Xara Samplitude Music Studio - 2013 Instruction Manual

Copyright

This documentation is protected by law. All rights, especially the right to duplicate, circulate, and translate, are reserved.

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

All copyrights reserved.

All other product names are trademarks of the corresponding manufacturers. Errors in and changes to the contents as well as program modifications reserved.

MAGIX, Samplitude, Hybrid Audio Engine are registered trademarks of MAGIX Software GmbH.

This product uses MAGIX patented technology (USP 6,518,492).

VST and ASIO are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.

Other mentioned product names may be registered trademarks of the respective manufacturer.

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Preface 3

Preface

Congratulations on your purchase of Samplitude Music Studio 2013!

Creating your own music or video soundtracks in a home studio has become more and more popular. But the wide variety of available equipment and software often confuses both beginner and professional musicians alike. You may find yourself asking questions like "What do I really need?", or "What's the best value for my money?"

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 is the perfect solution: Fast and easy-to-handle music production on your PC, from recording to mastering. Transform your PC into a complete sound studio.

All you need to produce and arrange in high-quality is a conventional sound card, but additional studio equipment can easily be added.

The following pages will introduce to you in detail the various functions and possibilities offered by Samplitude Music Studio 2013.

Have fun with Samplitude Music Studio 2013.

Your

MAGIX team

Table of Contents

What is Samplitude Music Studio 2013? 16 What’s new in Samplitude Music Studio 2013? 17 The features 18

Tutorial 21

Step-by-step mode 21 Switch workspace 31 Recording in the Arranger 31 Integrate audio material 33 VIP and wave projects 34 Arranging MAGIX Soundpool loops 35 Add synthesizers 38 Edit objects 38 MIDI recordings 40 Edit MIDI 42 Effects 46 Burn CD 48

Program desktop overview 49

VIP window 49 Managers/Docker 50 Docking 51 Transport control 53 Track Editor 55 Track box 58 Symbol bars 59 Workspaces 64

Functional overview 65

Objects 65 Ranges 75 Wave projects 78 Marker 79

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Volume 80 Output mode 80 Record 81 Folder tracks 84 Tips & tricks 85

Mouse functions and mouse modes 88

Universal mode 88 Range mode (safe mode) 90 Curve mode 90 Curves / Object mode 91 Cut mode 91 Pitchshift / Timestretch mode 91 Draw volume mode 92 Draw panorama mode 92 Wave edit mode (only wave projects) 92 Scrub mouse mode 92 Color mode 93 Zoom mode 94

Effects and effect plug-ins 95

What effects are there, and how are they used? 95 Saving effect parameters (preset mechanism) 96 "Sound FX" (object editor, mixer channels, Mixmaster) 97 Parametric equalizer (track effects, mixer channels, Mixmaster) 101 MAGIX Mastering Suite 102 Vintage Effects Suite (track effects, mixer channels, mix master) 107 essential FX 120 Vandal SE 131 Analogue Modelling Suite: AM-Track SE 136 Track dynamics 142 Track delay/reverb (track effects) 144 Elastic Audio Easy 144

Automation 153

Automation – context menu 153 Automation modes 155 VST plug-in/VST parameters dialog 156 Recording automation in "Read" mode 156 "Draw" mode 157 Edit automation curves 157

Move automation curve with audio/MIDI data 158

Mixer 159

Overview 159 Operating the mixer 160 Channel strips 162 Master section 164 Global settings 165 Buses and routing 167 Embedding external effects devices 168 Tips and tricks 168

MIDI in Samplitude Music Studio 2013 169

What is MIDI? 169 Connect external equipment 169 Convert MIDI objects into audio files 170 MIDI settings 171 MIDI: Import, record, edit 171 MIDI object editor 174 Step recording via keyboard or controller keyboard 176 MIDI editor 177

Software / VST instruments 211

Installing VST plug-ins 211 Load instruments 213 Loading routing settings with software instruments 214 Load effects plug-ins 215 Route MIDI instrument inputs 217 Instruments with multi-channel outputs 218 Adjust instrument parameters 218 Play and monitor instruments live 220 Routing VST instruments using the VSTi manager 222 Preset management 223 Freezing instruments (freeze) 223 Tips on handling virtual instruments 224 ReWire 225

Tempo editing 227

Tempo and time signature changes in the tempo map... 227 Tempo markers 228 Tempo Map Modes: BPM Mode / Grid Fit Mode 229

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Tempo Change: BPM Marker 230 Time Signature Marker 230 Grid Position Marker 231 Grid Tapping 231 Tempo Map Dialog 232 Tempo and Time Signature Dialog 234 Manipulating the Tempo Marker in Timestretch Mouse Mode 234

Synth objects 236

Working method 236 Note for users of older versions of MAGIX Music Studio 237 Atmos 238 BeatBox 2 plus 238 Loop Designer 250 LiViD - Little Virtual Drummer 254 Robota 255 Vita 263 Revolta 2 265 Additional Vita Solo synthesizers 267

Surround sound 269

Surround panorama module 269 Stereo and mono signal processing with twin-channel Surround 271 Automation of twin-channel Surround 272

Synchronization 274

Synchronization formats 274 Synchronization / Synchronization settings 276

Burning CDs 279

Writing 279 Burning CDs in Samplitude Music Studio 2013 279 DSP display 281

Tools and wizards 282

Load audio CD track(s) 282 Crossfade Editor 284 Waveform generator 285 Remix Agent 287 Harmony Agent 293 Track settings 295 Managers 297

SMPTE Generator 306

Solo JamSession 307 Timestretch patcher 311

File menu 313

New Virtual Project (VIP) 313 Open 315 Load / Import 316 Save 318 Save project as 319 Save project as template 319 Save object 319 Save session 319 Export 319 Internet 323 Trackbouncing (internal mixdown) 326 Range trackbouncing 328 MIDI bouncing 328 Rename project 329 Clean up 329 Close project 331 Project properties 332 Program Preferences 336 Exit 339 Recently opened files 339

Edit Menu 340

Undo 340 Redo 340 Undo List 341 Mouse mode 341 Object mode 342 Copy 342 Cut 342 Split 343 Insert 344 Delete 345 Silence 345 Tempo 346 Range 346

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Crossfade 351

Track menu 353

Insert new tracks 353 Copy track(s) 354 Insert track(s) 354 Delete track(s) 355 Track type 355 Input 355 Track size 355 Track Freeze 355 Track effect settings 357 Track information 357 More 357

Object menu 362

Object editor 362 MIDI editor 362 Wave editing 362 New MIDI object 363 New MIDI object in the range 363 New synth object 363 Edit 363 Quantization 366 Object effects 368 Select objects 378 Groups 379 Move object 379 Snap point (Hotspot) 381 Object color / name 381 Tempo and beat recognition 381 Harmony Agent 381 Harmony display 382 audioid 382 Time Stretch/Pitch Shift Patcher... 382

Playback / Record menu 384

Play once 384 Play loop 384 Play in range 384 Play with preload 384

Play only selected objects 384

Restart playback 385 Stop 385 Stop and go to current position 385 Playback mode 385 Playback options 386 Record 387 Record mode / Punch in 388 Record options 389 Monitoring 392 Move Play Cursor 393 Marker 394 Solo JamSession 396 MIDI record modes 396 MIDI panic – All notes off 397

Automation menu 397

First entries in the automation context menu 397 Editing curves 397 Delete all curves 398 Automation mode 398 Do not display automation 399 Display track automation (default setting) 399 Display selected curves only 399 Display unselected curves (cannot be activated) (Default setting) 399 Display unselected curves (can be activated) 399

Effects menu 400

Amplitude / Normalize 401 Dynamics 403 Frequency/Filter 405 Delay / Reverb 406 Time / Pitch 408 Distortion 411 Restoration 412 Stereo / Phase 413 Modulation / Special 415 Sample manipulation 418 Plug-ins 420 essential FX 421

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MAGIX Plug-Ins 422 Waveform Generator 423 SMPTE Generator 423 Process only left (right) stereo channel 423 Process Effects Offline 423

CD menu 424

Load audio CD tracks 424 Make CD 424 Indices (Track markers) 424 CD track/index manager 426 CD disc options 427 Set pause time 427 CD arrange mode 427 Get CD info (freeDB Internet) 428 freeDB options 428 Show CD-R drive information 428 Show CD-R disc information 428 audioid 429

Menu view 430

Mixer 430 Multitrack recorder MR-64 430 Mastering Suite 430 Transport control 430 Time display 432 Visualization 433 Export tool 434 Managers/Docker 435 Manager 435 Track editor 435 Rebuild graphic data 435 Sections 436 Hide submix / AUX buses 436 Grid view 436 VIP display 437 Overview mode 438 Horizontal 438 Vertical 438 Cascade 438

Tile 438

Untile 439 Window 439 Toolbars 439

The "Share" menu 441

Community upload 441 Use as background music 442 Add to music collection 442

Help menu 443

Help 443 Help index 443 Context help 443 Open PDF manual 443 Watch the introductory video 443 Online tutorials 443 About Samplitude Music Studio 2013 443 MAGIX auto-update 444 Open magix.info 444 Product registration 445 Download more instruments/Sounds/Soundpools 445 Screen transfer - MAGIX Screenshare 445 Restore original program settings 447 MP3 Encoder activation 447

Preset keyboard shortcuts 449

Mouse 449

General settings 449

System / Audio 449 Program 462 Edit keyboard shortcuts and menus 465 Design 469 Easy setup 472

Project options 473

General 473 Project Auto Save… 476 Mixer setup 477 Synchronization 477 Recording options 478

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Varipitch/practice mode 480

If you still have questions 481

Tips for program help 481 System requirements 482 Uninstalling the program 482 Serial number 482

More about MAGIX 484

MAGIX Online World 484 magix.info 484 Soundpool DVD Collection 485

Index 486

Support

Dear MAGIX customer,

Our aim is to provide fast, convenient, solution-focused support at all times. To this end, we offer a wide range of services:

• Unlimited web support:

As a registered MAGIX customer, you have unlimited access to web support offered via the convenient MAGIX service portal on http://support.magix.net, including an intelligent help assistant, high-quality FAQs, patches and user reports that are constantly updated. The only requirement for use is product registration at www.magix.com

• The online community, on-the-spot support and a platform for exchange:

MAGIX customers have free and unlimited access to the online community at www.magix.info, which includes approx. 150,000 members and offers the opportunity to ask members questions concerning MAGIX products as well as use the search function to search for specific topics or answers. In addition to questions & answers, the knowledge pool includes a glossary, video tutorials and a discussion forum. The multiple experts, found round-the-clock at www.magix.info guarantee quick answers, which sometimes come within minutes of a question being posted.

• Email support for MAGIX products:

For every new MAGIX product you will receive, as of date purchase, 12 months of email based customer service. Premium email support: For priority support, or if you want the MAGIX support team to help with nonMAGIX related hardware problems you can purchase a Premium email support ticket. Log in at http://support.magix.net and click on "Purchase access code", the ticket is for a specific problem, and is valid until it is solved, it is not restricted to an email.

Please note: To be able to use the Premium email support and free product email support via the Internet, you have to register your MAGIX product using the serial number provided. This can be found on the CD case of your installation CD or on the inside of the DVD box.

• Additional telephone service:

Besides the large number of free customer service offers, we also offer a feebased telephone customer service.

Here you can find a summary of our technical support telephone numbers: http://support.magix.net/

Mail (Europe): MAGIX Development Support, P.O. Box 20 09 14, 01194 Dresden, Germany

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Mail (North America): MAGIX Customer Service, 1105 Terminal Way #302, Reno, NV 89502, USA

Please make sure you have the following information at hand:

• Program version

• Configuration details (operating system, processor, memory, hard drive, etc.),

sound card configuration (type, driver)

• Information regarding other audio software installed

MAGIX Sales Department

You can reach the MAGIX Sales Department workdays for help with the following questions and problems:

• Orders

• Product consulting (pre-purchase)

• Upgrade requests

• Returns

Support 15

Europe

Monday - Friday, 09:00-16:00 GMT

U.K.: 0203 3189218 Denmark: 45 699 18763 Sweden: 46 852 500713 Finland: 35 89 42419023 Norway: 47 210 35843

North America

9 am to 4 pm EST Mon-Fri Phone: 1-305-722-5810

Introduction

What is Samplitude Music Studio 2013?

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 is a multitrack recording and editing application for all types of audio material featuring unlimited editing options. It's easy to use and follows three simple steps:

1. Download and record

You can download CD tracks, MP3 songs, wave files, video soundtracks, or sounds & samples from the hard disk, the CD-ROM drive, or the Internet. You can even make your own recordings from a stereo system or with a microphone. Everything you download or record is displayed as an object on the Arranger's tracks.

2. Arrange and edit

Basically, all tracks stacked virtually above each other will be played simultaneously, and everything that follows horizontally will be played in subsequent order. However, you can mute the objects stacked above each other.

Every object – that is, every sound, every song – can be cut up or have effects added. For example, if you want to shorten a song, move the object with your mouse to the length at which you would like the song to be – done! Want to freshen up your sound? Then open the equalizer and either select a preset that fits, or modify your sound "by hand”.

Arranging and editing is essentially all about cutting, blending, adding, mixing effects, and placing audio material into the right positions and into the right tracks. But it’s also about play and experimentation. If it fits, throw it in! Without experimentation there is no innovation. Samplitude Music Studio 2013 allows you to experiment, and experiment wildly. There’s no risk of your audio material being damaged. All editing functions are "non-destructive”.

Export and use

Regardless what you're experimenting with, in the end something usable should come out of it. Samplitude Music Studio 2013 has everything you need to be productive:

• Homemade audio CDs which can be played by any standard CD player

• Unique MP3 collections, e.g. as a source of material for your MP3 player

• Podcasts: Simply export the project as a podcast and - if you want - publish it

online using MAGIX Podcast Service online (the MAGIX Podcast Service can be reached via the "Online" menu.)

• And much more. The export principle is simply "what you hear is what you get".

That is, what you export sounds exactly as it sounded in the arrangement during playback in Samplitude Music Studio 2013.

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Introduction 17

What’s new in Samplitude Music Studio 2013?

96 kHz

Thanks to the high, 96 kHz, sample rate, the signal is now measured 96000 times a second, instead of 48000, like earlier. Together with the 32-bit rate, a much more precise digitalization takes place, resulting in a high sound quality like in professional productions.

128 tracks

With ambitious projects that works with track doubling, aux tracks, plug-ins, etc., track number sky-rockets pretty fast. The new version lets you arrange on 128 tracks (instead of the 64 earlier) - enough space for the most complex multi-track projects.

4 Vita Solo instruments

The four new Vita Instruments, rock drums, string ensemble, bass machine and world percussion, can be found as before via the "Synth"> "Vita" buttons.

Vita 2 sample player

In its 2nd version, Vita Sample Player has a new "Tube distortion" function, a new user interface as well as more sounds:

• Rhodes: Rhodes clean / Rhodes Phaser / Rhodes smooth / Rhodes wah

• Ethno Percussion: DunDun / Framedrum / Gamelan Chimes / Sourdo / Tablas /

Drums / Udu African / Talking Drums

• More orchestral woodwinds: Piccolo / English Horn (each in two variations)

Additional improvements

• 5 essentialFX in a new skin (ChorusFlanger, Phaser, StereoDelay, Compressor,

VocalStrip)

• Guitar tuner

• Music Maker compatibility: Project files (*.mmm) from the latest MAGIX Music

Maker generation can be loaded without any problems.

• New Soundpool user interface

• Mastering Suite 4.0 with an integrated 6-band equalizer

• MIDI learn (in the mixer)

• Various detail improvements

The features

The best possible sound quality

This feature is especially important to every music lover: Samplitude Music Studio 2013 offers unique sound quality for digital music editing.

• 100% sound neutrality: Benefit from Samplitude, professional audio software

that's been used for years in sound studios and radio & TV stations around the world. Samplitude's unique feature is that the original sound of audio files is not diminished by any specific audio discoloration, as is often the case with other programs.

• 24-bit/48 kHz recordings: Your own recordings can be made with the correct

hardware in professional, high-quality, high-resolution 24-bit/48 kHz format.

• 32-bit floating point: Internal sound processing is executed via the 32-bit floating

point process for especially differentiated and high-quality calculation. This way, the audio picture can be created with especially high dynamics. Digital distortion and clipping is virtually impossible.

Formats and interfaces

Import: MIDI standard formats (MID, GM, GS, XG), WAV (24- & 32-bit), WAV with codec, MP3, CD-A, OGG Vorbis, AIFF, FLAC, MOV.

Export: MIDI standard formats (MID), WAV (24-bit), WAV with codec, MP3, CD-A, OGG Vorbis, AIFF, WMA, FLAC.

Synthesizers

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 comes with the following synthesizers that you can play directly on your PC keyboard, via your mouse or with a MIDI keyboard:

• Vita: A sampler with incredibly realistic-sounding, "classical" instrumental

sounds like different guitars (Power chords, clean electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar), different pianos, percussion, strings, brass, woodwinds (each as an individual set & as an ensemble set), and much more.

• Beatbox 2: For computer beats and computer sounds

• LiVid (Little Virtual Drummer): For "real" acoustic drum tracks

• Drum Engine: Perfect drum sounds

• Robota: For "mean" electronic sounds

• Revolta 2: An analog, varied, and powerful-sounding 12-voice synthesizer

featuring a sound matrix, noise generator, and nine effect types. With this synthesizer, you can create any electronic music you can imagine. The sound presets were created by the sound designer for Access Virus and Rob Papen's Albino.

• Lead Synth: "Analog modular" synthesizer

• Century Guitars: Authentic guitar sounds.

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Introduction 19

• Loop Designer: Cut loops yourself

• Atmos: For nature sounds or atmospheres like rain, thunder, or wind

Effects and effect plug-ins

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 offers the following effects and effect plug-ins:

• Equalizers: 10-band graphic and 4-band parametric

• Echo/Reverb + Room Simulator

• Vocoder

• Vandal SE: Authentic simulation of classic guitar effects, tube amplifiers, and

speakers.

• essentialFX: Basic effects for unique sounds (Stereo delay, chorus/flanger,

phaser)

• Vintage Effects Suite, consisting of chorus, flanger, analog delay, distortion,

filters, and the low-fi effect BitMachine.

• Mastering Suite 3.0, consisting of equalizer, vitalizer (stereo enhancer),

multiband compressor, and audio meter + limiter.

• Compressor with many presets such as limiter, Deesser, noise gate, expander, or

leveler and in different models, e.g. as the multiband compressor Multimax.

• Tape simulation: High-quality simulation of analog tape compression

• Stereo FX: For editing the stereo bandwidth

• Declipping: For eliminating digital clipping

• Timestretching/Resampling/Pitchshifting: For correcting pitch and length

• Elastic Audio easy: Dynamic pitch correction with harmonization (creates up to

four choir voices)

• AM-Track SE: High-quality tape machine sound emulation makes typical aspects

of the large, saturated sound characteristics of magnetic recordings a digitalquality reality.

Audio & MIDI

The MIDI format is extremely important in modern music production. You can use MIDI files to control external devices such as synthesizers and samplers and internal software audio generators such as VST plug-ins from your computer.

With Samplitude Music Studio 2013 you can arrange, load, record, edit, and play MIDI data just as easily as audio data. For MIDI recordings and editing you can use the specialized MIDI Editor with Piano Roll, Drum Editor, Velocity/Controller Editor and Event List. Recording can be started directly from the arranger by setting the recording mode in the track header to "MIDI record" or "Audio record".

Multitrack recorder (MR-64)

The multitrack recorder (MR-64) looks like a hardware mixer and can also be operated in the same way. In contrast to earlier mixers, now it can be opened using the "View" menu in order to conduct multi-track recordings just like with a real mixing board. The MR-64 unites the advantages of the analog look with digital technology: realistic appearance, direct workflows, and familiar functionality.

Soundpool

A collection of loops is included, and many more can be found at Catooh. The loops are categorized into "styles" (e.g. ambient, dance, hip hop, rock, etc.) and "instruments" (e.g. drums, bass, guitars, etc.). The name of the loop file also informs you about the kind of sound you can expect. Every loop can be previewed by clicking it. Monitoring is adjusted to the loops in the arranger. For example, you can create and play back a framework of bass and drums first, while the Soundpool manager searches for suitable guitar sounds which are automatically adjusted to the rhythm of the drum track and the pitch of the bass track during previewing. Every loop can be loaded into the arranger by dragging it or by double clicking.

You can find the Soundpool Manager in the docker (or in the "View" menu > "Manager").

Jam Session

The JamSession lets you create complete songs single-handedly. The program simulates working with hardware "Looping delays", like, for example, the Gibson Echoplex. The difference is that Samplitude Music Studio 2013 creates an arrangement during "looping" which can later be edited and compiled into a complete song. During a Jam Session, everything you do is recorded. The most important thing with the Jam Session is the fun factor – there can never be too much of it!

Activate "Solo Jam Session" via the "Playback" menu.

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Tutorial 21

Tutorial

In this chapter we will introduce the most important features of Samplitude Music Studio 2013. You will learn how to create an arrangement with audio and MIDI as well as the powers of both formats. You will also receive information about essential parts of the program so that you can take advantage of all possibilities of Samplitude Music Studio 2013.

Step-by-step mode

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 offers a step-by-step mode for beginners and users who want to achieve results quickly. All major tasks when producing music in a virtual recording studio are solved in five, clearly defined steps.

Recording: First, vocals and instruments are recorded on multiple tracks.

Editing: The recorded material is then edited, with a focus on cutting and arranging.

Mixing: The tracks are mixed, i.e. positioned within the volume and stereo panorama.

Mastering: In the end, the entire sound is edited with effects.

Export: After you have completed all stages, the next step is to "output" your

material, either as a classic audio CD or as a song file in MP3 or WAV format. Or you can upload and publish your song directly on the Internet.

In what follows, we will present these five steps in more detail, because "Easy Mode" offers the fastest start into the program.

Quick setup

After starting the program for the first time, the "Easy Setup" dialog appears. In this dialog, you can specify which sound card configurations you would like to use. Usually you will not have to change anything, because Samplitude Music Studio 2013 automatically selects the correct settings. If you are using several sound cards, however, you can select the one you want to work with from the menu.

You can also set your plug-in directory for VST plug-ins and other elements.

The settings dialog appears only once when you start the program for the first time, giving you the chance to check and adjust the settings of Samplitude Music Studio

2013. After that, you can open the dialog by pressing "y" on your keyboard (or via "File" > "Program settings" > "System/Options").

• Beginners should not change the settings at all and simply click "OK".

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Start selection

The start dialog, which appears after every program start, opens:

Tutorial 23

In "Project settings", you can give your project a name (for example, the name of the song you want to record) and specify the number of tracks and a track directory. Everything can be changed at a later stage.

The main purpose of this dialog is to open a new or an existing project that was saved previously. Since we are still at the beginning, we don't have any existing projects yet. Therefore, we will create a new project:

• Click on "New project".

The interface will open in step-by-step mode with the "Recording" setting.

Recording

In this view, you can do recordings via a connected microphone, for example.

It is recommended not to record an entire song at once, but to record the different instruments and voices one after another on different tracks. For example, if you wrote a song that you usually accompany with the guitar, you should record the guitar without vocals first and then add the vocals later, in a second step. This has the advantage of being able to entirely focus on one aspect, i.e. the instrument or vocals, thereby improving recording quality.

The top area displays multiple empty tracks of your project, which are arranged one below the other. The control panel for the recording is located below the tracks. The large display, especially of the time display, enables better control of the recording. This is useful, because as a singer or pianist, you do not want to have to look at the screen continuously in order to follow the progress of the recording. Thanks to the large display, a side glance from the distance is sufficient to see where the recording stands.

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Tutorial 25

• You can activate background music via

Accompaniment. This function is more of a gimmick and allows you to experiment! Let yourself be inspired by the different accompaniments to create your own melodies.

• Metronome adds a regular clicking sound, which serves as a rhythmic orientation.

The sound should be output via headphones to ensure that it is not recorded. You can select different speeds via the arrow keys.

• Practice Speed allows regular playback speed to be reduced. This way, you can

record at half speed and use the result with normal speed.

• Monitor lets you preview audio material and monitor it while recording. The level

displays what enters the sound card inputs. If it reaches the upper red range, the input level is too high. In this case, you should reduce the input volume.

If you are ready to start your first test recording, click on the red "Record" button. Samplitude Music Studio 2013 now starts recording and indicates this in the record window by displaying a counter with the passed record time.

After recording is complete, an audio file with the recording appears in the top track.

Now you can record on other tracks. The red button to the left of every track displays which track is currently being recorded. In the top picture this is track 2.

You can enable any track for recording by clicking with the mouse and then record on any track.

Editing

In the "Editing" view, the record field is deactivated and only the Arranger is visible.

Samplitude Music Studio 2013 offers almost unlimited possibilities for audio editing. In step-by-step mode, the focus is one removing slight irregularities from the audio material.

Let's just say you accidentally knocked the microphone against something while you were singing and now your otherwise good recording is ruined because of the cracks. Instead of using the cleaning effects from the effects menu, we can simply cut out the crackling. This is the easiest and most effective method for removing isolated cracks.

• Play back your recording (the easiest way to do so is by using the spacebar on

your keyboard) and search for the section that you want to cut out.

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Tutorial 27

• You can move the playback marker in the bar ruler above the first track at any

time by clicking.

• If necessary, zoom into the display to get a better view of the waveform display.

To do so, use the horizontal and vertical zoom buttons located in the bottom right-hand corner:

• Place the playback marker just before the crackling and press the "t" key on your

keyboard (or click on the "Scissors" symbol in the toolbar).

• Now place the playback marker just after the crackling and press the "t" key

again.

• Click on the isolated piece containing the crackling and delete it from the track.

Did you cut out too much by mistake? No problem: The object handles located at the edges can be used to recover deleted material and vice versa, to remove bothersome rests.

• To do so, select the section you want to edit with the mouse.

• Move the mouse pointer exactly on top of the handle. After it has turned into a

double-arrow, you can move the front part to the right or to the left with the mouse button held down – ideal for fine-tuning your cuts.

As mentioned before, Samplitude Music Studio 2013 offers many more editing possibilities. We will discuss more options later. For now, we will leave it at this simple editing exercise.

Mixing

The next area of the step-by-step mode opens the mixer. All other elements are hidden to provide a better overview.

With the Mixer you can adjust and even automate the volume and panorama of the recorded tracks. Furthermore, you can add effects and much more.

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Tutorial 29

• Adjust the volume of the individual tracks with the sliders in the lower part of the

mixer until you have a balanced result and every instrument in the song is sufficiently accounted for.

• Take some time and experiment with the effects (Aux, Inserts, Sound FX,

Dynamics, EQ) on the individual tracks.

Mastering

The "Mastering" area of the step-by-step mode opens the Mastering Suite, which is used to optimize the overall sound.

The Mastering Suite includes four devices, which are organized on top of each other in an effects rack. Which device is used for what purpose?

Equalizer: For regulating the sound characteristics. You can set four frequency bands separately in the graphical control panel.

Vitalizer: A stereo effects processor that allows you to change the stereo width. In "Multiband mode" only the mids are edited.

Multimax: A multiband compressor for editing the volume and the sound impression.

Limiter: To prevent overmodulation.

Export

After successfully passing through the four stages of the step-by-step mode, the result is a first, perfect song. The last stage, "Export", is where you decide what you want to do with your song.

There are four options to choose from:

Burn CD: An audio CD that can be played back on any CD player is the typical way of exporting your song.

Save as WAV: An audio file in WAV format is the standard format for audio productions. It can be played back with different software and on multiple devices and features crystal-clear sound.

Save as MP3: MP3 is a space-saving alternative to WAV that can be played back directly in the player.

Upload: This uploads the song directly to the Soundcloud or Facebook community.

This was intended as a first, quick overview of the step-by-step mode!

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