Beta 0.91 Notes Feb 18, 1992 =========================== Fixes a major Cue List bug that caused the 0.90 Cue List to be almost useless. Beta 0.90 Notes Feb 14, 1992 ============================ Beta 0.90 is identical to 0.70 except for many bug fixes, including: 1. Record often crashed in 0.70 2. Cue List is now much more reliable 3. Many, many other bug fixes Beta 0.70 Notes Jan 17, 1992 ============================ This file contains a brief overview of the changes since version 0.52. A complete manual will follow with version 1.00 in about one month. Please report any bugs that you find with version 0.70 to Anthony Wood at SunRize Industries (408) 374-4962 so that we may fix them for release 1.0. Or you can Fax at (408) 374-4963. Working Directory ================= After you install version 0.7, your work path will be reset to "AUDIO:". If you have used MasterPreferences to change the work path in versions prior to 0.7, you will need to set it again after installing 0.7. This is is done by running MasterPreferences and setting the "Work:" path then selecting "SAVE". dB's ==== Volumes are now specified in "Decibels" (dBs). dBs are a logrithmic scale used for specifying levels in audio systems. Zero dB means no gain. Attenuations are negative, and gains are positive. For example: -6dB is the same as 50% volume -12dB is the same as 25% volume +6dB is the same as 200% volume dB=-20log(gain). Eg. -6=-20log(0.5). Cue List Addendum: ================== The internals of the cue list have been extensively modified for this release of Studio 16. The user interface has not changed very much but you may notice a different 'feel' of its internal behaviors. The major interface changes are listed below: - A sample no longer has to begin playing from the beginning. This is useful when you are working with long samples and it is more convenient for you to start time code in the middle of a long sample. - Sounds are more accurately triggered. - The F1 key may be used to duplicate the current cue entry - The F2 key may be used to delete the current cue entry. - The cue list now supports SMPTE frame rates of 30,25, and 24 frames per second. Use Master Preferences to select the desired rate. -Up and down arrow keys may be used to scroll through list Editor Addendum =============== -By clicking the '?' in the editor title bar, you can now display marked ranges in SMPTE format. -You can now open more than one editor at a time. -Paste (both destructive, and non-destructive) has been enhanced. When pasting, you are now asked if you want to "insert" (insert the copy buffer at the beginning of the marked range) or "Replace" (replace the marked range with the contents of the copy buffer). -In destructive mode, "build wave" has been replaced with "Compress". This is perhaps a misnomer, and may change in the future. Compress will replace the current sample with a version that reflects the graph. In other words, all previously made non-destructive edits will be made permanent. -'Set Rate' now lets you specify a default volume. Making a copy of the current sample or a range ---------------------------------------------- From within the editor, you may want to create a new sample based on the current sample. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Mark a range to copied into a new sample 2. Select "Dest" 3. Select Copy 4. Switch to the open list 5. Select CopyBuffer 6. Select Rename. Now enter a new name for the marked range. SMPTE Monitor Addendum ====================== While the SMPTE monitor window is active (click it with mouse), you can press the space bar to freeze the current SMPTE time code. Press the space bar again to un-pause the display. Open List Addendum ================== -'Close' has been renamed 'Erase' -'Rename' has been added to rename a sample. Transport Documentation ======================== The transport can be used as a digital multi-track recorder. Its main functions are to: 1. Play back four sample aligned sounds. 2. Play 3 sample aligned sounds while recording the input of the card. 3. To playback three aligned sounds while recording the output of the mixer. You may also record your Cue Lists. Along the left side of the window there are four droplists. Use these gadgets to choose the sound(s) to playback. If record is selected, then the forth channel becomes the record channel. Along the bottom of the window are your transport controls. Use this controls to start playback and or the recording of samples. The Pause button pauses all playback, not just the transport samples. In order to record, both the record and play buttons must be selected. Sample Parameters ----------------- Selecting the Sample Parameters gadget causes three slider gadgets to appear. With these gadgets you can adjust the input gain, the cutoff filter frequency and the sampling rate. Record Parameters ----------------- Selecting the Record Parameters allows you to adjust the type of record mode, and several record options. The string gadget contains the base file name for any sample you record. If the sample name is already being used by another sample, the transport simply appends a number to the end of the sample. The Inherit Rate/Fixed Rate gadget allows you choose to record at the sampling rate of the last sample currently playing or using the sampling rate that appears on the sampling rate gadget. The Record Input / Record Output gadget is used to select the type of recording to be performed. If it displays 'Rec Input' then all subsequent recording will record the input of the card exclusively. You may playback samples while you record but they will not effect the record channel. If the gadget displays 'Rec Output' then any subsequent recording will record the output of the mixer (what you hear coming out of the card). This allows you to Ping Pong or combine three playback tracks into one playback track. This is useful for when you want to playback more than four samples at the same time. Simply combine the several samples together into submixes and then playback the submixes. The Auto Stop / Manual Stop gadget allows you choose whether you want recording to stop after the longest playing sample ends or only when you select the stop button. If you are going to record the output of the cue list use manual stop. The Sample Volume / Manual Volume gadget allows the user to choose whether to use a samples default volume (usual 0dB) or use the current values displayed in the mixer. The Mixer: ========== This version of Studio 16 offers a more complete visual mixing system. The old mixer is still available under the name Tiny Mixer and should be used if samples begin to stutter (The new mixer uses more CPU resources than the old one.) The mixer consist of 6 channels, one for input, one for output, one for each of its four channels. Each channel has a volume slider, a clip indicator, and a visual graph. To adjust the volume of a track simply move the appropriate slider. The mixer also displays what sample is playing on which track, this makes it easy to identify which volume slider you need to adjust. The input channel has an Input Gain gadget. Use this gadget to adjust the level of the signal coming into the card. There is a definite difference between the input gain and the input volume. The input gain adjusts the amplitude of the analog signal being sent to the ADC while the input volume manipulates numbers to adjust the amount of digital signal to send to the DAC. All that simply means, in order to get the best sound quality during record, adjust the input volume to 0dB and then adjust the input gain to a value just below clipping. For most cases the output channel should be set to 0dBs. Since this control uses numbers rather than op amps, reducing this value also reduces the dynamic range of the AD1012. The main function of this channel is to fade in and out during final mixing and submixing.