Steinberg Wavelab LE - 9.5 Operation Manual

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Operation Manual

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Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte, Marita Sladek

This PDF provides improved access for vision-impaired users. Please note that due to the complexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Registered licensees of the product described herein may print one copy of this document for their personal use.

All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net/trademarks.

WaveLab LE_9.5.20_en-US_2018-02-21

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5 WaveLab LE Introduction

5 Platform-Independent Documentation 5 Help System 5 Conventions 6 Key Commands 7 How You Can Reach Us

8 Setting Up Your System

8 Connecting the Equipment 8 Audio Cards and Background Playback 8 Latency 9 Defining Audio Connections 11 Remote Devices

16 WaveLab LE Concepts

16 General Editing Rules 16 Startup Dialog 17 Basic Window Handling 17 Selecting Audio 21 Sliders 21 Renaming Items in Tables 21 File Browser 22 Peak Files 23 Processing Precision

24 Workspace Window

24 Audio Editor 24 Audio Montage 25 Podcast Editor 25 File Tab 26 Info Tab 27 Tool Windows 28 Slide-Out Windows 28 Docking and Undocking Tool Windows and

Meter Windows

29 Command Bar 30 Status Bar 31 Context Menus 31 Time Ruler and Level Ruler 35 Managing Tabs 36 Activating Full Screen Mode 36 Resetting the Default Workspace Layout

37 Project Handling

37 Opening Files 37 Value Editing 38 Drag Operations 39 Undoing and Redoing Actions 39 Zooming 44 Presets

46 File Operations

46 Recently Used Files

47 Save and Save As 49 File Renaming 49 Deleting Files 50 Temporary Files 50 Work Folders vs. Document Folders 52 Exporting to SoundCloud 52 Copying Audio Information to the Clipboard 52 Setting the Focus on the Current File

53 Playback

53 Transport Bar 55 Starting Playback From the Ruler 55 Using the Play Tool 56 Playback Scrubbing 56 Scroll During Playback 57 Playback in the Audio Montage Window

58 Audio File Editing

58 Wave Window 60 Audio Editor Tabs 66 File Handling in the Audio Editor 79 Changing the Audio Properties 79 Metadata 81 Silence Generator Dialog

84 Audio Analysis

84 3D Frequency Analysis

87 Offline Processing

87 Process Tab 88 Applying Processing 88 Gain Dialog 89 Level Normalizer Dialog 89 Envelope Dialog 91 Fades in Audio Files 92 Crossfades 93 Phase Inverting 93 Reversing Audio 93 DC Offset 94 Resample

95 Audio Montage

95 Montage Window 97 Audio Montage Tabs 104 Signal Path in the Audio Montage 104 Creating New Audio Montages 105 Audio Montage Duplicates 105 Creating an Audio Montage from an Audio File 106 Import Options for Audio Montages 106 Missing Files Dialog 107 Assembling the Audio Montage 111 Rearranging Clips 113 Clip Editing 116 Track Activity Indicator

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Table of Contents 

117 Envelopes for Clips 118 Fades and Crossfades in Audio Montages 121 Mixing Down – The Render Function 121 Notes Window

123 Recording

123 Setting Up the Recording Dialog 123 Dropping Markers During Recording 124 Recording Dialog

127 Master Section

127 Bypassing the Master Section 127 Master Section Window 133 Rendering 137 Monitoring Background Tasks 137 Dropouts

138 Markers

138 Marker Types 138 Markers Window 140 About Creating Markers 141 Deleting Markers 142 Moving Markers 142 Navigating to Markers 142 Hiding Markers of a Specific Type 142 Converting Marker Types 142 Renaming Markers 143 Selecting Markers 143 Selecting the Audio Between Markers 144 Binding Markers to Clips in the Audio Montage 144 How Marker Information is Saved

145 Importing Audio CD Tracks

145 Import Audio CD Dialog 146 Importing Audio CD Tracks

148 Podcasts

148 Podcast Editor 151 Creating a Podcast 151 Setting Up a FTP for Podcast Publishing 151 Publishing Podcasts 152 FTP Settings Dialog 153 Checking the Podcast

154 Customizing

154 Customizing the Wave Window and the

Montage Window

155 Customizing Shortcuts 159 Plug-in Organization 161 Touch Bar (macOS only)

162 Configuring WaveLab LE

162 Global Preferences 164 Audio Files Preferences 167 Audio Montages Preferences

171 Index

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WaveLab LE Introduction

Platform-Independent Documentation

The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and macOS.

Features and settings that are specific to one of these platforms are clearly indicated. In all other cases, the descriptions and procedures in the documentation are valid for Windows and macOS.

Some points to consider:

●

The screenshots are taken from Windows.

●

Some functions that are available on the File menu on Windows can be found in the program name menu on macOS.

Help System

There are several ways of accessing the help system. The documentation is available online and most of it can be downloaded in PDF format from steinberg.help.

●

To open the “What’s This” help, you have the following possibilities:

●

To visit steinberg.help, enter steinberg.help in the address bar of your web browser or open WaveLab LE and select Help> steinberg.help.

To show tooltips, move the mouse over an interface icon.

To open the help for an active dialog on steinberg.help, click the question mark icon on the title bar (Windows) or in the dialog (macOS) to show the Help button, and then click the Help button, or press F1 (Windows) or Cmd-? (macOS).

To use the menu help, move the mouse over a menu item.

To see information on what kind of editing can be performed when using the mouse and modifier keys in the Audio Montage window, move the mouse over the montage window. The help text is displayed on the info line at the bottom of the window.

In any window, press Shift-F1 and move the mouse over an interface item, or select Help> What’s This?.

In a dialog, select the question mark icon on any title bar (Windows) or in the dialog (macOS), and move the mouse over an interface item or a menu option.

Some “What’s this” tooltips include a link to a dedicated help topic.

RELATED LINKS

Info Line on page 111

Conventions

In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information.

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WaveLab LE Introduction Key Commands

Typographical Elements

The following typographical elements mark the following purposes.

PREREQUISITE

Requires you to complete an action or to fulfill a condition before starting a procedure.

PROCEDURE

Lists the steps that you must take to achieve a specific result.

IMPORTANT

Informs you about issues that might affect the system, the connected hardware, or that might bring a risk of data loss.

NOTE

Informs you about issues that you should consider.

EXAMPLE

Provides you with an example.

RESULT

Shows the result of the procedure.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK

Informs you about actions or tasks that you can perform after completing the procedure.

RELATED LINKS

Lists related topics that you can find in this documentation.

Markup

Bold text indicates the name of a menu, option, function, dialog, window, etc.

EXAMPLE

To open the Metadata dialog, open the Metadata window and click Edit.

If bold text is separated by a greater-than symbol, this indicates a sequence of different menus to open.

EXAMPLE

Select File> Open.

Key Commands

Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system.

When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, they are shown with the Windows modifier key first followed by the macOS and the key:

●

Windows modifier key/macOS modifier key-Z

EXAMPLE

Ctrl/Cmd-Z means: press Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on macOS, then press Z.

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WaveLab LE Introduction How You Can Reach Us

How You Can Reach Us

On the Help menu in WaveLab LE, you find items linking to additional information.

The menu contains links to various Steinberg web pages. Selecting a menu item automatically launches your browser and opens the page. On these pages, you can find support and compatibility information, answers to frequently asked questions, information about updates and other Steinberg products, etc. This requires that you have a web browser installed on your computer, and a working Internet connection.

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Setting Up Your System

Before you start working, you need to make some settings.

IMPORTANT

Make sure that all equipment is turned off before making any connections.

Connecting the Equipment

Your system setup depends on many different factors, for example, the kind of project that you want to create, the external equipment that you want to use, or the computer hardware available to you.

Audio Cards and Background Playback

Latency

When you activate playback or recording in WaveLab LE, other applications cannot access the audio card. Likewise, if another application uses the audio card, WaveLab LE is unable to play back. The Windows MME driver is an exception from this.

You can run WaveLab LE together with other applications and always give the active application access to the audio card.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Preferences> Audio Connections.

2. Select the Options tab.

3. Activate Release Driver when WaveLab LE is in Background.

Latency is the delay between when audio is sent from the program and when you actually hear it. While a very low latency can be crucial in a real-time DAW application such as Steinberg Nuendo or Cubase, this is not strictly the case with WaveLab LE.

When working with WaveLab LE, the important issues are optimum and stable playback and editing precision.

The latency in an audio system depends on the audio hardware, its drivers, and settings. In case of dropouts, crackles, or glitches during playback, raise the Buffer Number setting on the Options tab in the Audio Connections, or increase the buffer size in the ASIO control panel, specific to the audio card.

RELATED LINKS

Audio Connections Tab on page 9

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Setting Up Your System Defining Audio Connections

Defining Audio Connections

To be able to play back and record audio in WaveLab LE, you must specify how the internal input and output channels in WaveLab LE are connected to your sound card and which device you intend to use for audio playback and recording.

You can define the buffer settings for your device as well as set up connections to external gear, such as external effects units. You should select at least two channels for stereo playback and recording.

If you have no third-party audio card, you can select the Windows MME driver or Built-in Audio (Mac) options. You can also use MME with most third party audio cards, with the advantage that you can record and play at different sample rates. However, Windows MME drivers do not allow audio monitoring in the Recording dialog or multichannel operation, and other drivers generally offer better sound quality and performance.

RELATED LINKS

Audio Connections Tab on page 9

Selecting an ASIO Driver

Audio Stream Input/Output (ASIO) is a computer device driver protocol for digital audio specified by Steinberg. It provides a low-latency and high fidelity interface between a software application and the soundcard of a computer.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Preferences> Audio Connections.

2. Open the Audio Device pop-up menu and select your ASIO driver.

The ASIO Plug-ins tab and the Control Panel button are activated.

3. Optional: Click Control Panel and make your settings.

Selecting a Windows MME Driver

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Options> Audio Connections.

2. Open the Audio Device pop-up menu and select Windows MME.

3. On the Playback tab, select the audio ports that are used for playback.

4. On the Recording tab, select the audio ports that used for recording and monitor input.

Audio Connections Tab

This tab allows you to specify how the internal input and output channels in WaveLab LE are connected to your sound card and which device you want to use for audio playback and recording.

● To open the Audio Connections tab, select File> Preferences> Audio Connections.

Global Settings

Audio Device

Allows you to select the audio device that you want to use for playback and recording audio. If you do not have a third-party audio card, you can select the Windows MME driver or Built-in Audio (Mac) options.

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Setting Up Your System Defining Audio Connections

Control Panel

When you select an ASIO driver, the Control Panel button is activated. Click the button to open the settings application of your sound card, which is usually installed with the sound card. Depending on your sound card and driver, this provides settings for buffer size, digital formats, additional I/O connections, etc.

Refresh

This button causes audio devices to be evaluated again to reflect device changes.

Playback Tab

This tab allows you to select and name audio ports that are used for playback.

Recording Tab

This tab allows you to select and name your audio ports that are used for recording and input monitoring. The inputs that you define here are then available in the Recording dialog.

Options Tab

This tab allows you to specify the number of buffers and the control driver functionality.

Buffer Number

Increasing this value improves the elasticity of audio streaming to avoid dropouts.

MME Specific – Buffer Size

Increasing this value improves the elasticity of audio streaming to avoid dropouts. This is only available when an MME driver is selected.

Reset Driver When Changing Sample Rate

Resets the driver when sample rate is changed. When playback or recording must be set to a new sample rate, some audio device drivers must be fully reset to work properly. This operation takes some time.

Perform Short Fade In/Out When Starting/Stopping Playback

Performs a short fade in when starting playback and a short fade out when stopping playback. This avoids clicks that are caused by waveforms that are not starting on a zero-crossing point.

Release Driver

Allows you to run WaveLab LE together with other applications and always give the active application access to the audio card.

● If When WaveLab LE is in Background is activated, the driver is released when WaveLab LE is in the background.

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Setting Up Your System Remote Devices

● If When Cubase/Nuendo is in Foreground is activated, the driver is released when Cubase/Nuendo is in the foreground.

Remote Devices

You can use remote devices to remote-control WaveLab LE.

Several commands can be controlled with knobs and sliders of your remote control device.

Remote Devices Tab

This tab allows you to select a device to remote-control WaveLab LE, and see the control map of MIDI control devices.

● To open the Remote Devices tab, select File> Preferences> Remote Devices.

Device Editing Tab

This tab lets you select a MIDI control device and see the control map.

Active

Activates the selected device and scans the MIDI ports.

In-Port/Out-Port

Select the MIDI input/output ports of the device that you want to use.

Name

Lets you enter a map name.

Expand/Collapse

Expands/collapses the folder tree of the control map.

WaveLab LE Action List

This folder tree lists the parameters that you can remote-control. The top folder represent contexts. The related parameters can only be controlled if the context is active. For example, if an audio file is active.

A remote control can be used in several contexts if these are exclusive. For example, parameters that can be used for an active audio file or an active audio montage.

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Setting Up Your System Remote Devices

The Global folder contain the parameters that can always be controlled.

Options Tab

Emulate Mouse Wheel

If this option is activated, the AI knob of Steinberg controllers acts as a mouse wheel in the WaveLab LE user interface, except for plug-ins.

Edit Focused Numeric Field

If this option is activated, the AI knob Steinberg controllers can be used to edit the focused numeric field that you find in many WaveLab LE windows and dialogs.

CC121 Advanced Integration Controller

You can use Steinberg’s CC121 Advanced Integration Controller to control WaveLab LE.

This section describes the WaveLab LE factory preset for the CC121. For detailed information on how to use the controller, refer to the manual that came with the CC121. Note that the CC121 was originally designed for Cubase. The following mapping combines the WaveLab LE functionality with the CC121 controls. The controls that are not listed in the following paragraph are not assigned to a parameter.

Channel Section

You can use all controls of the CC121 channel section, except the fader, to control the elements of the selected track in a WaveLab LE audio montage. You can use the fader for the Master

Section.

Fader

Controls the Master Section fader.

PAN knob

Controls the gain of the selected track.

Mute

Mutes/Unmutes the selected track.

Solo

Activates/Deactivates solo for the selected track.

CHANNEL SELECT

Selects the previous/next track in the audio montage.

To move the cursor to the previous/next clip edge in the audio montage, hold Alt. To move the cursor to the previous/next region edge, hold Shift. To move the cursor to the previous/next marker in the Audio Editor, hold Ctrl/Cmd.

EQ Section

With the EQ section you can easily control the Steinberg Studio EQ plug-in.

If the EQ TYPE button is activated on the CC121, you can adjust the parameters of the focused Studio-EQ. All necessary EQ parameters, such as Q/F/G of each band, EQ TYPE selection, and ALL BYPASS on/off can be set. You can switch to WaveLab LE navigation mode by turning off the EQ TYPE button. In WaveLab LE navigation mode, you get access to alternative functions, such as scrolling, zooming, and switching between windows.

EQ TYPE activated:

Bandwidth knobs (Q)

Adjusts the Q (bandwidth) of each EQ band.

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Setting Up Your System Remote Devices

Frequency knobs (F)

Gain knobs (G)

ALL BYPASS

EQ TYPE deactivated:

LOW ON

LOW-MID ON

HIGH ON

Adjusts the center frequency of each EQ band.

Adjusts the gain of each EQ band.

Activates/Deactivates the EQ bands.

Activates/Deactivates bypass for all plug-ins in the Master Section.

Opens the Audio Editor.

Opens the Audio Montage window.

Opens the preferences tab.

EQ-1 knob for the EQ Gain (G)

Scrolls left/right on the timeline.

EQ-2 knob for the EQ Gain (G)

Adjusts the horizontal zoom on the timeline.

EQ-3 knob for the EQ Gain (G)

Adjusts the vertical zoom on the timeline.

EQ-4 knob for the EQ Gain (G)

Scrolls tracks on the Audio Montage window or scrolls vertically on the Audio Editor.

EQ-1 knob for the EQ Frequency (F)

Scrolls left/right on the overview timeline of the Audio Editor.

EQ-2 knob for the EQ Frequency (F)

Horizontally zooms in/out on the overview timeline of the Audio Editor.

EQ-3 knob for the EQ Frequency (F)

Vertically zooms in/out on the overview timeline of the Audio Editor.

EQ-4 knob for the EQ Frequency (F)

Vertically scrolls on the overview timeline of the Audio Editor.

Transport Section

In this section you can control the transport functions of WaveLab LE.

Previous button

Moves the cursor position to the left.

Rewind button

Moves the edit cursor position to the left.

Forward button

Moves the edit cursor position to the right.

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Setting Up Your System Remote Devices

Next button

Cycle button

Stop button

Play button

Record button

Function Section

In this section, you can adjust functions, such as fades and envelope level, by using the VALUE knob.

VALUE knob

Moves the cursor position to the right.

Activates/Deactivates Cycle mode.

Stops playback. Press again to move the cursor to the previous start position. Press a third time to move the cursor to the beginning of the project.

Starts playback.

Press once to open the Recording dialog. Press again to start the recording. Press a third time to stop recording. The recorded file opens in the Audio Editor.

Rotate this knob to adjust the assigned function. Press the knob to reset the parameter to its default value.

FUNCTION button 1

Adjusts the fade in settings of the active clip.

FUNCTION button 2

Adjusts the fade out settings of the active clip.

FUNCTION button 3

Adjusts the envelope level of the active clip.

FUNCTION button 4

The element clicked last in the Nudge section of the Edit tab in the Audio Montage window is assigned to this button.

AI Knob Section

WaveLab LE can be controlled with the AI knob of Steinberg’s CC121, CI2+, and CMC-AI controllers. With the AI knob, you can control the parameter that the mouse points to.

NOTE

The AI knob only works on parameters that are automatable.

In this section you can control parameters via the AI knob.

AI KNOB

Controls the VST 3 plug-in parameters, emulates the mouse wheel, for example, for scrolling, and lets you edit a focused numeric field. To control a parameter with the AI knob, move the mouse cursor over the parameter that you want to control, and move the AI knob. You can activate/deactivate the emulation of the mouse wheel and the editing of the focused numeric field in the Options tab.

LOCK

When the mouse cursor points to a parameter, press LOCK to control this parameter regardless of the position of the mouse cursor.

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Setting Up Your System Remote Devices

CUBASE READY Indicator

The CUBASE READY indicator has no function in WaveLab LE.

Foot Switch Section

The foot switch has the same function as Shift. Press and hold the foot switch while turning the AI knob to fine tune parameters.

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WaveLab LE Concepts

This chapter describes general concepts that you will use when working with WaveLab LE. Getting accustomed with these procedures allows you to work more effectively with the program.

General Editing Rules

The common editing operations apply to any Steinberg product.

●

To select and move interface items, and to select ranges, click and drag with the mouse.

●

Use the keys of your computer keyboard to enter numeric values and text, to navigate lists and other selectable interface items, and to control the transport functions.

●

Common operations like cut, copy, paste, or the selection of multiple items can be performed using standard keyboard shortcuts.

NOTE

The behavior of your product is also governed by your preference settings.

Startup Dialog

When WaveLab LE starts, the Startup dialog opens where you can select which file you want to open.

Create

Empty Window

Creates an empty WaveLab LE window.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Basic Window Handling

Open

Last Files

Opens the files that you last used in WaveLab LE.

Recent File

Allows you to open a recently used file.

Browse

Allows you to select the files that you want to open.

Use as Default (Do Not Show This Dialog Again)

If this option is activated, the option that you select is used from now on and the startup screen does not open anymore. To display the Startup dialog, even if this option has been activated, press Ctrl/Cmd when starting WaveLab LE.

Basic Window Handling

WaveLab LE follows the basic guidelines for the Windows/macOS interface, which means that Windows/macOS standard procedures apply.

Closing Windows

●

To close a file tab, click the X button of the corresponding tab or press Ctrl/Cmd-W.

●

To close a file tab without saving your changes, hold Ctrl/Cmd-Shift, and click the X button of the tab. This avoids having to confirm a warning message whenever you want to close an unsaved tab.

●

To close all file tabs but the selected file tab, right-click a file tab and select Close All But

This.

Switching Between Files

You can have multiple files open and switch between them.

●

To bring a file to the front, click the corresponding tab.

●

To switch between the files, hold Ctrl/Cmd, and press Tab continuously.

●

To switch back and forth between the last two active files, press Ctrl/Cmd-Tab. Between each step you have to release all keys.

●

To switch backwards, press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Tab.

●

To toggle between the active file and the last edited file, press F5.

Selecting Audio

Almost all types of editing and processing that you perform in WaveLab LE operate on the audio selection. There are numerous ways to make an audio selection.

●

To select the whole audio file, double-click it. If the audio file contains markers, triple-click it.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Selecting Audio

Selecting a Range by Dragging

The standard way to select a range in the wave window is to click and drag.

If you drag all the way to the left or right side of the wave window, it scrolls automatically, allowing you to select larger sections than what can be shown in the wave window. The speed of the scrolling depends on how far from the wave window edge you are.

Audio Range Selection in an Audio File

You can edit, process, or play back selections of an audio file.

● To access the audio range selection options, in the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab.

The following selection options are available in the Time Selection section:

All

Selects the entire waveform.

Toggle

Toggles the selection range on/off.

Extend

Opens a menu where you can select the following options:

● Extend to Start of File extends the selection to the start of the audio file. If there is no selection, a selection is created from the edit cursor position.

● Extend to End of File extends the selection to the end of the audio file. If there is no selection, a selection is created from the edit cursor position.

● Extend to Previous Marker extends the left edge of the selection to the nearest marker to the left or the start of the audio file. If there is no selection, a selection is extended until the edit cursor position.

● Extend to Next Marker extends the right edge of the selection to the nearest marker to the right or the end of the audio file. If there is no selection, a selection is extended until the next marker position.

● Extend to Cursor extends the selection to the edit cursor position.

● From Start of File Until Cursor selects the range between the start of the audio file and the edit cursor position.

● From Cursor to End of File selects the range between the edit cursor position and the end of the audio file.

● From Cursor to Previous Marker selects the range between the edit cursor position and the previous marker or the start of the audio file.

● From Cursor to Next Marker selects the range between the edit cursor position and the next marker or the end of the audio file.

● From Playback Position to End of File creates a selection range from the playback position to the end of the audio file. If no playback is taking place, the position of the edit cursor is used.

● From Playback Position to Start of File creates a selection range from the playback position to start of the audio file. If no playback is taking place, the position of the edit cursor is used.

● Double Selection Length doubles the length of the current selection range.

● Halve Selection Length halves the length of the current selection range.

Channels

Opens a menu where you can select the following options:

● Extend to All Channels extends the current selection range to all channels.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Selecting Audio

● Left Channel Only reduces the current selection range to the left channel only.

● Right Channel Only reduces the current selection range to the right channel only.

Regions

Opens a menu where you can select the following option:

● Generic Region selects the range between the two generic markers that encompass the edit cursor.

Selecting in Stereo Files

If you are working on stereo material in the Audio Editor, you can apply an operation to one channel only or to the entire stereo material.

Which channel is selected when you click and drag in the wave window depends on where you position the mouse cursor. The pointer shape indicates which channel will be affected.

The following pointer shapes are available:

Select left channel

Clicking in the upper half of the left channel selects the left channel.

Select both channels

Clicking in the middle area between the left and the right channel selects both channels.

Select right channel

Clicking in the lower half of the right channel selects the right channel.

Switching the Selection Between Channels

You can switch the channel selection that you have made for a channel to all channels or switch the selection to the other channel.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window of the Audio Editor, select a range.

2. Select the Edit tab.

3. In the Time Selection section, click Channels and select one of the following options:

●

Extend to All Channels

●

Left Channel Only

●

Right Channel Only

You can press Tab to switch between the different channel selections.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Selecting Audio

Selecting in the Overview of the Audio Editor

The ranges that you select in the overview of the Audio Editor also apply to the main view.

PROCEDURE

● In the wave window of the Audio Editor, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and click and drag in the overview.

Moving a Selection Range

If a selection range has the correct length, but the wrong position, you can move it.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, hold down Ctrl/Cmd-Shift.

2. Click in the middle of the selection and drag to the left/right.

Extending and Reducing the Selection

You can resize a selection range in the wave window.

There are several ways to extend/reduce the selection:

● Select a range, Shift-click outside the selection range, and drag to the left/right, or click and drag the edges of the selection range to the left/right.

● To extend the selection to the previous/next boundary (marker or start/end of file), press

Shift and double-click the non-selected area between the boundaries.

Extending and Reducing the Selection Using the Cursor Keys

●

To move the start/end of a selection in the wave window to the left/right, hold down Shift and press the left/right cursor keys. To move it in bigger steps, press the Page Up/Page

Down keys.

●

To extend a selection to the previous/next boundary in the wave window (marker or start/ end of the audio file), hold down Ctrl/Cmd+Shift and press the left/right cursor keys.

Deleting Selections

There are several options for deleting a selected range.

Audio Editor

The following options can be found on the Edit tab in the Cutting section.

Crop

Removes the data outside the selection.

Delete

Removes the selection. The audio to the right of the selection is moved to the left to fill the gap.

Audio Montage Window

The following option can be found on the Edit tab in the Removal section.

Delete Selected Clip

Deletes the selected clip.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Sliders

Sliders

At various places in WaveLab LE, slider controls are available to change parameters. There are a number of ways to change the value of a slider.

●

Position the mouse over the slider and use the mouse wheel without clicking. Hold Ctrl/

Cmd while using the mouse wheel to scroll faster. This modifier also applies to the zoom

wheels. To move a slider, click and drag it.

●

To move the slider handle to a position, click the slider at any position.

●

To move the slider handle in smaller steps, right-click or click below the handle. Keep the mouse button pressed to automatically step to the next value.

●

To reset the slider to the default value, if available, Ctrl/Cmd-click the slider, or click using the third mouse button, or double-click the handle.

Renaming Items in Tables

You can rename items in tables in the Markers window, and in the Clips window.

●

To rename an item, double-click it or select it, and press Return, and enter the new name.

●

To rename the previous/next item, press Up Arrow or Down Arrow. This way you move the focus on the previous/next item, while staying in the edit mode.

File Browser

The File Browser window allows you to browse files from within WaveLab LE. The Auto Play Mode is useful for speeding up the process of auditioning sound files.

The File Browser window provides you with all the standard browsing functions. It features additional controls to audition audio files and any marker defined regions. You can use it to open or insert files by dragging them to another location.

You can also choose to only view specific file types.

File Browser Window

In this window, you can browse files and open them in WaveLab LE.

● To open the File Browser window, select Tool Windows> File Browser.

Back/Forward/Parent Directory

Allows you to navigate through the list and file hierarchy.

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WaveLab LE Concepts Peak Files

Location

Auto-Play Mode

Play Selected Audio File

File type list

Folder tree

Favorite folders

This menu allows you to select a file location to browse and lists the recently used locations.

Automatically starts playback of the selected file.

Plays the selected audio file.

If this button is activated, you can enter text in the search field.

Allows you to select which file type and file format to display.

Shows the folders that are available on your computer.

You can add your favorite folders by dragging them from the folder tree. Each file type has its own favorite folder.

File list

Shows the following information about each file:

● Name shows the name of the audio file.

● Size shows the size of the audio file.

● Type shows the file type of the audio file.

● Date Modified shows the date on which the audio file was last saved.

● Sample Rate shows the sample rate in Hz.

● Bits shows the bit depth in bits. “32F” means 32-bit float and “64F” means 64-

bit float.

● Bit Rate shows the bit rate in kbps.

● Length shows the length of the audio file.

● Channels shows the number of channels.

Create Folder

Allows you to create a new folder. Right-click in the file list and select Create Folder.

Audio Regions

If the selected file contains region markers, the regions are displayed in the Audio Regions section. You can drag regions onto a track.

RELATED LINKS

Folders Tab on page 50

Peak Files

A peak file (extension .gpk) is automatically created by WaveLab LE each time an audio file is modified or opened in WaveLab LE for the first time. The peak file contains information about the waveform and determines how it is drawn in the wave window or the montage window.

Peak files speed up the time it takes to draw the corresponding waveform. By default, the peak file is saved in the same location as the audio file.

Page 23

WaveLab LE Concepts Processing Precision

Rebuilding Peak Displays

Normally, peak files are automatically updated when the date of the peak file is older than the date of the audio file. However, it can happen that the date of the audio file is not automatically updated. In this case you can force a rebuild of the peak file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the View tab.

2. In the Peaks section, click Rebuild Display.

Processing Precision

WaveLab LE can load audio samples in many formats but processes them internally as 64-bit float samples.

Mixing inside WaveLab LE is also done in 64-bit float. 32-bit PCM samples can be transferred to 64-bit float and back.

Plug-ins are processed in 64-bit float by default. You can also set the plug-in processing to 32-bit float.

You can set up the processing precision for plug-ins and for temporary files in the Audio tab of the Global Preferences.

NOTE

Processing in 64-bit float means double precision but slightly longer process time than 32-bit float.

Temporary files in 64-bit float have double precision but take longer to read and write than 32-bit float and their file size is twice as big.

RELATED LINKS

Temporary Files on page 50 Audio Tab on page 163

Page 24

Workspace Window

The Workspace window provides an editing and playback environment for each particular file type. Each environment contains functions that are tailored to the specific purpose of each file type.

● Audio Editor for viewing and editing audio files.

● Audio Montage window for assembling and editing audio montages.

● Podcast Editor for preparing and uploading podcasts.

The Workspace window is highly customizable to match your workflow.

Elements of the Workspace Window

The Workspace window contains the following elements:

● A menu bar

● Tab groups to host the files to edit. You can move the content of a tab to another tab, create a new empty tab, display the file path, and access other functions by right-clicking.

● A set of tool windows. Which tools are available depends on the file type you are working on. The tool windows can be activated/deactivated individually.

Audio Editor

The Audio Editor provides tools and functions for sample-accurate audio editing.

The Audio Editor includes various metering tools.

The wave window gives you a graphical representation of the audio file and allows you to view, play back, and edit the file.

RELATED LINKS

Audio File Editing on page 58

Audio Montage

In the Audio Montage, you assemble audio clips into a montage. You can arrange, edit, and play back clips on both stereo or mono tracks.

You can place any number of clips on an audio track. A clip contains a reference to a source audio file on your hard disk, as well as start and end positions in the file.

The montage window gives you a graphical representation of clips on tracks. In it you can view, play back, and edit the tracks and clips.

RELATED LINKS

Audio Montage on page 95

Page 25

Workspace Window Podcast Editor

Podcast Editor

In the Podcast Editor, you assemble, define, and publish your podcast to the Internet.

RELATED LINKS

Podcasts on page 148

File Tab

The File tab is the control center of WaveLab LE. Here, you can save, open, render, import, and export files. It also gives you detailed information about your files and allows you to set up the WaveLab LE preferences.

Info

Provides information about the active file and allows you to edit the audio properties of audio files and audio montages.

New

Allows you to create an audio file, audio montage, or podcast.

Open

Allows you to open audio files, audio montages, or podcasts.

You can also open files that you have previously copied to the clipboard in the File Explorer/macOS Finder.

Import

Allows you to import audio files to an audio montage and audio CD tracks from an audio CD.

Save As

Allows you to save the active file or the project. You can specify the name, file format, and location. You can also save a copy of the active file.

Save All

Allows you to save all changed files of your project at once. The file list gives you an overview of all files that have been changed.

Page 26

Workspace Window Info Tab

Export

Preferences

RELATED LINKS

Info Tab on page 26 Configuring WaveLab LE on page 162

You can use the filter to show all changed files, only audio files, or only audio montages.

Allows you to render the active file and upload the audio file to SoundCloud.

Allows you to view and change the preferences of WaveLab LE. You can set up the preferences for the following parts of WaveLab LE:

● Global

● Audio Connections

● Shortcuts

● Plug-ins

● Remote Devices

● Folders

● Audio Files

● Audio Montages

Info Tab

The Info tab provides information about the active file and allows you to edit the audio properties of audio files and audio montages.

● To open the Info tab, select the File tab, and click Info.

Depending on the selected file, different information and options are available.

Page 27

Workspace Window Tool Windows

Name

File Properties

Audio Properties

Metadata

Copy to Clipboard

Reveal in File Explorer/macOS Finder

Displays the name, file extension, and file location of the active file. You can edit these attributes.

Displays the size, date, and file format of the active file.

For audio files, this displays the sample precision, channels, and sample rate of the active file.

For audio montages, this displays the mode, channels, and sample rate of the active file.

You can edit these attributes.

Displays the metadata of the active file.

Opens a menu from which you can select which information about the active file you want to copy to the clipboard.

Opens the File Explorer/macOS Finder to show the location of the active file.

Delete

Deletes the active file.

Tool Windows

Throughout WaveLab LE there are various tool windows available that allow you to view, analyze, and edit the active file.

Generally, the content of a tool window is synchronized with the active file, with the exception of the audio meters which displays the audio file being played back. Tool windows can be docked and undocked, and saved in your custom layouts. Some tool windows are only available for specific file types.

The tool windows can be accessed via the Tool Windows menu.

Opening and Closing Tool Windows

You can close all tool windows that you do not need for your project.

●

To open a tool window, select Tool Windows and select a tool window.

●

To close a docked tool window, right-click the tool window tab and select Hide.

●

To close an undocked tool window, click its X button.

Page 28

Workspace Window Slide-Out Windows

Slide-Out Windows

Slide-out windows are hidden in the frame of the Workspace window. When you hover the mouse pointer over the window name, the window slides out. It is hidden again, when you click anywhere else.

Slide-out window tab

An open slide-out window

Docking and Undocking Tool Windows and Meter Windows

Tool windows and meter windows can be used as docked windows, as floating windows, or as a slide-out window. You can freely drag around the windows and dock them at various locations.

●

To undock a tool window or meter window, drag the corresponding tab to another position.

Now the tool window or meter window is a floating window which can be freely moved.

●

To dock a tool window or meter window, click and hold the caption bar or click the Options button on the right of the caption bar and select Dock Tab Group Elsewhere.

Yellow symbols indicate locations for docked windows, pink symbols indicate locations for slide-out windows. Drag the window to one of the locations.

Page 29

Workspace Window Command Bar

●

To dock a floating tool window or meter window at its last docked position, click the

Options button on the right of the caption bar and select Dock to Last Place Again.

RELATED LINKS

Slide-Out Windows on page 28

Command Bar

The command bar of file windows allows you to create, open, and save files, and undo/redo changes. You can also use the text field to quickly find and access open files, and to trigger keywords.

New

Allows you to create an audio file, audio montage, or podcast.

Open

Allows you to open an audio file, audio montage, or podcast.

Save

Saves the active file.

Save As

Allows you to save the active file. You can specify the name, file format, and location. You can also save a copy of the active file.

Undo

Allows you to undo changes.

Redo

Allows you to redo changes that were undone.

Page 30

Workspace Window Status Bar

Navigate Backwards/Navigate Forwards

Customize Command Bar

Maximize Window

Layout Options

Status Bar

The status bar at the bottom of the screen of the Audio Editor and the Audio Montage window shows information about the active window using the units specified in the rulers.

The information displayed on the status bar is updated depending on the cursor position and on the audio selection that you have made.

In the Audio Editor and Audio Montage window, this allows you to navigate to the previous/next cursor position, zoom factor, or selection range without undoing/ redoing the edit operation.

Allows you to select the buttons that you want to display on the command bar.

Maximizes the window. To restore the window size, click the button again.

Allows you to determine the position of the command bar and transport bar.

Time/Level (dB)

Displays the time of the audio file at the mouse cursor position. In the Audio Editor, it also displays the level.

The value in brackets shows the time from the edit cursor position to the mouse cursor position.

Audio Information at Edit Cursor

Displays the time at the position of the edit cursor. This information changes if you reposition the cursor.

● To define the cursor position, click the Audio Information at Edit Cursor field

to open the Cursor Position dialog.

● To focus the cursor position, right-click the Audio Information at Edit Cursor

field.

Audio Selection Indicator (Audio Editor)/Audio Range Indicator (Audio Montage)

In the Audio Editor, this displays the length of the current selection, or the total length of the audio file if no selection has been made.

In the Audio Montage window, this displays the length of the audio selection if a clip is selected, or the size of the audio montage.

If you have zoomed in, you can right-click the indicator to display the selected audio range, the active clip, or the whole file. Left-click the indicator to open the Audio

Range dialog, where you can define or refine a selection.

Zoom Indicator

Displays the current zoom factor.

● To open a pop-up menu, that allows you to make additional zoom settings,

click the indicator.

Page 31

Workspace Window Context Menus

Audio File Properties/Audio Montage Properties

Bypass Master Section

Background Information

● To open the Zoom Factor dialog, that allows you to edit the zoom factor, right-

click the indicator.

In the Audio Editor, this displays the sample precision and the sample rate. It also indicates whether the audio file is mono or stereo. Click the indicator to open the Audio Properties dialog.

In the Audio Montage window, this displays the sample rate of the audio montage. Click the indicator to open the Sample Rate dialog.

If this option is deactivated, the Master Section is ignored during playback. However, rendering still takes all plug-ins into account.

The status bar shows the progress of some background operations, such as rendering an effect. The operation can be paused or canceled using the provided buttons.

Context Menus

Throughout WaveLab LE, various context menus are available. These menus group the commands and/or options that are specific to the active window.

The context menus appear if you right-click specific areas and are useful for speeding up your workflow.

For example, right-click a file tab to open a context menu with some relevant file options. Rightclicking the ruler of the waveform window brings up the Time Ruler context menu that allows you to access a number of options for changing the time ruler display format.

You can find most context menu commands in the tabs, in the file window and in the main menus, but some commands are only available in context menus. If you search for a function, right-click the current working window to check if it has a context menu.

Context menu in the montage window

Time Ruler and Level Ruler

In the Audio Editor, you can display a time and a level ruler in the wave window. In the Audio Montage window, you can display a time ruler in the montage window.

You can also determine which time and level units the rulers show.

Page 32

Workspace Window Time Ruler and Level Ruler

Time Ruler

Level Ruler (Audio Editor only)

Time Ruler and Level Ruler Options

You can specify the time and level (amplitude) formats for each ruler in each wave window and the time formats for each ruler in the montage window separately by right-clicking the ruler and selecting a format from the pop-up menu.

Time Ruler Menu

Timecode

Displays frames per second for various SMPTE timecode types and for CD resolution.

You can specify the timecode type in the Time Format dialog.

Clock

Displays time units.

Samples

Displays positions as number of samples. The number of samples per second depends on the sample rate of the audio file. For example, at 44.1 kHz, there are 44100 samples per second.

Bars and Beats

Displays bars and beats.

File Size (Audio Editor only)

Displays positions in megabytes. Decimals represent kilobytes.

Show grid (Audio Montage window only)

Displays vertical lines in the montage window, aligned with time ruler marks.

Time Format

Opens the Time Format dialog, that allows you to edit the appearance of the time ruler formats.

Save Current Settings as Default

If this option is activated, the time ruler uses the current time format in all new wave windows or montage windows.

Page 33

Workspace Window Time Ruler and Level Ruler

Set Ruler’s Origin to Start of File

If this option is activated, the ruler’s zero position is set to the beginning of the first sample.

Set Ruler’s Origin at Cursor

If this option is activated, the ruler’s zero position is set to the current edit cursor position.

RELATED LINKS

Time Format Dialog on page 34

Level Ruler Menu (Audio Editor only)

Sets the level format to decibels.

+-100 %

Sets the level format to percentage.

Normalized +1/-1

Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 64-bit float audio.

16-bit Range

Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 16-bit audio.

24-bit Range

Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 24-bit audio.

Save Current Settings as Default

If this option is activated, the level ruler uses the current level format in all new wave windows.

Working With a Meter-Based Display

If your working material is tempo-based, you can select the meter format (bars, beats, and ticks) for the ruler legend. This makes it easier to find musically related cutting points.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window or the montage window, right-click the time ruler, and select Bars and Beats.

2. Right-click the time ruler, and select Time Format.

3. On the Meter tab, set the Time Signature and Tempo to values that match your audio file.

4. Set Ticks per Quarter Note to a number that you feel comfortable with.

For example, this can be the same value that is used by your MIDI sequencer.

5. Click OK.

Setting the Edit Cursor Position

Many operations, such as playback and selection, depend on the current edit cursor position. For example, playback often starts at the edit cursor position. The current edit cursor position is indicated by a vertical flashing line.

There are various ways to move the edit cursor:

●

Click somewhere in the wave window, the montage window, or the time ruler. If you have made a selection, click the time ruler to prevent deselecting.

Page 34

Workspace Window Time Ruler and Level Ruler

●

Click and drag in the time ruler.

●

Use the transport controls.

●

In the Audio Editor and Audio Montage window, select the View tab and use the options in the Cursor section.

●

Use the cursor keys.

●

Double-click a marker.

Time Format Dialog

In this dialog, you can customize the time format of the ruler. The time format of the ruler is also used in various time fields, for example, the status bar and some dialogs.

● To open the Time Format dialog, right-click the ruler in the Audio Editor or Audio Montage window, and select Time Format.

In the Audio Editor, you can set different time formats for the overview display and the main display.

Timecode Tab

On this tab, you can configure the appearance of the Timecode.

Frames per Second

Lists standard frame rates. From the pop-up menu, select Other to enter a custom frame rate. You can also choose which frames or units are displayed.

Show Absolute Frames

Shows the time format as a number of frames, without other time elements.

Show Quarter Frames

Adds the quarter frame number to the time format.

Show Hundredth Frames

Adds the number of a hundredth of a frame to the time format.

Show Units

Adds time units to the time format of the ruler.

Clock Tab

On this tab, you can configure the appearance of the Clock option.

Show Units

Adds time units to the time format of the ruler.

Page 35

Workspace Window Managing Tabs

Compact

Shows the time without unit indicators.

Meter Tab

On this tab, you can configure the appearance of the Bars and Beats option.

Time Signature

Lets you edit the time signature used to display the time represented as a musical notation.

Tempo

Lets you edit the tempo used to display the time represented as a musical notation.

Ticks per Quarter Note

Lets you edit the number of ticks per quarter note. These are used to display times that are compatible with your sequencer.

Managing Tabs

A tab is a container for a file in WaveLab LE. You can open several tabs, but only one can be active at a time. The Tabs context menu offer tab related options.

File Tabs

The following options are available when you right-click a file tab.

Add to

Allows you to add the active file to another editor.

Closes the active tab.

Close All But This

Closes all files but the active file.

Close All Audio Files

Closes all audio files.

Info

Displays information about the active file.

Reveal in File Explorer/macOS Finder

Opens the File Explorer/macOS Finder to show the location of the file.

Copy to Clipboard

Opens a menu, from which you can select which information about the file you want to copy to the clipboard.

Recent Files

Allows you to open recently used files.

Page 36

Workspace Window Activating Full Screen Mode

Activating Full Screen Mode

PROCEDURE

● Select Workspace> Full Screen.

Resetting the Default Workspace Layout

PROCEDURE

● Select Workspace> Reset Default Layout.

Page 37

Project Handling

Opening Files

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Open.

2. Select the file type that you want to open.

For example, Audio File.

3. From the file browser, select the file that you want to open.

4. Click Open.

Opening Files from the Clipboard

You can open files in WaveLab LE that you have previously copied to the clipboard in the File Explorer/macOS Finder.

PROCEDURE

1. In the File Explorer/macOS Finder, copy the files that you want to open to the clipboard.

2. In WaveLab LE, select File> Open.

3. Click Open Files from Clipboard.

RESULT

The files open in new file tabs.

Value Editing

At various places in the program, numerical values can be edited by using a combination of text fields and knobs.

Values are sometimes composed of several elements, for example, 12 mn30 sec 120 ms. Each value can be edited by using any of the following methods:

●

To change a value, click in a value field and type a new value, or click the small arrows in the value field.

To change the value by one unit at a time, press the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys.

To change the value by several units, press the Page Up and Page Down keys.

To change the value using the mouse wheel, position the mouse cursor over a value, and use the mouse wheel, or use the AI knob of your MIDI controller.

To change the value with the mouse, click a value and drag the mouse up or down.

To jump to the maximum and minimum values, press the Home and End keys.

Page 38

Project Handling Drag Operations

●

To move from one element of the value to another, press the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys.

Drag Operations

WaveLab LE makes much use of drag-and-drop techniques to perform various operations, some of which can only be performed this way. These are referred to as drag operations in this documentation.

●

To drag an object, click and hold with the mouse when positioned on the object and drag it. Drop the object by releasing the button.

Many types of objects can be dragged between different source and destination locations, for example, files, text, clips, items in a list, and markers.

NOTE

It is also possible to drag and drop files from WaveLab LE to Steinberg’s Nuendo.

● To reorder a tab within its own tabbed group, drag horizontally. To move a tab to another window, drag vertically.

● To open a file, drag it from the File Browser window of WaveLab LE, from the file browser of your operating system, or from another application to the tab bar.

● To create a copy of a file, drag its tab vertically to another position of the tab bar, then press Ctrl/Cmd, and release the mouse button.

● You can dock and undock tool windows and meter windows via dragging.

RELATED LINKS

Docking and Undocking Tool Windows and Meter Windows on page 28

Dragging in the Audio Editor and Audio Montage Window

●

To insert an audio file in another audio file, drag the title bar of the file onto the waveform of another file. You can also drag an audio file from the File Browser window, the file browser of your operating system, or from another application into the Audio Editor.

●

To move a marker, drag it to another position on the time ruler.

●

To create a copy of a marker, press Shift, and drag it to another position on the time ruler.

●

To delete a marker, drag it upwards outside the time ruler.

●

To copy an audio selection, drag a selected region of audio onto the waveform area of the same file or another file.

●

To change the extent of a selection range, position the edit cursor at the start/end of the selection range, and drag to the left or right.

●

To move the edit cursor without losing the current selection, and to snap it to an anchor, press Shift, and move the mouse near the audio file/montage cursor. The mouse cursor shape changes and you can drag the cursor left and right.

●

To move the edit cursor without changing or losing the current selection, press Shift, click the edit cursor, and drag it to another position.

●

To scroll the waveform horizontally, click the bar above the time ruler and drag left or right. You can also click anywhere on the waveform using the 3rd mouse button, and drag left or right.

●

To create a generic marker from a selected text, drop the text that you have selected in an external application onto the time ruler. The text becomes the marker name.

Page 39

Project Handling Undoing and Redoing Actions

●

To create a stereo copy of a mono file, or a mixed copy of a stereo file, drag a tab to another position of the tab bar, press Ctrl-Alt (Windows) or Option-Ctrl (Mac), and release the mouse button.

Dragging in the Podcast Window

●

To reorder episodes in the episodes list, drag them to another position.

Dragging in the Master Section

●

To change the order of processing, drag effects between different effects slots.

Undoing and Redoing Actions

You can undo and redo as many steps as you like. The only limitation is the available hard disk space.

When undoing or redoing any operation in the Audio Editor or the Audio Montage window, the zoom factor, cursor position, scroll position, clip selection status, and time range are restored to the state before the operation.

●

To undo or redo a step, click Undo or Redo in the title bar of the Audio Editor or

Audio Montage window.

Navigating Backwards and Forwards

In audio files and audio montages, you can navigate to the previous/next cursor position, zoom factor, and selection range without undoing/redoing the edit operation.

●

To navigate backwards or forwards, click Navigate Backwards or Navigate Forwards

in the title bar of the Audio Editor or Audio Montage window.

Zooming

Horizontal Zooming

● When you zoom out as far as possible, the entire file fits in the window.

● When you zoom in as far as possible, each sample occupies several pixels on the screen. This allows for sample-accurate editing of waveforms.

Vertical Zooming

● When you zoom out as far as possible, the height of the wave fits in the window.

● As you progressively zoom in, the display only shows a part of the total height. The vertical scrollbar lets you adjust exactly which section is shown. Check the ruler to see which part of the waveform is shown in the display.

● To optimize the vertical zoom of the waveform, press Ctrl/Cmd, the time ruler, keep the mouse button pressed, and drag the mouse up or down.

High Zoom Level

● When the zooming level is very high, each sample is shown with a step and a bullet. The steps show the real digitized state, while the bullets make it easier to see the samples, especially for zeroed samples.

● The curve also represents an estimation of the analog reconstructed signal to give hints on true peaks.

Page 40

Project Handling Zooming

Zooming in the Overview and Main View Sections (Audio Editor Only)

● You can have different zoom levels in the overview and in the main view section. In the overview, a range indicator on the time ruler indicates which section of the file is displayed in the main view.

● To adjust the zoom level, drag the edges of the range indicator.

● To scroll in the main view, drag the range indicator. The range indicator is located at the top of the overview display.

● To adjust the zoom level using the scrollbar, drag the edges of the scrollbar.

Zooming Using the Zoom Controls

Both the main view and the overview have horizontal and vertical zoom controls.

●

To zoom horizontally, click the Horizontal Zoom control, and drag left or right, or use the mouse wheel.

●

To zoom vertically, click the Vertical Zoom control, and drag up or down, or use the mouse wheel.

●

To fully zoom-out, double-click the zoom controls.

Page 41

Project Handling Zooming

Zooming Using the Zoom Tool

The Zoom tool is used to zoom in a specific section of the waveform so that it occupies the entire wave window. This is only available in the Audio Editor.

Using the Zoom Tool in the Main View

The selection that you make in the main view of the wave window is magnified and fills up the entire main view.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the View tab.

2. In the Zoom section, click Zoom.

3. In the main view of the wave window, click and drag left or right, and release the mouse

button.

The selected part of the wave now occupies the entire main view.

Using the Zoom Tool in the Overview

The selection that you make in the overview of the wave window is displayed in the main view.

PROCEDURE

● In the overview of the wave window, click and drag left or right, and release the mouse button.

RESULT

The selected range of the waveform is shown in the main view.

Zooming Using the Mouse

With the mouse, you can change the zoom factor by clicking and dragging or by using the mouse wheel.

●

To zoom horizontally, in the wave window or the montage window, position the mouse cursor over the time ruler, click, and drag up or down.

●

To zoom horizontally while maintaining the cursor position, position the mouse cursor over the time ruler, press Shift, and drag up or down.

For this, you can also use the mouse wheel. Press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift, point at a waveform, and use the mouse wheel.

●

To zoom horizontally around the mouse cursor position using the mouse wheel, press

Ctrl/Cmd, point at a waveform, and use the mouse wheel.

●

To zoom horizontally around the edit cursor position, press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift, point at a waveform, and use the mouse wheel.

●

To zoom vertically using the mouse wheel, press Shift, point at a waveform, and use the mouse wheel.

Page 42

Project Handling Zooming

Audio Editor Only

● To zoom vertically, in the wave window, position the mouse cursor over the level ruler, click, and drag left or right.

● To reset the vertical zoom to 0 dB, double-click the level ruler.

● To set the vertical zoom to the best value, that is, the current minimum and maximum displayed samples, make sure that the level ruler is set to 0 dB, and double-click the level ruler.

Zooming Using the Keyboard

A quick way to zoom the active wave or montage window is to use the arrow keys on the computer keyboard.

●

To zoom horizontally in the active wave window or montage window, press Up Arrow or

Down Arrow.

●

To zoom vertically in the active wave/montage window, hold Shift, and press Up Arrow or

Down Arrow.

●

To zoom vertically to fit the available height, press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Up Arrow.

●

To zoom out fully, press Ctrl/Cmd-Down Arrow.

●

To zoom in fully, press Ctrl/Cmd-Up Arrow.

RELATED LINKS

Global Preferences on page 162

Zoom Options

The zoom options allow you to quickly access various zoom settings.

The zoom options are available in the Audio Editor and the Audio Montage window on the View tab in the Zoom section.

Time

Zoom

Zoom Selection

Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to adjust the zoom to display the selected time range. Zoom in 1:1 zooms in so that one pixel on the screen represents one sample.

To edit the zoom factor, click Edit Zoom Factor. This opens the Zoom Factor dialog, where you can edit the following settings:

● Set Time Range allows you to specify the time range that you want to display.

● Samples per Screen Point allows you to specify how many audio samples are

summarized in each screen point.

● Screen Points per Sample allows you to specify how many screen points are

used to represent a single audio sample.

Activates the Zoom tool that allows you to define a time range that is zoomed in.

Zooms the window so that the current selection occupies the entire montage window.

Display Whole Clip (Audio Montage window only)

Adjusts the view to display the active clip.

View All

Displays the entire audio range.

Page 43

Project Handling Zooming

Microscope

Zooms in as far as possible.

Zoom in Audio (10x)/Zoom out Audio (10x)

Zooms in/out in big steps.

Zoom in Audio/Zoom out Audio

Zooms in/out in small steps.

Level

Adjusts the zoom to only display samples below the selected dB value.

Optimize Vertical Zoom (Audio Editor only)

Changes the vertical zoom factor so that the peaks are clearly visible. This adjustment is done according to the section of the wave that is visible in the wave/ montage window.

Reset Zoom to 0 dB

Adjusts the zoom to display audio levels up to 0 dB.

Zoom in Vertically/Zoom out Vertically

Zooms in/out to show waveforms with a lower/higher level.

Zooming in Audio Montages

Zooming options in the Audio Montage window are almost similar to those in the Audio Editor. However, there are additional zooming options for tracks.

Zoom Buttons in the Audio Montage

The zoom buttons in the Audio Montage window allow you to apply zoom presets.

●

To only display the selected track, or also the tracks below and/or above the selected track, click the corresponding buttons.

●

To set the zoom setting to fit the active clips in 25 %, 50 %, or 100 % of the available space, click the corresponding buttons.

●

To select a specific area, click Ctrl/Cmd, and drag the rectangle over the tracks and clips that you want to zoom in on.

Page 44

Project Handling Presets

Displaying More or Less Tracks

The number of tracks that are displayed in the Audio Montage window can be changed with the zoom controls in the lower right corner of the montage window.

●

To display more tracks, click the smaller magnifying glass icon.

●

To display fewer tracks, click the larger magnifying glass icon.

●

To make a single track fit the whole montage window, click the numbered button in the track control area, and select Zoom from the pop-up menu.

You can also right-click the lower area of a track, and select Display Whole Clip from the pop-up menu.

Presets

You can create presets to save commonly used settings. WaveLab LE provides a selection of factory presets that can be used by most dialogs.

You can save customized presets. The next time that you load the program, the presets are available.

Presets are saved as single files and can be organized in subfolders. The root folder of the preset is different for each type of preset and cannot be changed.

Saving a Preset

PROCEDURE

1. Open the dialog that you want to use and modify the parameters.

2. Open the Presets pop-up menu and select Save As.

3. Optional: Click the folder icon and enter a name for the subfolder that you want to use as

the location for this preset.

4. Type in a name.

5. Click Save.

Loading Presets

To apply a saved preset or a factory preset to a dialog or plug-in, you must load the preset.

PROCEDURE

1. In the dialog, open the Presets pop-up menu.

2. Select the preset that you want to apply.

Page 45

Project Handling Presets

Modifying a Preset

You can modify a preset and save the changes.

PROCEDURE

1. Open the dialog that you want to use.

2. Load the preset that you want to modify.

3. Modify the parameters of the dialog.

4. Open the Presets pop-up menu and select Save.

Deleting a Preset

PROCEDURE

1. Open the dialog that you want to use.

2. Select the preset that you want to delete.

3. Open the Presets pop-up menu and select Organize Presets.

4. In the File Explorer/macOS Finder, select the preset file that you want to delete, and press

Delete.

Saving and Restoring Temporary Presets

Some dialogs allow you to save and load up to 5 temporary presets. This is useful if you want to quickly test and compare different settings.

Saving Presets Temporarily

PROCEDURE

1. Open the dialog that you want to use and make your settings.

2. Open the Presets pop-up menu.

3. From the Store Temporarily submenu, select a slot.

Restoring Temporary Presets

PROCEDURE

1. Open the dialog in which you have saved a preset.

2. Open the Presets pop-up menu.

3. From the Restore submenu, select a preset.

Page 46

Recently Used Files

All files that you have recently used in WaveLab LE are saved in a list. This helps you to gain fast access to recent projects. You can open recently used files via the File menu.

Opening Recently Used Files

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Open.

2. Select the file type that you want to open.

3. Click Recent Files.

4. Optional: Use the search field to enter the name of the file that you are looking for.

5. Select the file that you want to open.

6. Click Open.

File Operations

Recent Files Tab

This tab allows you to view and manage all the files that you have recently used in WaveLab LE. You can search for files, open multiple files at once, and remove individual files or files that cannot be located.

● To open the Recent Files tab, select File> Open, select one of the file types, and click

Recent Files.

Only Show Files Created by WaveLab LE

Only shows the files that have not been opened since they were created by WaveLab LE. For example, a file that is rendered has this status until it is opened.

Search field

Lets you search for text in the Name or Path column, depending on which column is selected.

Remove Non-Existing Files

Removes those files from the list that cannot be located on the medium.

Remove Selected Files

Removes all selected files from the list.

Page 47

File Operations Save and Save As

Open

Opens the selected files.

Filtering Recently Used Files by Name

The search field in the Recent Files tab allows you to filter the files list by name.

●

To specify whether the Name or the Path column is used, click the Name or Path column header.

●

To search for a file, enter the text that you want to search for in the search field.

●

To switch the focus from the search field to the list of recently used files, press Down

Arrow.

●

To switch the focus from the list of recently used files to the search field, press Ctrl/Cmd-F.

Setting the Number of Recently Used Files to Display

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Preferences> Global.

2. In the Global Preferences window, select the Display tab.

3. In the History section, set the maximum number of items to be listed on the Recent File

menu.

Save and Save As

●

Once a file has been saved, select File> Save, or press Ctrl/Cmd-S to update the file and make the changes permanent.

●

If you want to specify a new name, location, and/or file format, select File> Save As.

NOTE

In the Audio Editor, all save operations except Save Copy clear the undo history, which means that after saving you cannot undo or redo.

Tab Colors

The colored tab corner gives information on whether a file is saved or not.

White

The file is not modified.

Green (Audio Editor only)

The file uses a decoded file format and is saved.

Red

The file has been modified and changes have not been saved yet.

Unsaved Changes Indicator

When you have made changes to a file, an asterisk is displayed next to the file name until you save the file.

Page 48

File Operations Save and Save As

Saving Multiple Files at Once

You can save some or all open files at once.

PROCEDURE

1. Open the File window and click Save All.

2. Select the files that you want to save.

3. Click Save.

Saving Copies of Files

You can save copies of files that you are working on.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Save As.

2. Specify a name and location.

3. Right-click Save and select Save Copy.

Reverting to Saved File

You can revert the file that you are working on back to its last saved state. This undoes all the changes made to the file since it was last saved.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Open.

2. Select the file type that you want to open.

3. Click Revert to Saved File.

4. In the warning dialog, click Yes to revert to the last saved state.

RESULT

The last saved version of the file is loaded from disk.

Automatic Backups

You can automatically create backups of your files.

For example, if you select Save As and specify a file name that is already used in that folder, you will be asked if you want to replace the existing file or replace the existing file and rename the old file. If you click Replace and Keep Old, the backup name of the audio file that is replaced will be the original name, with .bak added at the end.

Saving Audio Montages

The saving operations for audio montages are the same as for audio files. However, there are things to note when saving audio montages.

●

Audio montage files only contain references to audio files. If you want to rename audio files that are referenced by audio montages, rename the audio files in the Info window of the Audio Editor. All clip references are updated automatically.

●

If the audio montage contains clips that refer to untitled audio files, save these audio files before saving the audio montage.

Page 49

File Operations File Renaming

RELATED LINKS

Renaming Files on page 49 Save and Save As on page 47

File Renaming

You can rename a file and update all references automatically. For example, if you rename an audio file named India to Sitar, all open files that reference the file India are updated to reference the file as Sitar.

Audio files, peak files, and marker files are also renamed accordingly.

Renaming Files

PREREQUISITE

If you want to rename a file that is referenced by other files, open the files that reference the file that you are about to rename in WaveLab LE.

PROCEDURE

1. Open the file that you want to rename.

2. Select the File tab.

3. Click Info.

4. In the Name section, enter the new name and/or a new file location.

5. Select a file suffix from the pop-up menu.

6. Click Apply Changes.

Deleting Files

You can delete the active file from within WaveLab LE.

PREREQUISITE

The file that you want to delete is not copied to the clipboard, is not pasted into another file that is open, and is not open in another application.

PROCEDURE

1. Open the file that you want to delete.

2. Select the File tab.

3. Click Info.

4. Click Delete.

5. Click OK.

RESULT

The file, including its peak and marker files, is deleted.

Page 50

File Operations Temporary Files

Temporary Files

WaveLab LE creates temporary files to store intermediary results of the audio file processing and for the undo/redo functions. You can specify where WaveLab LE saves its temporary files and the processing precision of temporary files.

By default, WaveLab LE creates temporary files in 32-bit float. Use the 64 bit float option if you want to create 64-bit float audio files or 32-bit PCM files.

NOTE

Temporary files in 64-bit float have double precision but take longer to read and write than 32-bit float and their file size is twice as big.

You can change the processing precision of temporary files with the Processing Precision option. You can set this option in the Global Preferences on the Audio tab.

RELATED LINKS

Specifying Folders on page 50 Audio Tab on page 163

Work Folders vs. Document Folders

WaveLab LE distinguishes between two types of folders: work folders and document folders.

●

In work folders, temporary files are saved.

●

Document folders contain WaveLab LE-specific files, such as audio files, audio montages, etc.

Specifying Folders

You can specify which document folder should open when you perform an open or save operation. You can also specify up to three work folders for temporary files.

PROCEDURE

1. Open the file for which you want to specify folders.

2. Select File> Preferences> Folders.

3. On the Folders tab, click the type of folder for which you want to specify a location.

4. Specify a location in the Folder field.

5. Optional: Depending on the selected type of folder, you can make additional settings.

Folders Tab

On this tab, you can specify default document folders and work folders for each file type.

● To open the Folders tab, select File> Preferences> Folders.

Page 51

File Operations Work Folders vs. Document Folders

In the list on the left, you specify the folder type that you want to make settings for.

Folder for Temporary Files

Specify a folder for saving temporary files.

Companion Files

Specify a folder for saving companion files, that is, view settings for audio files.

Cache Folder

Activate Use Cache Folder for Decoded Files to specify a cache folder. The cache folder contains wave files that are created when you are working with files in compressed file formats, such as MP3 files. To prevent the cache folder from growing indefinitely, WaveLab LE checks the date of each file in this folder and deletes files that were created before a specific number of days. You can specify the number of days with the Delete Files Older Than option.

If Use Cache Folder for Decoded Files is deactivated, the compressed files are decoded each time they are opened.

Audio File – Open Folder/Save Folder

The default open and save folders for audio files.

Audio Montage – Open Folder/Save Folder

The default open and save folders for audio montage files.

Depending on the selected item, different settings are available on the right side of the dialog.

Current Folder

In this field, the folder that is used as default is displayed. You can click the folder button to the right to navigate to a folder, or to create a new folder.

Keep Last Used

Uses the last folder for saving or opening files of the selected type.

Change When Save Folder Changes/Change When Open Folder Changes

Updates the default open folder when you change the default save folder, and vice versa. Activate this option for both the save folder and the open folder if you want a specific file type to use the same folder for saving and for opening this type of file.

Use for File Browser

In the File Browser, the folder does not change when you switch between file types by default.

If you activate Use for File Browser and deactivate Keep Last Used, the folder location that you have selected in the Current Folder field of each file type is displayed when you switch between file types in the File Browser.

If you activate Use for File Browser and Keep Last Used, the folder that you have selected in the Current Folder field of each file type is displayed when you select

Page 52

File Operations Exporting to SoundCloud

a file type for the first time. When you then browse to another folder in the File Browser, the Keep Last Used behavior is used. That is, the last used folder for this file type is displayed when you select the file type.

You can make these settings for each file type independently.

On Reopening the Application, Revert to This Folder

Activate this option to restore a specific folder each time you open WaveLab LE. This way, any changes to save/open folders are only temporary and are reset when you restart WaveLab LE.

Exporting to SoundCloud

SoundCloud is an online platform for uploading and sharing your audio recordings. You can export an audio file from WaveLab LE to your SoundCloud account.

If you do not have a SoundCloud account, visit www.soundcloud.com to register.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Export.

2. Click Export to SoundCloud.

3. Once you have logged in to your SoundCloud account, the file upload starts.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK

After uploading the audio file, you can edit the privacy settings and add metadata in SoundCloud.

Copying Audio Information to the Clipboard

You can copy information about the name and location of the selected audio file, including any selection information and cursor position. This information can be pasted into an external text application.

This is useful if you need accurate file path/selection information when writing a script, for example.

PROCEDURE

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Info.

3. Click Copy to Clipboard and select the information that you want to copy to the clipboard.

Setting the Focus on the Current File

If you are editing inside a floating window or a tool window and you want to switch the focus back to a wave/montage window, you can use the Set Focus on Current File option.

PROCEDURE

● In any window, press Ctrl/Cmd-F12, to set the focus on the wave/montage window.

Page 53

This chapter describes the methods for controlling playback and transport functions.

Transport Bar

With this command bar you can control playback of an audio file or audio montage, navigate between various positions in an audio file or audio montage, and open the Recording dialog.

The transport bar is available in the Audio Editor and in the Audio Montage window.

Move Cursor to Start of File/Move Cursor to End of File

Moves the edit cursor to the start/end of the file.

Move Playback Position Backwards/Move Playback Position Forwards

Moves the edit cursor position to the left/right. If you click during playback, playback jumps to the new edit cursor position.

To move the edit cursor to the start/end of the file, press Ctrl/Cmd, and click the Move Playback Position Backwards/Move Playback Position Forwards buttons.

Navigation anchors allow you to move the edit cursor to specific positions in the audio file or audio montage. Right-click theMove Playback Position Backwards/ Move Playback Position Forwards buttons to open the Navigation Anchors pop-up menu. Here, you can set the type of navigation anchor. If you click during playback, playback continues from the anchor position.

Playback

Loop

Activates the loop mode. Right-click the loop button to select whether to loop continuously or only a few times.

Stop Playback

Stops playback. If playback is already stopped, the edit cursor is moved to the previous start position.

Start Playback from Edit Cursor

Starts playing back the active audio file or audio montage from the edit cursor position.

If the audio being played back is not the active audio file, the Play button has a different color. This happens if you switch to another file window during playback, for example.

The playback button when playing back in the active window (left) and when playing in another window (right).

Record

Opens the Recording dialog.

Page 54

Playback Transport Bar

Time Display

Transport Bar in the Podcast Editor

In the Podcast Editor, a simplified transport bar allows you to play back the selected podcast episode.

Play Button

Clicking the Play button on the transport bar starts playing back the active audio file or audio montage from the edit cursor position.

You can also use the Space bar or the Enter key on your keyboard to start playback. Pressing

Space during playback stops playback, pressing Enter during playback makes playback restart

from the last start position.

If the Loop button is activated, the audio selection is looped, if available. If there is no selection range, the entire file is looped.

Displays the edit cursor or playback position. Click to select another time unit.

Stop Button

The result of clicking the Stop button or on the transport bar or 0 on your numeric keypad depends on the current situation.

●

If you trigger Stop in stop mode, the edit cursor moves either to the previous playback start marker, or to the selection start (whatever is closer), until the start of the file is reached.

●

If there is no selection or if the edit cursor is positioned to the left of the selection, it is moved to the beginning of the file instead.

Loop Playback

Loop points are updated continuously during playback. If you change the loop start or end during playback, the loop changes. This way, you can audition selection points for rhythmic material.

If you loop a section in an audio montage, playback loops within the boundaries of the current selection range. This selection range may be on any track, even if it is empty. The vertical position of the selection range is of no relevance for loop playback, only the left and right selection boundaries matter.

Playback Shortcuts

In addition to the buttons on the transport bar, there are shortcuts to control the playback.

Space bar

Start/Stop playback. This shortcut can be used even when the wave window or montage window is not the active window.

0 on numeric keypad

Stops playback. If the playback is stopped and you press this shortcut, the edit cursor moves either to the previous playback start marker, or to the selection start (whatever is closer), until the start of the file is reached. This is the same as clicking Stop on the transport bar. This shortcut can be used even if the wave window or montage window is not the active window.

Page 55

Playback Starting Playback From the Ruler

Enter

Starts playback. If pressed during playback, playback restarts from the previous start position. This is the same as clicking Start Playback from Edit Cursor on the transport bar.

Alt-Space

Starts playback from the mouse cursor position.

Starts playback of the selected range, depending on the selected option in the

Ranges section of the transport bar.

Changing the Position of the Transport Bar

You can position the transport bar at the top, middle, or bottom of the file window.

PROCEDURE

In the title bar of the Audio Editor or Audio Montage window, click Layout Options .

2. In the Transport Bar section, select whether to position the transport bar at the Top, Middle, or Bottom.

Hiding the Transport Bar

PROCEDURE

1. In the title bar of the Audio Editor or Audio Montage window, click Layout Options.

2. In the Transport Bar section, select Hidden.

Starting Playback From the Ruler

You can use the ruler to jump to a position and start playback from there.

●

Double-clicking the ruler starts playback from that position. Playback continues until you click Stop Playback or until the end of the audio file or audio montage.

●

To set the playback position to a specific position, click the ruler during playback. This also applies for clicking the time rulers of another audio file or audio montage, which allows you to quickly switch playback between audio files or audio montages.

●

To start playback from a marker position, press Ctrl/Cmd and double-click the marker.

Using the Play Tool

This tool allows you to play back from any position on one or both stereo channels.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab.

2. In the Tools section, select the Play tool, or press and hold Alt.

3. In the wave window, click at the position where you want playback to start.

The cursor shape indicates whether the left (L) or the right (R) channel is played back. Using the Play tool in the middle of the channels plays back both channels.

Page 56

Playback Playback Scrubbing

RESULT

Playback continues for as long as you keep the mouse button pressed, or until the audio file ends. After playback has stopped, the cursor is moved to the playback start position.

Playback Scrubbing

Playback scrubbing helps you find a specific position in an audio file, by restarting playback repeatedly when you click and drag on the time ruler during playback or when using the Play tool.

Scrubbing Using the Play Tool

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab.

2. In the Tools section, select the Play tool, or press and hold Alt.

3. Click in the wave window.

Playback starts at the position where you clicked.

RELATED LINKS

Playback Scrubbing Preferences on page 56

Scrubbing Using the Time Ruler

PROCEDURE

1. Start playback.

2. Click the time ruler and hold the mouse button pressed, and drag left or right.

3. When you are done scrubbing, release the mouse button.

The audio is played back from the edit cursor position and a small section is looped once.

Playback Scrubbing Preferences

You can define the behavior of the Play tool in the Audio Files Preferences.

Select File> Preferences> Audio Files. The following options are available in the Playback Scrubbing section.

● If Restrict to Play Tool is activated, scrubbing is not available when you click and drag on the time ruler during playback.

● The Sensitivity setting determines the length of the audio loop that is played once when click and drag on the time ruler with the Play tool.

Scroll During Playback

You can determine how the view should be scrolled in Play mode.

● To set the scroll mode, open the Audio Editor or the Audio Montage window, select the View tab, and activate one of the options in the Playback section.

Page 57

Playback Playback in the Audio Montage Window

Static View

Disables scrolling.

View Follows Cursor

The view automatically scrolls to keep the playback cursor visible.

Playback in the Audio Montage Window

Playback in the Audio Montage window works the same way as in the Audio Editor. However, there are some things to note.

Mute and Solo Tracks

You can mute or solo tracks in an audio montage by using the corresponding menu in the track control area.

Click the number, and select Mute and/or Solo.

RELATED LINKS

Track Control Area on page 96

Playing Back Individual Clips

You can play back an individual clip on a track. Overlapping clips or clips on other tracks are muted.

PROCEDURE

1. In the montage window, right-click the lower part of the clip that you want to play back.

2. On the menu, select one of the following play options:

●

To play back the clip, select Play Clip.

●

To play back the clip with pre-roll, select Play Clip with Pre-Roll.

Page 58

Audio file editing refers to opening, editing, and saving audio files.

Wave Window

The wave window displays audio files graphically. Here, you view, play back, and edit individual audio files.

Audio File Editing

The wave window consists of two displays. You can use one display as an overview to navigate through the project and the other as the main view for editing.

Magnetic Bounds in Audio Files

Some positions, such as markers or selection edges, can be defined as magnetic. Dragged elements can snap to these positions. This makes it easier to position items accurately.

For example, if you move a marker and it gets close to one of the magnetic bounds, the marker snaps to this position. A label is displayed, indicating the snap position.

To place the cursor at a magnetic position, click the time line and keep the mouse button pressed. When you now move the cursor, it jumps to the next magnetic bound.

Page 59

Audio File Editing Wave Window

Magnets Menu

On this pop-up menu, you can specify which positions should be magnetic. If Snap to Magnets is activated, items that you move snap to these positions.

● To open the Magnets pop-up menu, select the Edit tab in the Audio Editor, and click

You can let items snap to the following positions:

Start of File/End of File

Time Ruler Marks

Markers

Selection Edges

Cursor

Magnets in the Snapping section.

Elements snap to the start/end of the file when they are moved near these positions.

Elements snap to the time ruler grid when they are moved near these positions.

Elements snap to marker positions when they are moved near these positions.

Elements snap to the selection edges when they are moved near these positions.

Elements snap to the edit cursor when they are moved near the cursor.

Zero Crossing

A zero crossing is a point where the waveform crosses the zero level axis. When you perform editing operations, such as cutting, pasting, or dragging, make sure that the material is inserted at a zero crossing.

If you do not perform these operations at zero crossings, this can result in discontinuities in the wave, which are perceived as clicks or pops in the sound.

Activate Zero-Crossing on the Edit tab of the Audio Editor to make sure that the selections that you make are always adjusted so that they start and end at the nearest zero crossing.

Setting Up the Zero Crossing Detection

You can let selection edges automatically snap to the nearest zero crossing point. In the Audio Files Preferences dialog, you can specify whether to allow snap at high zoom factors, and

specify the scan range for the zero crossing detection.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab.

Page 60

Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

2. In the Snapping section, activate Zero-Crossing.

3. Select File> Preferences> Audio Files.

4. In the Audio Files Preferences tab, select the Editing tab.

5. Make your settings in the Snap Selection to Zero-Crossing section.

6. Click OK.

Moving the Cursor Position to the Closest Zero Crossing

You can automatically move the cursor position to the closest zero crossing.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the View tab.

2. In the Cursor section, click Snap to Zero-Crossing.

Audio Editor Tabs

The tabs in the Audio Editor give you access to the tools and options you need to edit audio files.

View Tab

Navigate

Backwards/Forwards

Navigates to the previous/next cursor position, zoom factor, and selection range.

Zoom

Time

Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to adjust the zoom to display the selected time range. Zoom in 1:1 zooms in so that one pixel on the screen represents one sample.

To edit the zoom factor, click Edit Zoom Factor. This opens the Zoom Factor dialog, where you can edit the following settings:

● Set Time Range allows you to specify the time range that you want to display.

● Samples per Screen Point allows you to specify how many audio samples are

summarized in each screen point.

● Screen Points per Sample allows you to specify how many screen points are

used to represent a single audio sample.

Zoom

Activates the Zoom tool that allows you to define a time range that is zoomed in.

Zoom Selection

Zooms the window so that the current selection occupies the entire montage window.

Page 61

Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

Microscope

Zooms in as far as possible.

Zoom in Audio (10x)/Zoom out Audio (10x)

Zooms in/out in big steps.

View All

Zooms out as far as possible.

Zoom in Audio/Zoom out Audio

Zooms in/out in small steps.

Level

Adjusts the zoom to only display samples below the selected dB value.

Optimize Vertical Zoom

Changes the vertical zoom factor so that the peaks are clearly visible. This adjustment is done according to the section of the wave that is visible in the wave/ montage window.

Reset Zoom to 0 dB

Adjusts the zoom to display audio levels up to 0 dB.

Zoom in Vertically/Zoom out Vertically

Zooms in/out to show waveforms with a lower/higher level.

Cursor

Move Cursor to Start of File/Move Cursor to End of File

Moves the cursor to the start/end of the file.

Previous Marker/Next Marker

Moves the cursor to the previous/next marker.

Start of Selection/End of Selection

Moves the cursor to the start/end of the selected time range.

Previous Region Edge/Next Region Edge

Moves the cursor to the previous/next region edge.

Snap to Zero-Crossing

Moves the edit cursor to the nearest zero crossing point.

Edit Cursor Position

Opens the Cursor Position dialog where you can edit the cursor position.

Scroll

Start/End

Displays the start/end of the audio without moving the cursor.

Start of Selection/End of Selection

Displays the start/end of the audio selection without moving the cursor.

Cursor

Displays the cursor position.

Page 62

Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

Playback

Static View

Deactivates scrolling.

View Follows Cursor

Automatically scrolls the view to keep the playback cursor visible.

Scroll View

Scrolls the view to keep the playback cursor centered.

Analysis

3D Frequency Analysis

Opens the 3D Frequency Analysis dialog where you can define which frequency range is analyzed and modify the appearance of the graph for the 3D frequency analysis.

Peaks

Rebuild Peak Display

Normally, peak files are automatically updated when the date of the peak file is older than the date of the audio file. However, it can happen that the date of the audio file is wrong and therefore not automatically updated. In this option allows you to rebuild the peak file.

Edit Tab

Tools

Time Selection

Tool that allows you to select a time range.

Play

Tool that allows you to play back the audio file at the position where you click.

Time Selection

Extend

This pop-up menu contains various options for creating or extending selection ranges.

Toggle

Toggles the current audio selection.

All

Selects the entire waveform.

Channels

This pop-up menu allows you to change the channel selection.

● Extend to All Channels extends the current selection range to all channels.

Page 63

Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

● Left Channel Only reduces the current selection range to the left channel

only.

● Right Channel Only reduces the current selection range to the right channel

only.

Regions

This pop-up menu allows you to select a range between two markers.

● Generic Region selects the range between the two generic markers that

encompass the edit cursor.

Clipboard

Cut

Cuts the active clip to the clipboard.

Copy

Copies the active clip to the clipboard.

Paste

Pastes the clipboard content.

Right-click Paste to open a pop-up menu that allows you to select a paste type.

● Overwrite replaces the audio at the paste position.

● Append adds the pasted audio after the end of the file.

● Prepend adds the pasted audio before the beginning of the file.

● Multiple Copies opens a dialog in which you can enter the number of copies

that you want to create.

● Mix blends two files into each other, starting at the selection or, if there is no

selection, at the cursor position.

If you select Mix, a dialog opens, allowing you to specify the gain and phase for the audio on the clipboard and at the destination. The clipboard data is always mixed in, regardless of the length of the selection.

Paste and Crossfade

Pastes the clipboard content and creates a crossfade.

Right-click Paste and Crossfade to open a pop-up menu that allows you to select a crossfade type for pasting.

● Linear (Equal Gain) changes the level linearly.

● Sinus (Equal Power) changes the level according to a sine curve, the power of

the mix remains constant.

● Square-Root (Equal Power) changes the level according to a square-root

curve, the power of the mix remains constant.

Cutting

Crop

Deletes the data outside the selection.

Delete

Deletes the selection. The audio to the right of the selection is moved to the left to fill the gap.

Swap Stereo Channels

Moves the audio in the left channel to the right channel, and vice versa.

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Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

Insert Tab

Nudge

Nudge Left

Nudges the audio selection to the left.

Nudge Right

Nudges the audio selection to the right.

Snapping

Zero-Crossing

If this option is activated, the start and the end of a selected range always snap to a zero-crossing point of the waveform.

Snap to Magnets

If this option is activated, moved elements such as clip edges, time selection edges, cursor, and markers snap to the magnets that are activated on the Magnets pop-up menu.

Markers

Marker Name

Allows you to enter the name of the start and end marker. If nothing is entered, a generic name is used.

To edit the default names, open the Markers window, and select Functions>

Default Marker Names.

Different Name for End Marker

If this option is activated, you can enter a different name for the end marker.

If this option is deactivated, the name of the start marker is also used for the end marker.

Create Marker

Allows you to create markers and marker pairs at the edit cursor position.

Audio File

At Start

Allows you to insert an audio file at the start of the active audio file.

At End

Allows you to insert an audio file at the end of the active audio file.

At Cursor

Allows you to insert an audio file at the cursor position.

Signal

Mute Selection

Replaces the audio selection with silence.

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Audio File Editing Audio Editor Tabs

Silence Generator

RELATED LINKS

Silence Generator Dialog on page 81

Process Tab

This tab provides access to the offline processing tools.

RELATED LINKS

Offline Processing on page 87

Render Tab

Opens the Silence Generator dialog that allows you to insert silence in an audio file.

Source

The Source pop-up menu allows you to select which part of the audio file you want to process. The following options are available:

Whole File

Processes and renders the whole audio range.

Specific Region

Processes and renders a specific audio range to an independent file.

Specify the region to process on the pop-up menu.

Result

In Place

If this option is activated, the rendered audio range replaces the source audio range.

Unnamed File

If this option is activated, a temporary untitled file is rendered.

Named File

If this option is activated, you can specify a name for the rendered file.

Output

Name

Allows you to enter a name for the rendered file. Clicking the arrow icon opens a pop-up menu that offers you several naming options.

Location

Allows you to select a destination folder for the rendered files.

Format

Opens a pop-up menu where you can select a file format.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

Options

Depending on the selected source, different options are available.

Bypass Master Section

If this option is activated, the plug-ins and gain of the Master Section are bypassed when rendering.

No Reverb Tail

If this option is activated, the audio tail produced by effects such as reverb is not included in the rendered file.

Some plug-ins do not transfer information on the tail duration to WaveLab. In this case, this option has no effect. For such plug-ins, you can add the Silence plug-in to add extra samples at the end of the file.

Copy Markers

If this option is activated, the markers that are included in the range to process are copied to the rendered file.

Skip Exclusion Region

If this option is activated, muted audio ranges are skipped and not included in the result.

Open Resulting Audio File

If this option is activated, every rendered file is opened in a new window.

Bypass Master Section on Resulting Audio File

If this option is activated, playback of the resulting audio file bypasses the entire Master Section. This setting can be toggled by clicking the button at the bottom right of the wave window or montage window.

NOTE

It is recommended to activate this option, because this way, you do not monitor new files through the effects that have already been applied to them.

Upload to SoundCloud

If this option is activated, the rendered file is uploaded to SoundCloud.

Render

Start

Starts the rendering process.

File Handling in the Audio Editor

Mono/Stereo Handling

WaveLab LE is very flexible in its handling of stereo. All editing operations can be performed on either one channel or on both.

Supported File Formats

WaveLab LE can open and save audio files in a number of file formats.

Wave (.wav)

The following sample precisions are supported: 8 bit, 16 bit, 20 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit float, and 64 bit float.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

WavPack (.wv/.wvc)

This file format allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed, including 32 bit float audio files.

AIFF (.aif, .aiff, .snd)

Audio Interchange File Format, a standard defined by Apple Computers Inc. The following sample precisions are supported: 8 bit, 16 bit, 20 bit, and 24 bit.

MPEG-1 Layer 3 (.mp3)

The most common audio compression format. The major advantage of MPEG compression is that the file size is significantly reduced, while there is little degradation of sound quality.

NOTE

When you open an MPEG compressed file in WaveLab LE, the file is converted to a temporary wave file. On saving, the temporary wave file is converted back to MP3.

Original Sound Quality (.osq, read-only)

This is the proprietary lossless compressed audio format of WaveLab.

Ogg Vorbis (.ogg)

Ogg Vorbis is a compressed file format that is open, patent-free, and which creates very small audio files maintaining comparatively high audio quality.

Windows Media Audio (.wma, .asf)

Microsoft’s own compressed format. WaveLab LE lets you import/export audio in this format (Windows only). To import/export audio in WMA surround format, Windows Media Player 9 or later must be installed on your system.

Ensoniq Paris (.paf)

Used by the Ensoniq Paris™ system. The following sample precisions are supported: 16 bit and 24 bit.

FLAC (.flac)

Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed.

Apple formats (.caf, .3gp, .3g2, .caf)

If Quicktime is installed on your system, these formats are available (read-only and only on 32-bit Windows or Mac systems).

AAC (.aac, read-only)

Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a codec that allows lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio.

NOTE

The “$$$” file type is a temporary file format of WaveLab LE. If you experience a computer crash, you may restore some of your work by opening any “$$$” files on your hard disk.

20-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit Float Files

You do not need a 20-bit or 24-bit audio card to take advantage of the fact that WaveLab LE can handle 20-bit and 24-bit audio files. Any processing or editing performed on the files is always done at full precision (64-bit float), even if your card does not support the full precision.

For playback, WaveLab LE automatically adapts to the card that you have installed.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

Creating a New Audio File

You can create an empty audio file, to assemble material from other audio files, for example.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> New.

2. Click Audio File> Custom.

3. Specify the audio properties and click Create.

Audio Properties

You can define the channels, the sample rate, and the sample precision of the audio file.

You can set these properties when you create a new audio file.

● To change the properties for the selected audio file, select the File tab and click Info, or click the Audio Properties button at the bottom right of the wave window.

Channels

Allows you to select the number of audio channels.

Sample Rate

Allows you to select the number of audio samples per second.

Sample Precision

Allows you to select the accuracy of samples in the audio stream.

Saving an Audio File

PROCEDURE

1. Do one of the following:

●

To save an audio file that has never been saved before, select File> Save As.

●

To save an audio file that has been saved before, click the Save button, or select

File> Save.

2. In the Save As window, specify a file name and location.

3. Click Save.

Saving in Another Format

You can change the file format, sampling frequency, sample precision, and stereo/mono status when saving.

PROCEDURE

1. Select File> Save As.

2. In the Save As window, specify a file name and location.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

3. Click in the Format field and select Edit.

4. In the Audio File Format dialog, set the file format and specify the properties.

5. Click OK.

6. Click Save.

RESULT

A new file is created. The original file is not affected by the operation.

Audio File Format Dialog

In this dialog, you can change various file settings when saving.

● To open the Audio File Format dialog, select File> Export, and select Render. Then activate Named File, click in the Format field, and select Edit.

This dialog can also be opened from various other locations in WaveLab LE.

Type

Select an audio file type. This affects which options are available on the Audio Format menu.

File Extension

Select a file extension that is compatible with the current file type.

Audio Format

Select an audio format that is compatible with the current file type.

Channels

Specify the number of audio channels for the files to be created.

Sample Rate

Select a sample rate for the audio file. If you change this setting, a sample rate conversion takes place.

IMPORTANT

Use this only for simple conversions. For professional results, use the Resample plug-in and add limiting and dithering.

Sample Precision

Select a sample precision for the audio file. This option is only available for specific file types.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

IMPORTANT

Reducing the sample precision is only advised for simple conversions. For professional results, it is recommended to add dithering in the Master Section.

Metadata

Lets you make metadata settings that are saved with the file. This option is only available for some file types.

● If Do Not Save Anything is selected, no metadata are saved with the file.

● If Inherit from Source File is selected, the metadata of the source file

are used. If the source metadata is empty, the default metadata is used, if available.

● If selecting Specific to This Configuration is selected, you can edit the

metadata, or replace it with a metadata preset. To edit the metadata, open the metadata pop-up menu again, and select Edit.

Changing the Format

When changing the sample rate, sample precision, and number of channels of an audio file, several operations are performed.

Sample Rate

If a new sample rate is specified, a sample rate conversion is performed.

Sample Precision

If a different sample precision is specified, the file is either truncated down to 8 bits, or padded up to 64 bits. If you are converting to a lower sample precision, you should consider adding dithering.

Mono/Stereo

If the file is converted from mono to stereo, the same material is used in both channels. If the conversion is from stereo to mono, a mix of the two channels is created.

NOTE

●

If you only want to change the sample precision, you can do this in the Audio Properties section of the Info window instead, and then save the audio file.

●

For high quality mastering purposes, it is not recommended to change the sample rate and number of channels using the Audio Properties section, but instead use plug-ins and functions of the Master Section.

Saving a Selection as an Audio File

You can save a selection in the open audio file as a new audio file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection range.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Render tab.

3. In the Source section, open the pop-up menu and select Selected Audio Range.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

4. In the Output section, specify a file name and location.

5. Open the Format menu and select Edit Single Format.

6. In the Audio File Format dialog, specify the output format and click OK.

7. In the Render section, click Start.

Saving Left/Right Channel as Audio File

You can save each channel individually into a separate file. Use this option when editing dual mono files, for example.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the Render tab.

2. In the Output section, specify a file name and location.

3. Open the Format menu and select Edit Single Format.

4. In the Audio File Format dialog, open the Channels pop-up menu, and select Left Channel or Right Channel.

5. Make additional output settings and click OK.

6. In the Render section, click Start.

Encoding Audio Files

Audio can be saved in different formats. The process of converting audio to another format is called encoding. When saving audio files, you can specify various encoding options for some file formats.

Ogg Vorbis Dialog

You can edit the encoding options when you save an Ogg Vorbis audio file.

You can open the Ogg Vorbis dialog from most places where you can select an output file format. For example, open an audio file, select File> Save As, click in the Format field, and select Edit. In the Audio File Format dialog, select Ogg Vorbis as type, click the Encoding field, and select Edit.

Average Bit Rate

If this option is activated, the average bit rate in the file remains constant during encoding. Because the file size is proportional to time, the localization of a given point is easier, but it can result in a lower quality compared to the Variable Bit Rate option.

Variable Bit Rate

If this option is activated, the bit rate in the file will vary during encoding, depending on the complexity of the material. This can give a better quality/size ratio in the resulting file.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

In the Quality field, select the quality. Lower quality settings result in smaller files.

Windows Media Audio Encoding Dialog

You can edit the encoding options when you save a Windows Media Audio (WMA) audio file. This dialog is only available in on Windows systems.

You can open the Windows Media Audio dialog from most places where you can select an output file format. For example, open an audio file, select File> Save As, click in the Format field, and select Edit. In the Audio File Format dialog, select Windows Media Audio (WMA) as type, click the Encoding field, and select Edit.

Encoder

Sets the encoder.

Output Sample Rate

Sets the output sample rate of the encoded file. The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality, but the larger the output file.

Output Sample Precision

Sets the output sample precision of the encoded file. This parameter is not available for all encoders.

Channels and Bit Rate

The available items here depend on the selected encoding method and the output sample rate.

VBR (Variable Bit Rate)

If this option is activated, the bit rate in the file will vary during the encoding, depending on the complexity of the material. This can produce a better quality/size ratio in the output file.

In the Quality field, select the quality. Lower quality settings result in smaller files.

Two-Pass Encoding

If this option is activated, the encoding quality increases, but the process takes twice as long.

Constrained Bit Rate

This option is available when the VBR and Two-Pass Encoding options are activated. This is used to maintain the bit rate within limits to avoid peaks. This is recommended for media, such as CD or DVD.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

Creating an Audio Montage from an Audio File

You can export audio files to an audio montage, including all markers that you have set in the audio file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, open the audio file that you want export to an audio montage.

2. Optional: If you want to use a specific time range of the audio file, create a selection range

in the wave window.

3. Select File> New.

4. Select Audio Montage> From Current File.

5. In the From Current Audio File section, click Insert Audio File in New Montage.

6. Click Create.

7. In the Create Audio Montage from Audio File dialog, select whether to import the whole

file or the selected audio range.

8. Optional: Decide if you want to perform any of the following marker operations:

●

Import Markers

●

Split at Generic Region Markers

9. Click OK.

Inserting Audio Files into Another Audio File

You can assemble an audio file from several audio files.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, open the audio file in which you want to insert another audio file.

2. If you want to insert an audio file at the edit cursor position, make sure that Snap to Magnets is activated, and that Cursor is activated on the Magnet pop-up menu.

The edit cursor snaps to the nearest zero crossing. This avoids glitches.

3. Select the Insert tab.

4. In the Audio File section, select one of the following insert options:

●

At Start

●

At End

●

At Cursor

If you select At Cursor, the audio file is cut at the insert position. The part after the cut is moved to the right.

5. On the pop-up menu, select the audio file that you want to insert.

RELATED LINKS

Magnetic Bounds in Audio Files on page 58

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

Turning Selections Into New Files

You can turn selections into new files via drag and drop or by using the Render tab in the Audio Editor.

Turning Selections Into New Files By Dragging

PROCEDURE

1. Make a selection in the wave window.

2. Drag the selection to the tab bar above the wave window and release the mouse button.

RESULT

The selection opens in a new stereo window.

Turning Selections Into New Files Using the Menu

PROCEDURE

1. Make a selection in the wave window.

2. Right-click the selection and select Copy Selection to New Window.

3. From the submenu, select one of the following options:

●

Duplicate

●

Stereo Version

●

Mono Mixdown

●

Mono Mixdown (Subtract Right Channel from Left Channel)

RESULT

The selection opens in a new stereo or mono window.

Converting From Stereo to Mono and From Mono to Stereo

You can convert audio files from mono to stereo and from stereo to mono. Converting a mono file into a stereo file produces an audio file that contains the same material in both channels, for example for further processing into real stereo. Converting a stereo file into a mono file mixes the stereo channels to a mono channel.

Converting a Selection From Stereo to Mono

PROCEDURE

1. Make a stereo selection in the wave window.

2. Select File> New.

3. Select Audio File> From Current File.

4. Select one of the following options:

●

To mix the left and right stereo channels when converting to mono, click Mono Mixdown.

●

To mix the left channel with the inverse of the right channel when converting to mono, click Mono Mixdown (Subtract Right Channel from Left Channel).

The resulting mono wave contains the difference between the channels. For example, this allows you to verify that a wave file really is a true stereo file rather than a mono file converted to stereo format.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

RESULT

The selection opens in a new mono window.

Converting From Stereo to Mono While Saving

PROCEDURE

1. Make a stereo selection in the wave window.

2. Select File> Save As.

3. In the Save As window, specify a file name and location.

4. Click in the Format field and select Edit.

5. In the Audio File Format dialog, open the Channels menu and select one of the mono

settings.

For example, when selecting Mono (Mix -3 dB), the resulting audio file is attenuated by 3 dB.

6. Click OK.

7. Click Save.

Converting a Selection From Mono to Stereo

PROCEDURE

1. Make a mono selection in the wave window.

2. Select File> New.

3. Select Audio File> From Current File.

4. Click Stereo Version.

5. Click Create.

RESULT

The selection opens in a new stereo window.

Swapping Channels in a Stereo File

You can swap the two channels in an audio file, that is, you can move the audio in the left channel to the right channel, and the audio in the right channel to the left channel.

●

To swap the channels of the whole audio file in the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and in the Cutting section, click Swap Stereo Channels.

●

To swap the channels only a selected range of the audio file, make a selection range in the wave window, select the Edit tab, and in the Cutting section, click Swap Stereo Channels.

Special Paste Options

On the Paste pop-up menu in the Audio Editor, you find additional paste options.

● To access the special paste option, open the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and in the

Clipboard section, right-click Paste.

Overwrite

Overwrites data in the destination file, rather than moving data to make room for the inserted audio. How much is overwritten depends on the selection in the destination file:

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

● If there is no selection in the destination file, a section with the same length as

the pasted selection is overwritten.

● If there is a selection in the destination file, the pasted selection replaces that

selection.

Append

Adds the pasted audio after the end of the file.

Prepend

Adds the pasted audio before the beginning of the file.

Multiple Copies

Opens a dialog in which you can enter the number of copies that you want to create.

Mix

Blends two files into each other, starting at the selection or, if there is no selection, at the cursor position.

● When you select the Mix option, a dialog opens, allowing you to specify the

gain for the audio on the clipboard and at the destination.

● All the data on the clipboard is always mixed in, regardless of the length of the

selection.

Moving Audio

You can rearrange the order of the audio in a file by dragging, and cutting and pasting.

Moving Audio by Dragging

PREREQUISITE

Decide whether you want to use Snap Selection to Zero-Crossing.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. Drag the selection to a position outside the selection in the same file, or to another wave

window.

RESULT

The selection is removed from its original position and inserted where you drop it.

NOTE

To undo a move between two files you must first undo the paste in the destination window and then undo the cut operation in the source window.

Moving Audio Using Cut and Paste

PREREQUISITE

Decide whether you want to use Snap Selection to Zero-Crossing.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. Use one of the following copy methods:

●

In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and click Cut.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

●

Press Ctrl/Cmd-X.

3. Select how you want to insert the selection:

●

If you want to insert the audio, click once at the position in the same file or in another file.

●

If you want to replace a section of audio, select it.

4. To paste the selection, do one of the following:

●

In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and click Paste.

●

Press Ctrl/Cmd-V.

RESULT

The selection is removed from its original position and inserted where you drop it.

NOTE

To undo a move between two files you must first undo the paste in the destination window and then undo the cut operation in the source window.

Moving Audio by Nudging

The nudge left/right tools can be used to move the audio in small steps within a file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab.

3. In the Nudge section, click Nudge Left or Nudge Right.

RESULT

The audio is moved one pixel. Exactly how much this is depends on how far you are zoomed in. For example, if the status bar displays x1:256, the selection is moved 256 samples. The moved section overwrites the audio at that position.

Copying Audio

You can copy sections of audio within the same file or between audio files.

Stereo/Mono Handling

When you drag or copy stereo or mono files to other locations, the target location determines how the files are inserted.

Stereo/Mono is handled as follows when you drag between files:

Dragged section Drop wave Action

Stereo Stereo The dragged audio is always inserted into both channels.

Stereo Mono Only the left channel is inserted.

Mono Stereo What happens depends on the vertical drop position.

This is indicated by the cursor shape. The selection can be inserted into only one of the channels, or the same material can be inserted into both channels.

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Audio File Editing File Handling in the Audio Editor

Stereo/Mono is handled as follows when you copy and paste files:

Copied section Paste wave Action

Stereo Stereo If the wave cursor extends across both channels of

Stereo Stereo If the wave cursor is only in one channel, the audio is only

Stereo Mono Only the left channel is pasted.

Mono Stereo What happens depends on whether the wave cursor is in

the destination file, the material is inserted into both channels.

pasted in that channel. Material from the left channel is pasted in the left channel and material from the right channel is pasted in the right channel.

one channel or both. The audio is either pasted in one of the channels, or the same material is inserted into both channels.

Sample Rate Conflicts

If you copy or move audio from one window to another, and the sample rates of the two files are not the same, the copied/moved sound plays back at the wrong pitch (speed). The program warns you if this is about to happen.

While mixing sample rates can be used as an effect, it is most often not intended. There are two ways to get around this:

●

Convert the sample rate of the source file to the same rate as the destination file before editing.

●

Convert the sample rate of the destination file to the same rate as the source file before adding the audio.

Copying Audio Using Copy and Paste

PREREQUISITE

Decide whether you want to use Snap Selection to Zero-Crossing.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. Use one of the following copy methods:

●

In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and click Copy.

●

Press Ctrl/Cmd-C.

3. Select how you want to insert the selection:

●

If you want to insert the audio, click once at the position in the same file or in another file.

●

If you want to replace a section of audio, select it.

4. To paste the selection, do one of the following:

●

In the Audio Editor, select the Edit tab, and click Paste.

●

Press Ctrl/Cmd-V.

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Audio File Editing Changing the Audio Properties

Copying Audio by Dragging

PREREQUISITE

Decide whether you want to use Snap Selection to Zero-Crossing.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. Click the middle of the selection, and drag it to a position outside the selection in the same

file, or to another wave window.

RESULT

The selection is inserted at the indicated point. The audio that previously began at that point is moved to the right.

Changing the Audio Properties

You can change the sample rate and sample precision of audio files.

Changing these values does not process the audio file in any way (in contrast to using Save As). However, the following rules apply:

Metadata

● If you change the sample rate, the file plays back at a new pitch.

● If you change the sample precision, the file is converted to the new precision the next time you save it.

NOTE

There is no undo for this. If you save a file with a lower sample precision, the file is converted permanently.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, open an audio file.

2. Select the File tab.

3. Click Info.

4. In the Audio Properties section, specify a new Sample Rate and/or Sample Precision.

5. Click Apply Changes.

RELATED LINKS

Info Tab on page 26

Metadata consists of attributes that describe the audio contents, for example, the title of the track, the author, or the date the track was recorded. Depending on the file format of the selected audio file, this data varies.

When opening an audio file or audio montage, the metadata found in the file is loaded. You can create different metadata presets for audio files and audio montages.

A preview of the metadata is displayed in the Metadata window. To view the complete metadata of a file and to be able to edit the metadata, select Tool Windows> Metadata and click the Edit button.

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Audio File Editing Metadata

Not all file formats can save metadata. Depending on the output file format, all metadata or only part of the metadata is saved in an audio file. The following file formats can contain metadata:

●

.wav

●

.mp3

●

.ogg

●

.wma

●

.flac

For MP3, the following metadata types are available:

●

ID3 v1 and ID3 v2, including picture support

For WAV, the following metadata types are available:

●

RIFF

●

BWF

●

ID3, including picture support

When saving or recording an audio file in the Audio File Format dialog, you can specify whether not to use any metadata, inherit the metadata from the source file, or edit the metadata of the file.

Metadata can be entered manually or generated automatically.

The following options can be generated automatically:

●

USID (BWF, Basics tab)

WaveLab LE includes several metadata presets. They are used as examples and can be customized to your needs. You can load metadata presets from the Metadata Presets pop-up menu in the Audio File Format dialog, or from the Metadata dialog.

RELATED LINKS

Audio File Format Dialog on page 69

Metadata Dialog

This dialog allows you to define the metadata to be embedded in your audio file.

● To open the Metadata dialog, open the Metadata window and click Edit.

Depending on the file type, the metadata is handled differently.

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Audio File Editing Silence Generator Dialog

Metadata dialog for WAV files

When opening the Metadata dialog for files in the Audio Editor, you can edit the metadata that is saved in the audio file. This metadata is saved to disk later.

When opening the Metadata dialog for files in the Audio Montage window, you can edit the metadata for the audio files that are created when rendering the audio montage. If you render to WAV format, the metadata will be associated to these files.

Metadata Presets

In the Metadata dialog, you can save metadata presets and apply these presets to other files. Metadata presets can be applied to WAV, MP3, and AAC files.

The Use as Default for New .wav Files option allows you to define a set of metadata as default.

When you create a new file, and do not add any metadata, this default metadata is applied to the file when saving or rendering it. For example, you can save or record WAV files with BWF metadata and automatically add a Unique Material Identifier.

To edit the default metadata preset, select Load Default, and edit the preset.

Silence Generator Dialog

This dialog allows you to insert silence in an audio file.

● To open the Silence Generator dialog, select the Insert tab in the Audio Editor, and click Silence Generator.

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Audio File Editing Silence Generator Dialog

Silence Duration

As Selection uses the duration of the active audio selection as the duration of the

silent section. Specify the duration of the silent section in the value field below.

Edges

Fade In/Fade Out performs a crossfade at the start and end of the silent section for

smoother transitions. Specify the fade time in the value field below.

Destination

● Replace Selection replaces the current audio selection with the silent section.

● Insert at Cursor inserts the silent section at the cursor position.

● From End of File Until Cursor extends the audio file with silence up to the

cursor position. Activating this option also defines the silence duration and ignores the Silence Duration setting.

Replacing a Selection with Silence

You can replace a section of an audio file with silence.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, make a selection.

2. Select the Insert tab.

3. In the Signal section, click Silence Generator.

4. Set the silence duration to As Selection, and the destination to Replace Selection.

5. Click Apply.

Inserting Silence

You can insert a specified length of silence at any position of the audio file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, set the cursor where you want the inserted silence to begin.

2. Select the Insert tab.

3. In the Signal section, click Silence Generator.

4. Deactivate As Selection, and specify the length.

5. Set the destination to Insert at Cursor.

6. Click Apply.

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Audio File Editing Silence Generator Dialog

Muting a Selection

The Mute Selection function replaces the selection with true silence.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window of the Audio Editor, make a selection.

2. Select the Insert tab.

3. In the Signal section, click Mute Selection.

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WaveLab LE provides you with a 3D Frequency Analysis for analyzing your audio.

3D Frequency Analysis

Using the 3D Frequency Analysis, you can view an audio file in the frequency domain.

Use the 3D Frequency Analysis for the following:

●

Viewing the frequency spectrum distribution in a mix

●

Identifying which frequencies can be reduced or boosted as a basis for equalizing

●

Viewing how different sounds are built

A wave display (time domain) informs you about the start and end of a sound in a file, but lacks information about the timbral contents of the file that a frequency graph (frequency domain) provides. The graph that is used in WaveLab LE is often referred to as an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) plot. If you select a stereo recording, a mix of the two channels is analyzed.

Audio Analysis

The wheel control allows you to view the frequency spectrum from different angles. For example, you can open several 3D Frequency Analysis windows, each with a different perspective. This allows you to get a better view of an otherwise crowded graph.

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Audio Analysis 3D Frequency Analysis

Creating a Graph for 3D Frequency Analysis

The length of the selected audio affects the accuracy of the analysis. For short selections, the result is more detailed. Consider making a separate analysis of the attack in which the most drastic variations occur.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, select the section of the file that you want to analyze.

If you make no selection, the whole audio file is analyzed.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the View tab.

3. In the Analysis section, click 3D Frequency Analysis.

4. To edit the analysis parameters, click 3D Analysis Options.

5. Adjust the parameters and click OK.

The audio is re-analyzed.

3D Analysis Options

In the options dialog of the 3D Frequency Analysis dialog, you can define which frequency range is analyzed and modify the appearance of the graph for the 3D frequency analysis.

● In the 3D Frequency Analysis dialog, click the 3D Analysis Options button.

Top/Bottom Frequency

Specifies the highest/lowest frequency of the range.

Logarithmic Ruler (Octaves)

Divides the frequency ruler in equally spaced octaves.

Amplitude

Select whether you want the peaks to be proportional to their amplitude (Linear) or to their power (Logarithmic with Decibel Scale).

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Audio Analysis 3D Frequency Analysis

Colors

Background

Defines the color scheme of the graph.

Defines the background color.

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Offline processes are useful for a variety of editing purposes and creative effects, for example, if the computer is too slow for real-time processing or if the editing requires more than one pass.

After the processing, the audio file is permanently altered.

Process Tab

Level

Offline Processing

Gain

Opens the Gain dialog where you can apply a gain to change the level of an audio file.

Envelope

Opens the Envelope dialog where you can create a level envelope which can be applied to a selected range or an entire audio file.

This is useful if you want to even out loud and quiet parts or create a sophisticated fade in/fade out, for example.

Remove DC Offset

DC offset in a file affects the loudness. Remove DC Offset sets the DC offset to zero.

Normalizing

Level

Opens the Level Normalizer dialog where you can change the peak level of an audio file.

Fading

Fade In/Fade Out

Allows you to apply a fade in or fade out. Right-click the button to open the Curve pop-up menu.

Curve

Allows you to select preset fade curves.

● Linear changes the level linearly.

● Sinus (*) changes the level according to a sine curve. When used in a

crossfade, the loudness (RMS) remains constant during the transition.

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Offline Processing Applying Processing

Other

Invert Phase

Reverse

Resample

● Square-Root (*) changes the level according to a square-root curve. When

used in a crossfade, the loudness (RMS) remains constant during the transition.

● Sinusoid changes the level according to a sine curve.

● Logarithmic changes the level according to a logarithmic curve.

● Exponential changes the level according to an exponential curve.

● Exponential+ changes the level according to a more pronounced exponential

curve.

Turns the signal upside down.

Creates a backwards-tape effect.

Opens the Sample Rate dialog where you can change the sample rate of a recording.

Applying Processing

Processing can be applied to a selection or to a whole file. For some operations processing the entire file is necessary.

NOTE

If Process Whole File If There Is No Selection is activated in the Editing tab of the Audio Files Preferences, the whole file is automatically processed if no selection exists.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Process tab.

3. Select the type of processing that you want to apply.

4. If a dialog opens, make the settings and click Apply to render the effect to file.

Gain Dialog

In this dialog, you can apply a gain to change the level of an audio file.

● To open the Gain dialog, select the Process tab in the Audio Editor, and click Gain in the Level section.

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Offline Processing Level Normalizer Dialog

Click Find Current Peak Level to obtain a report on the peak level of the audio selection, or the whole file if there is no selection. This is useful if you want to calculate how much you can increase the overall gain of a file without clipping (exceeding 0 dB), for example.

This processor also lets you add clipping. Clipping happens when the gain is raised to a point where distortion is added. While this is normally not intended, mild clipping can add some punch, for example, to accentuate the attack of a drum sound.

Level Normalizer Dialog

In this dialog, you can change the peak level of an audio file.

● To open the Level Normalizer dialog, select the Process tab in the Audio Editor, and click

Level in the Normalizing section.

Peak Level

Enter the peak level (in dB) that you want the audio selection to have.

Stereo Link

Applies the gain to both channels.

Mix to Mono

Mixes the left and the right channel. The resulting mono file has the specified peak level. This ensures a mix without clipping.

Find Current Peak Value

Creates a report on the peak level of the current audio selection or the whole audio file if there is no selection.

Envelope Dialog

In this dialog, you can create a level envelope which can be applied to a selected range or a whole audio file. This is useful if you want to even-out loud and quiet parts or create a sophisticated fade in or fade out, for example.

● To open the Envelope dialog, select the Process tab in the Audio Editor, and click Envelope in the Level section.

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Offline Processing Envelope Dialog

The dialog shows a waveform with an envelope curve (initially a straight line). A vertical ruler displays the level in dB, and the horizontal ruler displays the timeline.

The following options are available:

● Undo/Redo the Last Operation

● Deselect the Envelope Points

● Delete the Selected Envelope Points

● Reset the Selected Envelope Points

● Reset the Whole Envelope

● Flip the Envelope Around the Horizontal Axis

● Reverse the Envelope Time Sequence

● Toggle the Envelope Smoothing

Basic Envelope Operations

By adding points to the envelope curve, you can create an envelope curve that changes the volume of the material over time. When you point the mouse in the display or move a point, the current position and level change is shown in the field above the display.

●

To add a point, double click the envelope curve.

●

To select a point, click it.

●

To select several points, click and drag the selection rectangle.

●

To move a point, click and drag it. If more than one point is selected, all points are moved.

●

To move the whole curve up or down, click the envelope curve, and drag up or down.

●

To move the curve segments vertically, click the curve and drag up or down.

●

To move two points horizontally, press Shift, click the curve segment between two points, and drag left or right.

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Offline Processing Fades in Audio Files

●

To move two points vertically, press Ctrl/Cmd, click the curve segment between two points, and drag up or down.

Fades in Audio Files

A fade in is a gradual increase in level and a fade out is a gradual decrease in level.

You can create fades by selecting an individual fading type for each fade in/fade out.

Creating a Fade In and Fade Out

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, make a selection.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Process tab.

3. Depending whether you want to create a fade in or a fade out, select one of the following

options in the Fading section:

●

To apply the default fade type, click the Fade In or Fade Out icon.

●

To select another fade type, click Fade In or Fade Out below the fade icon. From the pop-up menu, select the type of fade that you want to create.

Applying Easy Fades

The Easy Fade function allows you to quickly apply a default fade in or fade out to an audio file via shortcut.

The shape of the fade is governed by the Fade In and Fade Out settings in the Fading section of the Process tab.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, make one of the following selections:

●

From the start of the audio file to where you want the fade in to end.

●

From the position where you want the fade out to start to the end of the audio file.

2. Click Ctrl/Cmd-D.

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Offline Processing Crossfades

Crossfades

A crossfade is a gradual fade between two sounds, where one is faded in and the other faded out. You can automatically create a crossfade when pasting an audio section into another.

Creating Crossfades

The material that you want to crossfade can either be in two different sections of the same audio file or in two different audio files.

PROCEDURE

1. In the wave window, select the section that you want to fade in.

2. Select the Edit tab.

3. In the Clipboard section, click Copy.

4. Select the section that you want to fade out.

The length of this selection determines the length of the actual crossfade (check the length on the status bar). The section can be within the selected audio file or in another wave window. However, the selection must not be longer than the selection that you just copied.

5. Depending whether you want to create a fade in or a fade out, select one of the following options in the Clipboard section:

●

To apply the default crossfade type, click the Paste and Crossfade icon.

●

To select another crossfade type, click Paste and Crossfade below the crossfade icon. From the pop-up menu, select the type of crossfade that you want to create.

RESULT

The crossfade is created. Any material that originally appeared after the selection in the file into which you paste, is moved so that it now appears after the pasted material.

Any excess material in the copied selection appears after the fade at full level.

NOTE

If both files already have full level sections in the crossfade area (for example, if you have normalized both files), clipping and distortion might occur. If this happens, reduce the amplitude of both files by 3 dB to 6 dB and try again.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK

Play back the file and adjust the crossfade if necessary.

Paste and Crossfade Options

These options allow you to select a crossfade type for pasting.

● Select the Edit tab in the Audio Editor, and click Paste and Crossfade in the Clipboard section.

Linear (Equal Gain)

Level changes linearly.

Sinus (Equal Power)

Level changes according to a sine curve, the power of the mix remains constant.

Square-Root (Equal Power)

Level changes according to a square-root curve, the power of the mix remains constant.

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Offline Processing Phase Inverting

Phase Inverting

Inverting the phase turns the signal upside down. The most common use for this function is to fix a stereo recording if one of the channels has been recorded out of phase with the other.

Inverting the Audio Phase

PROCEDURE

1. Optional: If you only want to invert the phase for a specific time range of the audio file, create a selection range in the wave window.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Process tab.

3. In the Other section, click Invert Phase.

Reversing Audio

You can reverse an audio file or a part of an audio file as if playing a tape backwards.

PROCEDURE

1. Optional: If you only want to reverse a specific time range of the audio file, create a selection range in the wave window.

2. In the Audio Editor, select the Process tab.

3. In the Time & Pitch section, click Reverse.

DC Offset

DC offset means that there is a too large DC (direct current) component in the signal. This most often occurs due to mismatches between various types of recording equipment.

A DC offset is problematic for the following reasons:

●

It affects the zero crossing position.

●

Some processing options do not give optimal results when performed on files with a DC offset.

Removing DC Offset

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, open the audio file that you want to check for DC offset and that you want to fix.

2. Select the Process tab.

3. In the Level section, click Remove DC Offset.

A dialog opens, stating the amount of DC offset in the audio file. You can also create a selection range in the wave window and select this option to only show the DC offset in the selection range.

NOTE

This function should be applied to whole files, because the problem is normally present throughout the entire recording.

4. Click OK to remove the DC offset.

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Offline Processing Resample

Resample

You can change the sample rate of a recording. This is useful if the file that you want to use in an audio system was recorded at a sample rate that this system does not support.

NOTE

●

Sample rate conversion from a low frequency upwards does not improve the sound quality. The high frequencies that were lost cannot be restored by a conversion.

●

If you resample to a lower frequency, high frequency material is lost. Therefore, converting down and then up again leads to a degradation in sound quality.

Converting a Sample Rate

NOTE

Sample rate conversion is always applied to the entire file.

PROCEDURE

1. In the Audio Editor, select the Process tab.

2. In the Time & Pitch section, click Resample.

3. In the Sample Rate dialog, select a sample rate from the pop-up menu.

4. Click OK.

Page 95

Audio Montage

The audio montage is a multitrack non-destructive editing environment that allows you to arrange, edit, play back, and record audio clips.

Non-destructive means that when you delete or change a part of an audio file, the audio is not deleted or permanently changed. Instead, a set of pointers keeps track of all the edits, so that these can be readily reversed.

The audio montage is a great tool for mastering, multimedia work, radio spot production, etc.

Basic Terminology

Audio montages can contain up to 2 stereo or mono audio tracks. You can use them to structure the work graphically.

On an audio track, you can place any number of clips. Clips are containers for the audio, and include a number of settings and functions such as envelope curves, fades, etc.

A clip contains a reference to a source audio file on your hard disk, as well as start and end positions in the file, which means that clips can play back sections of the source audio files. Any number of clips can reference the same source file.

Montage Window

The montage window is where you assemble your audio montage. This is where you view, play back, and edit audio montages.

The montage window gives you a graphical representation of the tracks and clips.

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Audio Montage Montage Window

Track Control Area

The track control area offers several options regarding the track.

Track number button

Opens the track menu that contains track-related options.

Track gain sliders

Allows you to set the gain for the track.

Track Pop-up Menu

This pop-up menu contains all track-related options.

● To open the Track pop-up menu, click the number button of a track in the track control area.

Add Stereo Track

Adds a stereo track below the active track.

Add Mono Track

Adds a mono track below the active track.

Move Track Up

Moves the track one position up in the track list.

Move Track Down

Moves the track one position down in the track list.

Remove Track

Deletes the active track.

Mute

Mutes the active track.

Solo

Solos the active track.

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Audio Montage Audio Montage Tabs

Lock

If this option is activated, you cannot edit the track.

Zoom

Shows the active track in the full available height.

Color

Opens a submenu where you can select a color for the active track.

Audio Montage Tabs

The tabs in the Audio Montage window give you access to the tools and options you need for editing audio montages. For example, you can edit the envelope curves and fades in clips, make zoom settings, analyze the audio, and render the audio montage.

View Tab

Navigate

Backwards/Forwards

Navigates to the previous/next cursor position, zoom factor, and selection range.

Zoom

Activates the Zoom tool that allows you to define a time range that is zoomed in.

Time

Opens a pop-up menu that allows you to adjust the zoom to display the selected time range. Zoom in 1:1 zooms in so that one pixel on the screen represents one sample.

To edit the zoom factor, click Edit Zoom Factor. This opens the Zoom Factor dialog, where you can edit the following settings:

● Set Time Range allows you to specify the time range that you want to display.

● Samples per Screen Point allows you to specify how many audio samples are

summarized in each screen point.

● Screen Points per Sample allows you to specify how many screen points are

used to represent a single audio sample.

Zoom Selection

Zooms the window so that the current selection occupies the entire montage window.

Microscope

Zooms in as far as possible.

View All

Zooms out as far as possible.

Display Whole Clip

Adjusts the view to display the active clip.

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Audio Montage Audio Montage Tabs

Zoom in Audio (10x)/Zoom out Audio (10x)

Zoom in Audio/Zoom out Audio

Zoom in Vertically/Zoom out Vertically

Level

Reset Zoom to 0 dB

Cursor

Move Cursor to Start of File/Move Cursor to End of File

Previous Marker/Next Marker

Zooms in/out in big steps.

Zooms in/out in small steps.

Zooms in/out to show waveforms with a lower/higher level.

Adjusts the zoom to only display samples below the selected dB value.

Adjusts the zoom to display audio levels up to 0 dB.

Moves the cursor to the start/end of the file.

Moves the cursor to the previous/next marker.

Start of Selection/End of Selection

Moves the cursor to the start/end of the selected time range.

Previous Region Edge/Next Region Edge

Moves the cursor to the previous/next region edge.

Edit Cursor Position

Opens the Cursor Position dialog where you can edit the cursor position.

Previous Clip Edge/Next Clip Edge

Moves the cursor to the previous/next clip edge.

Scroll

Start/End

Displays the start/end of the audio without moving the cursor.

Start of Selection/End of Selection

Displays the start/end of the audio selection without moving the cursor.

Cursor

Displays the cursor position.

Playback

Static View

Deactivates scrolling.

View Follows Cursor

Automatically scrolls the view to keep the playback cursor visible.

Scroll View

Scrolls the view to keep the playback cursor centered.

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Audio Montage Audio Montage Tabs

Clip

Color

Tracks

Display More Tracks/Display Fewer Tracks

Focus on Previous Track/Focus on Next Track

Edit Tab

Allows you to apply a color to the active clip.

Allows you to change the number of tracks that are displayed in the montage window.

Sets the focus on the previous/next track.

Source

Edit Source

Opens source file of the clip in the Audio Editor.

Clipboard

Cut

Cuts the active clip to the clipboard.

Copy

Copies the active clip to the clipboard.

Paste

Pastes the clipboard content.

Split

Split at Silences

Splits the files so that each non-silent section becomes a separate region. If you select this option, you can specify the minimum region duration, the minimum duration of a silent section, and the signal level that should be considered as silence.

Split Clip

Splits the active clip into two clips.

Removal

Delete Selected Clips

Deletes the part of the clip that lies inside the selection range on the selected track and moves the right section of the clip to the left to fill the gap.

If there is no selection range, the selected clip is deleted.

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Audio Montage Audio Montage Tabs

Snapping

Snap to Magnets

Magnets

Clip

Mute

Cue Point

If this option is activated, moved elements such as clip edges, time selection edges, cursor, and markers snap to the magnets that are activated on the Magnets pop-up menu.

This pop-up menu allows you to select which items should be magnetic.

Mutes the active clip.

This pop-up menu allows you to make cue point settings.

● Set at Cursor sets the cue point to a fixed position from the start of the clip.

● Set at Default Gap Position sets the cue point before the start of the clip, at a

distance governed by the default pre-gap position.

● Follows Fade In End Point sets the cue point to the fade in end point.

● Follows Fade Out Start Point sets the cue point to the fade out start point.

● If Custom Cue End is activated, you can set the end cue point at a custom

position from the end of the clip. This option allows you to edit the gap individually for each clip.

If this option is deactivated, a 2 seconds default gap is used.

● End Offset opens the End Cue Point Offset dialog that allows you to set the

end cue point at a custom position from the end of the clip.

Insert Tab

Markers

Marker Name

Allows you to enter the name of the start and end marker. If nothing is entered, a generic name is used.

To edit the default names, open the Markers window, and select Functions>

Default Marker Names.

Different Name for End Marker

If this option is activated, you can enter a different name for the end marker.

If this option is deactivated, the name of the start marker is also used for the end marker.

Create Marker

Allows you to create markers and marker pairs at the edit cursor position.

100

Steinberg Wavelab LE - 9.5 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

WaveLab LE Introduction

Platform-Independent Documentation

Help System

Conventions

Typographical Elements

Markup

Key Commands

How You Can Reach Us

Setting Up Your System

Connecting the Equipment

Audio Cards and Background Playback

Latency

Defining Audio Connections

Selecting an ASIO Driver

Selecting a Windows MME Driver

Audio Connections Tab

Remote Devices

Remote Devices Tab

CC121 Advanced Integration Controller

WaveLab LE Concepts

General Editing Rules

Startup Dialog

Basic Window Handling

Closing Windows

Switching Between Files

Selecting Audio

Selecting a Range by Dragging

Audio Range Selection in an Audio File

Selecting in Stereo Files

Switching the Selection Between Channels

Selecting in the Overview of the Audio Editor

Moving a Selection Range

Extending and Reducing the Selection

Extending and Reducing the Selection Using the Cursor Keys

Deleting Selections

Sliders

Renaming Items in Tables

File Browser

File Browser Window

Peak Files

Rebuilding Peak Displays

Processing Precision

Workspace Window

Audio Editor

Audio Montage

Podcast Editor

File Tab

Info Tab

Tool Windows

Opening and Closing Tool Windows

Slide-Out Windows

Docking and Undocking Tool Windows and Meter Windows

Command Bar

Status Bar

Context Menus

Time Ruler and Level Ruler

Time Ruler and Level Ruler Options

Time Ruler Menu

Level Ruler Menu (Audio Editor only)

Working With a Meter-Based Display

Setting the Edit Cursor Position

Time Format Dialog

Managing Tabs

Activating Full Screen Mode

Resetting the Default Workspace Layout

Project Handling

Opening Files

Opening Files from the Clipboard

Value Editing

Drag Operations

Dragging in the Audio Editor and Audio Montage Window

Dragging in the Podcast Window

Dragging in the Master Section

Undoing and Redoing Actions

Navigating Backwards and Forwards