Bias Peak 4.14 New Feature Addendum Software User’s Guide UG EN

User Manual: bias Peak - 4.14 - Software User’s Guide Addendum Free User Guide for BIAS Peak Software, Manual

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Peak

Version 4.14

Software User’s Guide Addendum

TM

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 2

Addendum:

Peak 4.14 New Features

Introduction

Peak 4.14 is a free update for registered users. It

provides new features and functionality, including:

• Supports Mac OS X v. 10.4 (“Tiger”)

• Provides a higher quality real-time sample rate

converter when playing audio documents with a

sample rate that is different from the supported

sample rates of the audio device being played on.

• A new feature allows the loop flags in AIFF files to

be turned on or off when saving.

• A new feature, “Auto Define Tracks” has been

added to the list of available DSP processes.

The 4.14 update also includes a number of other

enhancements – for more details, please see the

included Peak 4.14 Read Me document.

Directions for using New Features

Of the new features/functionality in Peak 4.14, some are

enhancements that operate behind the scenes and do

not require user interaction, and some are new features

that require explanation. This section goes over using

the new features in version 4.14.

Auto Define Tracks

The Auto Define Tracks tool allows you to automatically

split audio recordings into separate Regions, each of

which will become an individual CD track when an audio

CD is burned. This tool is useful for quickly editing LP

and cassette recordings, and then burning them to CD.

This DSP tool works by automatically placing Region

markers into an audio document based on audio level,

minimum period of silence between songs, and

minimum song duration. Peak analyzes the audio levels

throughout a document, and places Region markers

around each song. The louder parts are considered to be

songs, and the quieter parts are the gaps between them.

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 3

When Auto Defining Tracks, Region markers are placed into the

audio document as settings are made – this makes it easy to see if

your settings are accurate.

Since some songs may contain very quiet parts that could

mistakenly be interpreted as gaps between tracks, a few

parameters are available to help Peak correctly

distinguish between songs and the gaps between them.

Minimum Silence Between Tracks

This field is used to enter the minimum gap time between

songs in the audio document you are working with. If a

recording you are working with contains two second gaps

between each song, start with the default value of “2.00” in

this field. If the gaps between songs vary in length, enter the

value of the shortest gap in the entire recording.

If you need to measure the gap time between

songs, activate the Cursor Info overlay by selecting

Show Cursor Info (



-Shift-T) from the Options

menu, and then select the gap between songs in the

audio waveform – the Cursor Info overlay will tell

you the length of the selected area. You may also

need to set your preferred Time Units to

Min:Sec:ms – this can be done in the Options

Menu>Time Units.

Minimum Track Duration

Peak needs to have some information about the length of

each song, in order to accurately divide a long recording

into individual songs.

The Minimum Track Duration parameter tells Peak how

long the shortest song in a recording is, and helps ensure

that Region markers are placed in the correct location in the

audio waveform – that is, a begin Region marker just before

a song starts, and an end Region marker just after a song

ends – even if the audio level falls below the threshold value

set with the Silence is Audio Below slider (see next section).

If a recording you are working with contains songs that are

all approximately 4-5 minutes long, a good value to enter in

this field would be 240 seconds (4 minutes).

Silence is Audio Below slider

This slider controls the threshold level between audio

material you wish to define as a Region and the gaps

between it. As this slider is moved, you will notice

Region markers appearing in the audio waveform in the

background, and you will also notice the value in the

Number of Songs field changing. (More information on

the Number of Songs field is in the next section).

For example, if you are working with a recording from a

cassette, the gaps will typically contain hiss or other

noise that is not completely silent, but has a significantly

lower amplitude level than the program material that you

are trying to isolate into tracks. By adjusting the Silence

is Audio Below slider, you can make the judgment as to

what should be silence, even if it does contain some low

level audio such as tape hiss, or other background noise.

Number of Songs field

This numerical field is tied to the Silence is Audio Below

slider, and displays the number of songs that Peak

automatically detects in a recording, based on the settings

used for Minimum Silence Between Songs, Minimum Track

Duration, and Silence is Audio Below. Depending on the

settings you choose, Peak will detect a different number of

songs, and this field will display different numbers.

When the Silence is Audio Below slider is moved, the

number of songs detected will update, and typing in a new

value in the Number of Songs field will update the Silence is

Audio Below slider.

Typically, the automatic number of songs detected is very

accurate, provided you have entered accurate settings for

the other parameters that define tracks. There may be times

however, where Peak detects more or fewer songs than the

recording actually contains.

You may choose to define the number of tracks using the

Silence is Audio Below slider, or by typing in a known

number of songs in the recording, and then fine tuning with

the Silence is Audio Below slider.

Be aware that the values you enter in the Number of Songs

field, and the values you set with the Silence is Audio Below

slider may override each other.

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 4

To Auto Define Tracks:

1. Open a recording from a cassette or LP.

2. Select All (-A).

3. From the DSP menu, choose Auto Define Tracks.

4. In the Minimum Silence Between Songs field, enter

the shortest amount of time (gap time) between

any two songs in the entire recording.

5. In the Minimum Track Duration field, enter the

length of the shortest song in the recording.

6. Adjust the Silence is Audio Below slider until the

Number of Songs field reflects the actual number

of songs in the recording – Peak inserts Region

markers for each song detected (you can visually

scan the waveform of the entire recording and

count the number of individual songs).

7. Click OK.

Tips for using Auto Define Tracks

Before Auto Defining Tracks

When recording cassettes and LPs, you will be working with fairly

long audio documents, and there are a few things you can do to

get the most accurate results with the Auto Define Tracks tool.

• Zoom out all the way, so you can see the entire

recording from beginning to end. This way, when

you are setting parameters in the Auto Define

Tracks dialog, you will be able to see where Region

markers are being placed in the audio waveform.

• Delete excess silence – if you have recorded excess

silence at the beginning or end of the audio

document, or recorded a long pause when “flipping”

a cassette or LP, it’s a good idea to edit this out before

attempting to use the Auto Define Tracks tool.

• You may want to apply noise reduction for clicks,

crackles, pops, broadband noise, and hum before

auto-defining tracks. These types of noise are

reflected in the audio waveform and may interfere

with accurate placement of markers. Some of

Peak’s built-in tools can help reduce/remove

certain kinds of unwanted noise, but for the best

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 5

Excess silence at the beginning of a recording should be deleted

Excess silence in the middle of a recording should be deleted – this

space was created when recording a cassette, when flipping the

cassette to record side 2

Excess silence at the end of a recording should be deleted

Zooming out all the way gives the best view of the entire recording,

and lets you see individual songs/tracks in the waveform

results, BIAS recommends using SoundSoap or

SoundSoap Pro. More information is available at:

http://www.bias-inc.com/products/soundsoap/

http://www.bias-inc.com/products/soundsoappro/

• Get an idea of the length of songs and gap times

between songs – this will give the most accurate

results in placing Region markers/creating tracks.

From the Options menu, choose Show Cursor Info

(-Shift-T), this will show you the duration of the

selected portion of the waveform.

• Visually scan the audio waveform, while looking for:

-The number of songs in the recording – you

should be able to see how many individual

songs there are by counting the number of

high amplitude areas.

-The shortest song – select the shortest song

from beginning to end, and then turn on

Cursor Info, which will show the length of the

selected part of the waveform. You may need

to zoom in to make a more accurate selection.

-The shortest gap time between songs – select

the gap between songs and measure using the

Cursor Info overlay.

After Auto Defining Tracks

There may be times when an anomaly in the audio

waveform, or a less than ideal setting causes a

track/Region marker to be placed in the wrong location.

In some cases, when most of the tracks have been

identified correctly, but one or two have not, it may be

easiest to simply adjust the markers that are in the wrong

position.

Region markers may be moved by clicking and dragging

the triangular base to the left or right. Also, by engaging

Peak’s Vertical Lock mode, you may move the end of one

song/Region and the beginning of the next at the same

time.

This technique is especially useful when working with

live recordings or DJ mixes, where it’s important to

preserve the overall duration and timing – but a track

index needs to be adjusted into the correct position.

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 6

The end of Track 4 and the beginning of Track 5 is not in quite the

right place...

Turning on Peak’s Vertical Lock mode allows the end of Track 4 and

beginning of Track 5 to be moved at the same time...

Now they are in the right place, so Track 5 starts just before the

audio starts to fade in

Turning on the translucent Cursor Info overlay allows you to see

information about selection length, x/y cursor position, etc.

Nudging Markers

If all the Region markers placed into an audio document

are incorrectly placed, but are off by a small amount, you

may wish to use the Nudge feature to adjust them all

simultaneously. To nudge a group of markers, select the

portion of the audio waveform that contains the markers

you wish to nudge, and then choose Nudge from the

Action menu.

Now that you know a bit about Peak’s Auto Define Tracks

tool, give it a try! This feature can save lots of time, and

the more you use it, and get a feel for how the various

parameters need to be set, the faster it will work.

Turn Loop Flag On/Off on Save

This feature allows the loop flag in AIFF files to be turned

on or off when saving a file. The state of this loop flag

when a file is saved determines the file’s playback

behavior when loaded into Peak again, or into another

application capable of reading embedded loop flags.

The loop flag is now toggled on or off when saving,

depending on the state of the Loop Playback setting in

Peak.

To Save an AIFF File with the Loop Flag On:

1. From the Options menu, choose Use Loop in

Playback (-L), or click the Use Loop in Playback

button in the Transport. A check next to the menu

item, or an illuminated button in the Transport

indicates the loop flag is turned on.

2. Save the AIFF file – the loop flag is saved in the on

position.

To Save an AIFF File with the Loop Flag Off:

1. From the Options menu, choose Use Loop in

Playback (-L), or click the Use Loop in Playback

button in the Transport. The absence of a check

next to the menu item, or a non-illuminated button

in the Transport indicates the loop flag is turned

on.

2. Save the AIFF file – the loop flag is saved in the off

position.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoy the new updated features and

functionality in Peak 4.14.

Addendum: Peak 4.14 New Features 6

If multiple markers are off by the same amount, using Peak’s Nudge

Markers tool is an easy way to move them all at the same time

There are two ways to turn Use Loop in Playback on or off