with Adobe Bridge” on page 26.)
Work easily with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Audio workflow integrates smoothly with the visual workflow in your
creative projects. Edit audio assets in Soundbooth and update them automatically in Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. (See
“Working with video” on page 61.)
Create animation cues for Flash Edit Flash cues quickly in the Markers panel. Insert markers while playing,
recording, or editing audio. Display, add, delete, or change name and value pairs and other details for event
navigation and scripting in Flash. Export markers to XML or within FLV files for use in Flash. (See “Working with
Flash” on page 60.)
Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals
An understanding of key audio concepts helps you get the most out of Adobe Soundbooth CS3.
Understanding sound
Sound waves
Sound starts with vibrations in the air, like those produced by guitar strings, vocal cords, or speaker cones. These
vibrations push nearby air molecules together, raising the airpressure slightly. The air molecules under pressure then
push on the air molecules surrounding them, which push on the next set of molecules, and so on. As high-pressure
areas move through the air, they leave low-pressure areas behind them. When these waves of pressure changes reach
us, they vibrate the receptors in our ears, and we hear the vibrations as sound.
When you see a visual waveform that represents audio, it reflects these waves of air pressure. The zero line in the
waveform is the pressureof air at rest. When the line swings up to a peak, it represents higher pressure;when the line
swings down to a trough, it represents lower pressure.
12
C
A
B
A sound wave represented as a visual waveform
A. Zero line B. Low-pressure area C. High-pressure area
0
Waveform measurements
Several measurements describe sound waveforms:
Amplitude Reflects the change in pressure from the peak of the waveform to the trough. High-amplitudewaveforms
are loud; low-amplitude waveforms are quiet.
Cycle Describes a single, repeated sequence of pressure changes, from zero pressure, to high pressure, to low
pressure, and back to zero.
Frequency Measured in hertz (Hz), describes the number of cycles per second. (For example, a 1000-Hz waveform
has 1000 cycles per second.) The higher the frequency, the higher the musical pitch.
Phase Measured in 360 degrees, indicates the position of a waveform in a cycle. Zero degrees is the start point,
followed by 90º at high pressure, 180º at the halfway point, 270º at low pressure, and 360º at the end point.
Wavelength Measured in units such as inches or centimeters, is the distance between two points with the same
degree of phase. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
13
º
0
º
90
A
180º360
º
B
270
º
A
C
D
A single cycle at left; a complete, 20-Hz waveform at right
A. Wa ve l en g th B. Degree of phase C. Amplitude D. One second
How sound waves interact
When two or more sound waves meet, they add to and subtract from each other. If their peaks and troughs are
perfectly in phase, they reinforce each other,resulting in a waveform thathas higher amplitude thaneither individual
waveform.
In-phase waves reinforce each other.
If the peaks and troughs of two waveformsare perfectly out of phase,theycanceleachother,resultinginnowaveform
at all.
Out-of-phase waves cancel each other.
In most cases, however, waves are out of phase in varying amounts, resulting in a combined waveform that is more
complex than individual waveforms. A complex waveform that represents music, voice, noise, and other sounds, for
example, combines the waveforms from each sound.
Because of its unique physical structure, a single instrument can create extremely complex waves. That’s why a violin
and a trumpet sound different even when playing the same note.
Two simple waves combine to create a complex wave.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Digitizing audio
Comparing analog and digital audio
In analog and digital audio, sound is transmitted and stored in very different ways.
Analog audio: positive and negative voltage
A microphone converts the pressure waves of sound into voltage changes in a wire: high pressure becomes positive
voltage, and low pressure becomes negative voltage. When these voltage changes travel down a microphone wire,
they can be recorded onto tape as changes in magnetic strength or onto vinyl records as changes in groove size. A
speaker works like a microphone in reverse, taking the voltage signals from an audio recording and vibrating to
re-create the pressure wave.
Digital audio: zeroes and ones
Unlike analog storage media such as magnetic tape or vinyl records, computers store audio information digitally as
a series of zeroes and ones. In digital storage, the original waveform is broken up into individual snapshots called
samples. This process is typically known as digitizing or sampling the audio, but it is sometimes called
analog-to-digital conversion.
When you record from a microphone into a computer, for example, analog-to-digital converters transform the
analog signal into digital samples that computers can store and process.
14
Sample rate
Sample rate indicates the number of digital samples taken of an audio signal each second. This rate determines the
frequency range of an audio file. The higher the sample rate, the closer the shape of the digital waveform is to that of
theoriginalanalogwaveform.Lowsamplerateslimittherangeoffrequenciesthatcanberecorded,whichcanresult
in a recording that poorly represents the original sound.
A
B
Two sample rates
A. Low sample rate that distorts the original sound wave B. High sample rate that perfectly reproduces the original sound wave
To reproduce a given frequency, the sample rate must be at least twice that frequency. (See “Nyquist frequency” on
page 82.) For example, CDs have a sample rate of 44,100 samples per second, so they can reproduce frequencies up
to 22,050 Hz, which is just beyond the limit of human hearing, 20,000 Hz.
The following table lists the most common sample rates for digital audio:
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Sample rate Quality level Frequency range
11,025 Hz Poor AM radio (low-end multimedia) 0–5,512 Hz
22,050 Hz Near FM radio (high-end multimedia) 0–11,025 Hz
32,000 Hz Better than FM radio (standard broadcast rate) 0–16,000 Hz
44,100 Hz CD 0–22,050 Hz
48,000 Hz Standard DVD 0–24,000 Hz
96,000 Hz High-end DVD 0–48,000 Hz
Bit depth
Bit depth determines dynamic range. When a sound wave is sampled, each sample is assigned the amplitude value
closest tothe original wave’s amplitude.Higher bitdepth providesmore possibleamplitude values, producing greater
dynamic range, a lower noise floor, and higher fidelity:
Bit depth Quality level Amplitude values Dynamic range
8-bit Telephony 256 48 dB
15
16-bit CD 65,536 96 dB
24-bit DVD 16,777,216 144 dB
32-bit Best 4,294,967,296 192 dB
192 dB
144 dB
96 dB
48 dB
0 dB
Higher bit depths provide greater dynamic range.
8-bit
16-bit 24-bit 32-bit
Audio file contents and size
An audio file on your hard drive, such as a WAV file, consists of a small header indicating sample rate and bit depth,
and then a long series of numbers, one for each sample. These files can be very large. For example, at 44,100 samples
per second and 16 bits per sample, a file requires 86 KB per second—about 5 MB per minute. That figure doubles to
10 MB per minute for a stereo CD, which has two channels.
How Soundbooth digitizes audio
When you record audio in Soundbooth, the sound card starts the recording process and specifies what sample rate
and bit depth to use. Through Line In or Microphone In ports, the sound card receives analog audio and digitally
samples it at the specified rate. Soundbooth stores each sample in sequence until you stop recording.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
When you play a file in Soundbooth, the process happens in reverse. Soundbooth sends a series of digital samples to
thesoundcard.ThecardreconstructstheoriginalwaveformandsendsitasananalogsignalthroughLineOutports
to your speakers.
To sum up, the process of digitizing audio starts with a pressure wave in the air. A microphone converts this pressure
wave into voltage changes. A sound card converts these voltage changes into digital samples. After analog sound
becomes digital audio, Soundbooth can record, edit, and process it—the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
16
Chapter 3: Workspace
Adobe Soundbooth CS3 provides a flexible workspace that you can quickly optimize for your working style.
Customizing the workspace
About workspaces
Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizableworkspace. Although each applicationhas its
own set of panels (such as Tools, Properties, Timeline, andso on), you move andgroup panels in the same way across
products.
The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement
called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.
You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. You can create and
save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for previewing.
17
You can drag panels to new locations, move panels into or out of a group, place panels alongside each other, and
undock a panel so that it floats in a new window above the application window. As you rearrange panels, the other
panels resize automatically to fit the window.
YoucanusefloatingwindowstocreateaworkspacemorelikethoseinpreviousversionsofAdobeapplications,orto
place panels on multiple monitors.
BC
A
Example workspace
A. Application window B. Grouped panels C. Individual panel
For a video about the Adobe workspace, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0249.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Dock, group, or float panels
You can dock panels together, move panels into or out of a group, and undock a panel so that it floats in a new
window above the applicationwindow. As you draga panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—
become highlighted. The drop zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or
groups with other panels.
Docking zones
Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the existing
group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.
A
B
18
C
Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C)
Grouping zones
Groupingzonesexistinthemiddleofapanelorgroup,andalongthetabareaofpanels.Groupingapanelstacksit
with other panels.
A
B
C
Dragging panel (A) onto grouping zone (B) to group it with existing panels (C)
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
Dock or group panels
1
If the panel you want to dock or group is not visible, choose it from the Window menu.
2 Do one of the following:
•
To move an individual panel, drag the gripper area in the upper-left corner of a panel’s tab onto the desired drop zone.
Drag panel gripper to move one panel
• To move an entire group, drag the group gripper at the upper-right corner onto the desired drop zone.
User Guide
19
Drag group gripper to move entire group
The application docks or groups the panel, according to the type of drop zone.
Undock a panel in a floating window
When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels tothe window or otherwise modify it, as you do
the application window. You can use floating windows to make use of a secondary monitor, or to create a workspace
like those in earlier versions of Adobe applications.
❖ Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the
following:
• Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.
• Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and dragthe panel or group from its current location. When
you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.
• Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the panel
to the Windows task bar.)
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Resize panel groups
When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons,
all groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups
stacked vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group
doesn’t change.
To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer,press the tilde (~) key. (Do notpress Shift.) Pressthe tilde key again
to return the panel to its original size.
1 Do either of the following:
• To resize either horizontally or vertically, position the pointer between two panel groups. The pointer becomes a
double-arrow .
• To resize in both directions at once, position the pointer at the intersection between three or more panel groups.
The pointer becomes a four-way arrow .
2 Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.
A
20
B
Dragging divider between panel groups to resize them horizontally
A. Original group with resize icon B. Resized groups
Open and close panels and windows
Even if a panel is open, it may be out of sight, beneath other panels. Choosing a panel from the Window menu opens
it and brings it to the front.
Whenyoucloseapanelgroupintheapplicationwindow,theothergroupsresizetomakeuseofthenewlyavailable
space. When you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.
• To open or close a panel, choose the panel from the Window menu.
• To close a panel or window, click its Close button .
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Working with multiple monitors
To increase the available screen space, use multiple monitors. When you work with multiple monitors, the application window appears on the main monitor, and you place floating windows on the second monitor. Monitor
configurations are stored in the workspace.
See also
“Dock, group, or float panels” on page 18
Position the Tools panel
The Tools panel provides quick access to tools, level meters, and the Workspace menu. By default, the Tools panel is
a docked toolbar immediately below the menu bar. If you undock it, however, you can manipulate it like any other
panel.
• To show or hide the Tools panel, choose Window > Tools.
• To undock the Tools panel from its default location, drag the handle at the left edge to another location in the
workspace.
• ToredocktheToolspanelinitsdefaultlocation,dragthepaneltabtothedropzonethatspanstheentirewidthof
the application window, just under the menu bar.
21
Redocking the Tools panel in its default location
See also
“Selecting audio” on page 36
“Level meters overview” on page 30
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Position vertical and timeline rulers
In the Editor panel, vertical rulers indicate amplitude in the waveform display and frequency in the spectral display.
Timeline rulers indicate time location. If necessary, you can reposition both types of rulers to better evaluate audio
content.
• TodisplayverticalrulersoneithersideoftheEditorpanel,chooseView>VerticalRuler,andthenchooseLeftor
Right.
• To add a second timeline ruler at the bottom of the Editor panel, choose View > Bottom Timeline Ruler.
If you show timeline rulers at top and bottom, each can display a different unit of time. (See “Change units in the
timeline ruler or time display” on page 29.)
See also
“About the waveform display” on page 32
“About the spectral display” on page 32
Brighten or darken the interface
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > User Interface (Windows) or Soundbooth > Preferences > User Interface (Mac OS).
2 Do either of the following, and then click OK:
• If panels, windows, and dialog boxes are too light or dark for your work environment, drag the User Interface
Brightness slider. (To return to the original setting, click Default.)
• If shadows and highlights in panels and buttons are distracting, deselect Use Gradients.
22
Managing workspaces
Choose a workspace
Each Adobe video and audio application includes several predefined workspaces that optimize the layout of panels
for specific tasks. When you choose one of these workspaces, or any custom workspaces you’ve saved, the current
workspace is redrawn accordingly.
❖ Open the project you want to work on, choose Window > Workspace, and select the desired workspace.
Predefined workspaces in Soundbooth
In the Window > Workspace submenu, Soundbooth provides the following predefined workspaces:
Default Workspace Optimizes the layout of panels for audio editing, providing a large view of the Editor panel.
Edit Audio to Video Places the Markers and Video panels above the Editor panel, so you can precisely synchronize
audio and video.
Edit Score to Video Increases the vertical size of the Tasks panel, revealing all options in the AutoCompose Score
section.
SOUNDBOOTH CS3
User Guide
Save a custom workspace
As you customizea workspace, the application tracks your changes, storing the most recent layout. To store a specific
layout more permanently, save a custom workspace. Saved custom workspaces appear in the Workspace menu,
where you can return to and reset them.
❖ Arrange theframes and panels as desired, then choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace. Enter aname for
the workspace, and click OK.
Note: If a project saved with acustom workspace is opened on another system, the application looks for a workspace with
a matching name. If it can’t find a match (or the monitor configuration doesn’t match), it uses the current local
workspace.
Reset a workspace
Reset a workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
❖ With the workspace you want to reset active, choose Window > Workspace > Reset workspace name.
Delete a workspace
1 Choose Window > Workspace > Delete Workspace.
2 Choose the workspace you want to delete, and then click OK.
23
Note: You cannot delete the currently active workspace.
Chapter 4: Importing, recording, and playing audio
Bring in audio from microphones, media files, and more. Then monitor it in stereo or surround-sound.
Configuring hardware inputs and outputs
Connecting to audio hardware
You can use a wide range of hardware inputs and outputs with Adobe Soundbooth CS3. Sound card inputs let you
bring in audio from sources such as microphones and tape decks. Sound card outputs letyou monitor audio through
devices such as speakers and headphones.
24
AB
A. Sound card inputs connect to sources such as microphones and tape decks. B. Sound card outputs connect to speakers and headphones.
For a video about importing and recording audio, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0243.
Set audio inputs and outputs
The audio inputs and outputs you select determine the default hardware ports Soundbooth uses for recording and
playback. When recording, you can choose a different input device if necessary. (See “Record a new file” on page 26.)
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Windows) or Soundbooth > Preferences > Audio Hardware
(Mac OS).
2 For Default Device, choose a hardware interface. (For the best performance in Windows, choose an ASIO device.
If none are available, choose the DirectSound device, Soundbooth Windows Sound.)
Note: In Mac OS, all possible combinations of inputs and outputs appear as separate devices. Choose System Default
Input/Output unless you want Soundbooth to use different ports than other applications.
3 (Optional) Click Settings to set hardware driver properties. For more information, see one of the following:
• For a sound card in Mac OS, search for “Audio MIDI Setup” in Mac OS Help.
• For a standard DirectSound card inWindows, see “Set properties for a standard Windowssound card” on page 25.
• For a professional ASIO sound card in Windows, see the documentation provided by the card manufacturer.
4 In the Output Mapping section, specify the audio channel for each available hardware port.
Loading...