Sony EZAUDIO Operating Manual

Manual

The present documentation is protected by law. All rights, especially the right of duplication, circulation and translation is reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in form of copies, microfilms or other processes, or transmitted into a language used for machines, especially data processing machines, without the express written consent of the publisher. All copyrights reserveds.

MAGIX® is a registered trademark of MAGIX Entertainment Corp. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Errors and changes to the contents as well as program modifications reserved.

Foreword

Congratulations for purchasing Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit! You are the fortunate owner of a stateof-the-art digital audio laboratory. Now you can clean your cassettes, records, CD tracks, MP3 collections, and other audio files – enhancing their sound quality – create your own playlist, and burn high-quality CDs. With Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit, you can also: – Adapt different tracks to each other, regarding their vol-

ume and sound.

– Combine different audio formats, then edit and burn

them together.

Three Wizards make Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit simple to use, no training or special skills required. This manual’s tutorial section explains the most important functions step-by-step, helping you to learn the basic principles of digital recording, cleaning, mastering, and CDburning. The last section defines the different parts of the program. You can also explore the system’s possibilities on your own, using the manual as a reference guide. An alphabetical index at the end will help you find the topics.

We hope you enjoy Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit!

Table of Contents

Foreword 3

MAGIX online registration 8

Legal Notice 8

System requirements 9

Support 9

Installation 10

Introduction 11

What is Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit?11 Features 11

Tutorial 13

Connections 13 How to transfer an old record to a CD? 14 Make a CD from an old cassette recording. 18 How can I assemble songs and unite them in one audio

product? 19

Program Desktop Overview 23

Editing Overview 24

Projects 24 Player 25 Arranging with Track Markers and Objects 26 Sound Editing 27

Record 29

Hard drive Recording 29 Recording Source 29 Adjusting the Signal 30 Digital Transfer 30

Arranging in the Master Track 31

What are Objects? 31 Deleting or Shifting Objects 31 Changing Song Order 31 Cutting Objects 31 Automatic Pauses between Objects 32 Several Songs in one Long Object 32 Object FX 32 Shortening or Lengthening Objects 32 Object Fade-in and Fade-out 33 Setting Object Volume 33 Fitting and Mixing Objects 33 Setting Track Markers 33 Automatic Track Recognition 34 Testing and Shifting Track Markers 35

Table of Contents

Burning Audio CDs 36

Basic Information 36 Data Transfer 36 The Burning Function 36

Player 39

Tools (Mouse Modes) 41

Move Mouse mode (Wave form) 41 Cut Mouse mode (Scissors) 41 Zoom Mouse mode (Magnifying Glass) 42 Delete Mouse mode (Eraser) 42

Table of Contents

Wizards 43

Clean Wizard 43 Master Wizard 43 Track Wizard 43

Import-Section 45

WAV. MP3: Loading Audio Files 45 Record 46 Audio CD 48

Track Window 53

Master Track 53 LED Display 54 Volume Control with the Auto Button 54

Cleaning Effects 56

Cleaning Section 56 Declicker 56 Dehisser 57 Decrackler 57 Denoiser 57 Artefacts on Cleaning Effects 57 Clear DC-Offset 58 Clear Overdriving 58

Mastering Effects 59

Mastering Section 59 Stereo FX 59 Compressor 60 Equalizer 60

Export Section 62

”WAV.MP3” data export 62 Audio CD 62

Menu File 64

Menu Edit 67

Menu CD 72

Menu Options 75

Menu Help 80

Tips & Tricks 81

Keyboard Shortcuts 83

Problems and Solutions 84

Index 87

Table of Contents

MAGIX online registration

Please register online via the menu Help! Here are just some of your advantages as a MAGIX networker: – great prices for network card collectors – new sounds for downloads – special promotions for networkers – demo software before the official release date – exchange experiences and chat – service offers such as automatic system checks and the

customer support hotline

Legal Notice

Most chart hits and whole CDs can be downloaded from the Internet as MP3 files. However, many of these downloads are illegal. Works protected by copyright may not be down loaded or presented on your own homepage without the express knowledge and consent of the copyright owner. Free transfer and trade with such music files are punishable by law. There are, however, many sites offering free MP3 for downloading. A selection of them can be accessed directly via the MAGIX homepage (www.magix.com). Your own compositions can be presented as you wish on homepages and in the network.

System requirements

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit runs on ev- ery PC starting with a Pentium 133 Mhz that has 32 MB of RAM, free disk memory of 100 MB, a graphics card with a resolution of 800*600, a CD ROM drive and a 16 Bit sound card with Windows drivers. To make the most of using Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit, you need a modern and powerful multimedia PC. We recommend a Pentium II with RAM of 64MB. Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit runs in the Windows 95/98/2000, Windows ME and Windows NT versions.

Support

If you are unable to correct your problem with Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit contact MAGIX support:

Info: info-usa@magix.net Webpage: http://www.magix.com Fax: (310) 656-0234 T.: 1-888-866-2449

(9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time)

Installation

Place the installation CD into the CD-ROM drive.

The installation program starts up automatically. If this should not be the case, open the File Manager/Explorer and click on the drive letter representing the CD-ROM drive (generally D:\.) Double-click on mworld.exe.

The MAGIX music world will now start up automatically. To begin the installation of Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit, click on INSTALL

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit installation program starts. Simply follow the instructions on the screen. Once all the files have been copied to the hard disk, a program group will be created. The installation is now complete. Confirm this with Finish. You can now start the program at any time over the Windows Start menu.

Introduction

What is Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit?

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit is an easy to use powerful audio software program you can use for assembling, cleaning, and mastering your different music sources, such as record albums, cassette tapes, MP3 songs from the Internet, or CD tracks. You can combine, edit and enhance these materials for a high-quality output and then burn it on an audio CD. With Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit you can either use the Wizards, which provides a simple step-by-step process or the manual Cleaning/Mastering Effects for more enhanced controls to: – Eliminate scratching sounds, static, and other audio in-

terference from your rare records and burn audio selections on CDs to protect your record albums from fur-

ther wear and tear. – Clean cassette recordings and MP3 songs. – Create top-quality CD compilations from different au-

dio CDs.

Features

Cleaning Functions

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit offers several professional cleaning functions that remove distracting noises and sound interference from audio materials. The Declicker eliminates crack and click noises. The Decrackler removes constant record cracking. The Denoiser erases regular disturbances, including banging or net-droning. The Dehisser eradicates analog-band hissing. Other special functions do away with noises from direct current and digital overdrive (also called ”clipping”).

Mastering Functions

Besides cleaning sound material, Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit can edit or adjust sound and volume. Its professional mastering functions include the following: – The Stereo Enhancer edits the audio material’s stereo

panorama. – The Equalizer interacts directly with the sound spectrum

and allows alterations in band frequency. – The Dynamics Section edits the volume ratios with a com-

pressor.

Introduction

Other Effects

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit includes exciting special effects in addition to its cleaning and mastering functions: – Resampling and Stretching functions allow you to accel-

erate or slow down the audio material as you choose.

– Merging the beats-per-minute helps produce stunning

CD mixes.

– The powerful Echo / Reverb Editor produces spatial depth

in speech recordings.

Importing Audio Material

Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit offers several possibilities for importing audio material. – Audio files such as MP3 or WAV are loaded and edited

directly.

– Analog recordings from records or tapes are digitized

before editing.

– The recording function records every sound source us-

ing CD quality via the sound card.

– Audio CDs are converted to editable audio files through

the Rip CD process. This allows you to decide, during the loading phase, whether to save the files on the hard drive in a high-resolution WAV format or in the spacesaving, compressed MP3 format.

Master Track

Disc recordings, audio CD tracks, MP3 or WAV files are all shown with a wave shape on the Master Track. You can cut, edit, and arrange files however you like. You can also open a second track to “park” an arrangement or obtain special over-laps or inserts of various songs.

CD Burning

Burn audio CDs from different sound sources and play them on any audio CD player! Just load the audio material in Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit - no other steps are necessary. The CD will play exactly as it sounds on the Master Track.

Three Wizards

With Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit’s Wizards, you can see and control all processes as you work, and you can change Wizard settings at any time. Clean Wizard cleans all kinds of audio material. Master Wizard checks overall volume and stereo behavior and allows you to change parameters via the equalizer. Track Wizard helps you arrange the material that appears on one track.

Tutorial

This chapter covers all the important functions of Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit. No special knowhow is required – just a little time for the recordings and some hard drive space. With Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit, you can download audio material from different sources and compile it into a MAGIX Project, where you can clean it with special functions, then edit and export it as audio files or audio CD. First, you need suitable audio material. Analog material such as records or tapes must be previously digitized, so the computer can edit it. Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit’s recording function allows you to record analog material through the computer’s sound card. You can load records, cassettes, CDs and audio files in MP3 format from the Internet.

Connections

Analog material such as records or tapes must be previously digitized, so the computer can edit it. The recording function allows you to record analog material through the computer’s sound card. Make sure you have the correct connections. The audio material played by your stereo system must be loaded directly into the computer, so your stereo system and the sound card must be connected.

1. If the amplifier of your stereo system has separate line-

out aux-out sockets use these sockets for all recordings.

Connect them to the (usually) red input of the sound

card. Generally, the hi-fi amplifier has RCA sockets, and

the sound card has mini-stereo catch sockets. Use the

cable provided in Sony’s EZ AudioTM Transfer & Resto-

ration Kit with RCA plugs and mini-stereo catch con-

nectors.

2. If the amplifier has no separated outputs (other than for

speakers), use the headphone socket for recording. You

will need the cable with two mini-stereo catch connec-

tors and adaptor provided in Sony’s EZ AudioTM Trans-

fer & Restoration Kit. This process has an advantage:

you can control the level of the signal at the headphones’

input. The disadvantage is that phone outputs are nor-

mally not the highest quality. With cassette recordings

always use the tape deck’s line-out. When copying

records, you often have no other choice but to use the

headphone socket. Never connect the record player’s out-

puts directly to the sound card, because the headphones’

Tutorial

signal must be pre-amplified. If you don’t have a preamplifier then you will have to use the headphone socket.

Now that the sound source and sound card are correctly connected, let’s begin with a record recording!

How to transfer an old record to a CD?

1. Clean the record.

To achieve the best sound quality, clean records before recording them. Many noises are caused by dust particles, which get into the album grooves and produce a rustling noise when played. Try an anti-static clothe, which attract and lift the dust particles. You can also clean records with specially prepared liquid or damp products. If you use one of these products, always rinse the record with clear decalcified water after cleaning, so that no deposits remain in the grooves.

2. Switch on all devices and start the program.

Turn on all devices necessary for recording: stereo or hifidelity system, including record player, your computer, your amplifier, if you using one, and if you have them, the computer’s active loudspeakers. Then, start Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit from the Windows® Start Menu.

3. Adjust the signal level.

Optimal signal control is essential to obtain the best possible sound quality. Once the recording source and the sound card are correctly connected, open the Recording Dialog with the Record Button and start replay. Control the recording level with the

LED chains in the Recording Dialog. For best results, search for the loudest point on the record and play it. This point should give you the maximum sound level.

The display in the recording dialog shows the recording level. If it is too high (or too low) you have to lower (or raise) the input signal. If you have connected the amplifiers’ line-out to the sound card, you can do this only in the mixer window of your sound card. You can access this button directly from the recording dialog using the Level Control tab. If you are using the amplifiers’ headphones socket, adjust the level directly from the source, since the headphones socket has its own level control.

Tutorial

4. Record

Before recording, make sure the Recording Dialog’s automatic track recognition is on. The different songs on the record should appear as different CD tracks on the future CD. Click on the Record Button in the Recording Dialog and start the record player. Recording and the sound source do not have to be started at the same time. Displays in the Recording Dialog will inform you continually about recording time and available memory space on your hard drive. When the first side of the record is finished, press Stop. The audio material will immediately be displayed in the Track Window. Now, turn the record over to record the second side. At the end of the recording, the audio material of this side appears on the track behind the first side.

Tutorial

Player

Track markers

5. Test the recording.

Next, listen to the recording. To do this, use the Player functions. Here, you ’ll find all the functions you know from your cassette recorder. Play and Stop work considerably faster when using the computer keyboard’s space bar. Play always begins from the small yellow triangle over the track in the Bar-line. You can shift the triangle by clicking the mouse on the point of the Bar-line where you want to play the song the next time.

6. Control the Track Markers.

If the recording is OK, ensure that the Track Markers are set at the correct places. Track Markers are the numbered triangles in the bar-line over the track. They were set automatically by the track recognition function. When you burn the disk, the Track Markers are transferred onto the audio CD. They can be accessed directly with the CD player and are shown on the CD player display. Without Track Markers, the audio CD would have only one track. Activate the Track Wizard in order to display all the tracks in one play list.

Track Wizard

Each track can be accessed and played separately. With the Next Track tab, you can play beginnings of the tracks in sequence to control them. In case they are not already correctly set, all Track Markers can be shifted forward or backward with the shift tabs. When all tracks are on the list and all Track Markers are set

at the right positions, exit Track Wizard by pressing the OK tab, and if necessary, set the Track Marker by hand. Sometimes new tracks do not begin after a pause, but in the middle of the material; for example, directly after an intro track. The automatic track recognition does not find such tracks. Should you find such a position where a Track Marker should be set, place the Position Bar on that point and press the ”m” key on the keyboard (or choose the option Set Marker from the CD Menu). A new marker will be set at the Position Bar. The subsequent Track Markers will be automatically renumbered. If it is still not set at the right position, you can shift in the bar-line holding the mouse button. You don’t have to activate the Track Wizard every time.

7. Test the distance between record sides.

Two objects are on the track, one for each record side. Now check to see if the distance between both objects is correct. You don’t want too long a pause on the audio CD. To check the transition, set the Position Bar at the end of the first object then play it back. If it is too long (or too short), click on the object furthest back and shift it holding the mouse button until the distance is correct. The Track Markers over the second object are also shifted, so nothing will be mixed up.

Tutorial

8. Eliminate disturbing noises with the Clean Wizard.

The easiest way to eliminate unwanted noises from a recording is with the Cleaning Wizard. For records, the Decrackler, Declicker, and Denoiser are especially helpful. Decrackler eliminates the ”rustle layer” from worn records. Declicker looks for scratches and suppresses them. Denoiser diminishes low frequency bumping.

... or with the FX Section

While playing, the recording can also be edited directly on the track. Use the FX Section in the middle of the screen. Each effect can be turned on or off on the left side. A scroll controller in the middle controls the effect’s intensity. The Edit Button on the right side opens the screen of the corresponding effect, where you can fine-tune the algorithms. In the Effect Pre-sets, you can choose different settings for different noises. All effects can be combined in any way. It’s advisable to take some time to experiment with these effects, so you can become acquainted with the way these tools work. The basic rule for cleaning effects: use them

Tutorial

with caution! Each effect can cause changes to occur in the whole material, and in some extreme cases, can even create new noises known as artefacts.

9. Burn a CD.

Once the record is recorded, cleaned of noises, and the Track Markers are set, you can burn the audio material directly onto an audio CD. The fastest way to do this is by clicking on the Audio CD Button in the Export Section. In the Burn Dialog, choose whether you want to produce the CD ”on the fly” or as an image file on the hard drive. The ”on the fly” process requires additional memory space on the hard drive. The CD will be directly burned from the program with all of its effect settings. If your CD-R drive is not being detected by the software or you believe that your CD-R drive is not supported by the software please contact MAGIX Support (1-888-866-2449 or info-usa@magix.net) for assistance.

Make a CD from an old cassette recording.

This process is similar to record recording, but takes the special characteristics of audiotapes into consideration.

1. The best connection is made through the tape deck’s line-out connectors.

If you have the corresponding cable, use the tape deck’s line-out connectors rather than the head phone jack. The line-out connectors are better than the headphones’ connection.

2. Open a new Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Resto- ration Kit Project.

If you still have a record project open from the preceding example, save it and close it with the File Menu. Now, open a new Project with the File Menu.

3. Sound level, recording, controlling Track Markers.

These steps are the same as those for a record recording. Make sure that the cassette is played with the same noiseabating system (eg.Dolby) with which it has been recorded – otherwise you will produce additional hissing or loss of treble.

4. Eliminating noises

Cassette recordings always have a certain hissing sound whose volume depends on the tape quality and the tape recording. The best remedy for eliminating this noise is the Dehisser. Choose from the different forms of hissing

shown in the pre-sets and adjust the intensity of the Dehisser with the slide control in the middle. Depending on the recording, you can now filter other noises. With a cassette recording, we recommend using the special record functions such as the Decrackler, Declicker or Denoiser.

5. Sound editing with the mastering effects

It is often useful to apply mastering effects to old tape recordings, because many cassettes are dusty after long periods of storage, making them sound slightly fuzzy. To refresh them, use the Master Wizard. It provides an overview of each effect and the typical uses of all mastering effects. The Equalizer and the Stereo FX processor are especially suitable for dull tape recordings. High frequencies, which are the first to suffer from storage and wear, can be increased again. The Stereo FX processor can help many a blurred and mushy recording to recover its transparency, enhancing the stereo sound of the material.

6. CD burning

The last step: Click on the ”audio CD” button in the Export Section to open the burning dialog.

Tutorial

How can I assemble songs and unite them in one audio product?

Here’s how you can combine and refine several different sound sources. We’ll use songs and/or music recordings from record albums, tapes, audio CD tracks, and MP3· songs from the Internet in this example.

1. Loading songs

To begin, load all songs to a new Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit project. Record songs from records or tapes with the recording function, as explained in the previous examples. MP3 songs from Internet must be saved on the hard drive after each download. From there, load them to the Track Window with the WAV.MP3 button in the import section. Import audio CD tracks as follows:

1. Insert an audio CD into the CD-ROM drive and click on

the ”audio CD” button in the Import section.

2. Select it or select the desired title (with Shift + mouse

click. with Alt + cursor keys).

3. Click on ”Copy selected track(s)…”

4. The ”Import project” dialog box appears. Here you can

determine the file name and the destination index.

Tutorial

5. Now the audio material will be copied from the CD drive to the hard drive. A progress display will keep you informed.

6. When the reading is completed, the dialogs are closed and the tracks are inserted as single objects on the Master Track.

2. Combining

You do not have to load the songs in the order in which they will be burned onto the CD. Sometimes it is easier to record all songs of one source, for instance songs from records, then tape recordings, then audio CD tracks, and then audio files. The order of the songs on the track can easily be changed afterwards: just drag the Track Marker of a song, which has to be placed before another, in front of the Track Marker of that song. The song will be placed there. Delete objects that will not be used from the track by using the erase tool.

3. Cleaning and mastering effects for single objects

When you combine audio material from different sources, we suggest that you apply the same cleaning and mastering effects equally to all recordings. Typically, tape recordings have additional noises when compared to record recordings. This is why Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit has two effect modes: Master FX and Object FX. In the pre-set Master FX, the effect is applied to all material in the track. In Object FX mode, the effect applies only to the selected object. Each object in the track has its own Object FX button, which you can use to activate the Object FX mode. Hence, the sound of each object can be set to obtain a homogeneous overall sound. To return to the Master FX mode, just click on a free space of the track or on the ”Master FX” button on the bottom of the screen.

4. Other object editings

Sometimes it’s necessary not only to move Track Markers, but also to edit single objects in the track. For instance, if an especially noisy or static-filled part appear in the object, it is best to cut out the ”disturbed” passage so you can treat it with special effects in the Object FX mode.

Splitting objects: Select the Scissors Tool in the Tools window or in the Options menu (”Mouse cut mode”). When you place the mouse inside the Track Window, the pointer

changes to the scissors symbol. The mouse pointer / scissors symbol then drags the Position Bar with it so you can determine the cutting point. If you click on the track with the left mouse button, the object will be cut in two at that point. You can also cut out single songs from long objects in order to delete them.

Zooming: When cutting, it is best to work in high-zoom steps of the wave form display. Select the magnifying glass tool to set the mouse cursor in zoom mode. Now click on the area you want to enlarge. Left click to zoom in, right click to zoom out. To see the whole track in overview, press the ”a” key on the keyboard.

Changing the object length: While cutting the songs you can not always ”catch” the beginning or the end, so the recorded object can begin with an unwanted pause. This can be corrected easily and quickly with object handles. When you place the mouse pointer on one of the bottom handles, it turns to a stretch symbol. Now you can close the gap by holding the mouse button. You don’t have to apply the scissors tool every time you want to change the length of an object.

Tutorial

Changing the object length

5. Adapting the volume

Object volume: Before burning the CD, equalize the volume of the different tracks so that you don’t have to use the volume control of your amplifier after each song. You can use the special volume handles in the middle of each object to change the volume of the song in the track. Select the loudest section of the object, play it briefly and then set the Position Bar on another object. Compare both volumes from each object and adjust the lower volume to the higher one. This process provides you with balanced volume levels between songs. To set an object as loud as possible without causing overdriving, click the Object FX mode on the auto button beneath the volume control. This will maximize the object’s volume. You can maximize all objects at once, if you like, but it’s not likely that you will want to do this very often, particularly when you are compiling a variety of musical selections. Ballads, for example, are normally lower in volume than dancehall tracks and do not have to be set as loud as possible.

Master volume: Once you set the general volume of the songs, you should maximize the volume of the whole ma-

Object volume

Master volume

Tutorial

terial. To do this, enter the Master FX mode, look for the loudest part, and play it. Then press the auto button beneath the volume control. The loudest parts will be set to 0 dB (= maximum setting), and all other parts will be adjusted. Be careful with this procedure. If you don’t play the loudest part, the other parts can be overdriven.

6. CD burning, exporting files or saving projects

At the end of the process, you have two options. 1) You can produce an audio CD, and/ or 2) You can save the project on your hard drive as an audio file. To perform option 2, click on the WAV.MP3 button in the Export Section. You can also save the project using the File menu. All objects and effect-settings will be saved and you can edit them later. To burn a CD, first examine the length of the project, particularly with “mixed” projects that use different kinds of audio materials. You can always burn a record on a blank CD, but with a mixed-materials project, you will soon reach the 75-minute limit.

Program Desktop Overview

Master Track with bar-line

The Master Track with bar-line displays the audio material in wave form. The bar-line with the play position and Track Markers is located on top of the track. Set the units of measure in the Options menu.

Import Section

Load (or import) new audio material into the Project: audio files from the hard drive, records or tapes through the record function, or songs from an audio CD.

Menu Bar

You’ll find important editing commands in the menu bar. To the right of the menu options, you will usually find letters or key combinations with which you can activate the command by using the computer keyboard.

FX Section

Edit the audio material in the Master Track using the different cleaning and mastering effects.

Export Section

Export the audio material in the Master Track as audio files or burn directly onto an audio CD.

Controls Sections

In the Controls Sections, you can select the “Tools“ (mouse modes) and the three Wizards.

Editing Overview

This chapter shows you how to edit with Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit and explains the important terms and tools in summary form.

Projects

Working with Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit projects always requires these three simple steps:

1. Loading audio material into a project with the import section.

2. Editing the material with the cleaning and mastering functions or editing directly in the Track Window.

3. Exporting the project as audio files or burning it directly onto an audio CD through the Export Section.

With the File Menu, you can save or load projects as VIPfiles. When saving a project, the audio material of the Track Window will be saved on your hard drive, including all Track Markers and effects settings. You can easily complete or change the projects at a later time.

Import Section: Loading audio material

You’ll find the Import Section on the left side of the screen. Audio material can be loaded (imported) into Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit from this section. This audio material can consist of complete records or tapes, single songs, audio CD tracks, complete audio CDs, MP3 songs or other audio files.

Load analog audio material from records or tapes with the Recording Function. Load audio CD tracks with the ”Rip CD” Function. Load audio files with the left ”WAV.MP3” button. For more information on importing, please read the ”Import Section” of this manual.

Editing in the Track Window

All imported material is displayed in the Track Window in wave form. The track where you see the material is the ”Master Track.” This is where you assemble the songs, supervise the sound editing, and master your CD.

Editing in the Track Window includes: cleaning and optimizing the sound; arranging the material on the track in the order you want; and preparing the audio material for CD burning. Adjust the sound with the FX Section’s Cleaning and Mastering Functions. Edit all the material with all songs and objects with Master FX. Edit a portion of the material or a specific selection with Object FX. The Arranging Function in the Master Track includes: choosing songs; putting the songs in the order you want; adjusting sound and volume between songs or parts; and setting Track Markers for burning the CD.

Editing Overview

Export Section: Burning CDs or Saving Audio Files

When the sound is correct and all Track Markers are set at the right places, you have two options.

1) Burn a CD directly from the project. The CD will sound exactly as the material sounds when played on Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit.

2) Export the project to an audio file. You can choose from several file formats and format settings. For instance, you can place your project on the hard drive as an MP3 file to save space.

Player

Set the Position Bars in the project with the Player. This is a fine vertical line in the Track Window, and it shows the current play position.

Editing Overview

With the Player you can start and stop playback, rewind or forward, and insert the Position Bar at the beginning of the Master Track.

Tools & Wizards

”Tools” are the tools you need for the most important operations in the Track Window of Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit. Select the Tool with the mouse. Depending on your choice, the pointer and the function of the click will vary when you move the mouse toward the Track Window. This is why Tools are referred to as ”mouse modes” and why they can be found in the Options Menu. The Wizards set the functions of Sony's EZ AudioTM Transfer & Restoration Kit in a logical order. (See the Wizards Section in this manual.)

Arranging with Track Markers and Objects

Track Markers

Normally, you split the audio material in the Track Window with the Track Markers, thus organizing the material into CD tracks before burning an audio CD. The CD tracks can be loaded and displayed directly from the CD player. Without using these Track Markers, the CD would play as a single track. You can set the MAGIX Track Markers automatically or manually, by selecting with the mouse and then shifting or deleting.

Objects

Objects are parts of the actual audio content, which can be edited separately. Tracks, on the other hand, simply function as ”bookmarks” that designate the different track positions on the audio CD. Objects are important for editing sounds of songs or parts of songs individually; they help to fine-tune the sound or certain sound passages. Objects can be split in as many smaller objects as you like and can be shifted and deleted. Shifting or deleting an object on a Track will shift all following objects with their Track Markers, so that the pauses between songs are maintained.

It is not necessary to shift the object itself to change the order of the songs. It is easier to click and drag the corresponding Track Marker and place it before or after another marker. This changes the order of the objects within the track.

Sound Editing

The different Cleaning and Mastering Functions that enable you to perform sound editing are available in two different modes.

1) In the pre-set Master FX Mode, you can edit all audio material that is on the Master Track. The Master FX Mode works well for certain applications. For instance, when a record or tape simply needs to be denoised (cleaned) and burned on a CD, it is normally not necessary to edit each track separately, since the disturbing noises are distributed regularly over the whole material.

2) When you need to use the Cleaning and Mastering Functions on individual Objects, use the Object FX Mode. To do this, click on the Object FX Button of the corresponding object, and see that it is highlighted. If a part needs to be cleaned of scratches, then it is best to ”cut” (or separate) this part from the recording and consider it as an individual object to be cleaned in the Object FX Mode. To return to Master FX Mode, click on an empty space of the Track Window or on the Master FX Button at the bottom of the screen.

Editing Overview

Cleaning

Cleaning functions are the upper four modules in the FX Section: Declicker, Decrackler, Denoiser and Dehisser. The Declicker is applied for scratches and click noises as can be found in old records. The Decrackler is specialized in eliminating the regular rustle and scratch layers as found on worn and/or dusty records. The Denoiser is used for net-droning, bumping, and other disturbing noises. The Dehisser specializes in tape rustle and other “white noises”. Besides these, there are two other cleaning functions that suppress direct current noises and digital clippings. These Functions are selected in the Edit menu, but before you select the Function, be sure to select the object to be cleaned. It is difficult to determine which Cleaning Function is best suited for certain noises. The possible noises are too numerous. Ultimately, you will need to ”play it by ear.” It is a good idea to apply several Cleaning Functions at the same time as well as to try different combinations. To help you choose the right Cleaning Effects and Effect combinations, you will find a choice of Pre-sets for each

Editing Overview

Effect, plus the Cleaning Wizard, which takes you through different Cleaning Functions with examples.

Mastering

Mastering Functions are the three lower modules in the FX Section: Stereo-FX-Processor, Equalizer, and Dynamics Processor. Use Stereo FX Processor for editing stereo panoramas. With the Stereo FX Processor, you can enlarge (or make narrower) the stereo characteristics of the material and control each stereo channel separately. The Equalizer increases or decreases targeted single-frequency bands (treble, middle, and bass). You can ”brighten” the sounds of ”dull” songs or add dynamics to flat basses, among other sound improvement options. The Dynamics Processor is, in principle, an automatic, predictive volume control that flattens or pulls the level apart. The compression option makes the sound dense, more impressive and louder.

+ 64 hidden pages