Newbie 101-Editing Audio CWP9

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thebear

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Okay, I know this has probably been asked 6 billion times, but here it goes. I (as if you couldn't tell) am extremely new to this. I am now at the point where I can "record at will", meaning I have figured out how to work with the soundcard, cake, and gear to almost record exactly what I want, when I want. YEAH!!!

The question of the day is.....How do I edit an audio track?? I started with the free software that came with the card and it was very simple, you could highlight what you wanted and right click and cut, copy, paste like a regular word document. I cannot for the life of me figure this out in Cake!!!, I tried going to "help" and still am not seeing the picture.

I went into the "audio view" and I see and select the "select", cut, and the little pencil, but how do I select and "highlight" what I want to edit? Boxes also keep popping up telling me what cool things that I can do to the "clips" but I can't "select" what I want to edit.

Example #1: I have inserted markers (begin, and end) to find a section that I would like to "copy" and paste, but can't figure out how to do it.

Example #2: There is a major (actually only a bad note) choke that I would like to "cut" or delete out of the track, and have it "blend" like it was never there (pop up boxes keep telling me that I can do this!! LOL) but when I "cut" a line appears but I do not know how to "select" the section of audio. And every time I try, it just gets worse and worse!!! AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!! :)

Sorry if this is an extremely dumb question, but it is driving me NUTZ that I can't figure it out!!!!!! Yes, I know, you will all probably say that it is a short drive.....but none the less...........

Thanx in advance for the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Later
 
Try Split... with the audio clip selected. put the cursor where you want and hit the S key (or select Split from the Edit menu...
 
You do all your audio editing in CWPA9 in the Audio View.

To cut something, use the scissor tool. Make a cut before and after the piece you want to cut out. Then using the regular cursor (arrow tool), click on the newly cut piece to highlight it. From there you can hit the delete key to get rid of it, or you can also copy, cut, or drag-and-drop the highlighted section (just like with a word processor).

The other thing to watch out for is the "snap to" grid. Depending on what you have this set to, you may not be able to get the cursor to do what you want. For ex., if it is set to "measure" it will only allow you to place the cursor line at the start of whole measures. I'd suggest turning the "snap to" grid completely off until you get the hang of it.

A final suggestion is only make cuts in silent sections. Otherwise you are likely to be able to hear the cut.
 
Thanx!!

I am at work but will try it when I get home. Driving me crazy.

Unfortunately it is not in a "silence" area. Those pop up boxes say that they can "blend" or "fill hole", these tracks I am working on are not like product like I would cringe if one got destroyed so if you have other insight I would try to use some of the other features.

I know what you mean about the grid. I really appreciate the help. I can't wait to try it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kind of embarrising to have to ask such dumb questions, but I went through help and just did not get it!! LOL,,,,,aaaaahhhhhh the life of a newbie!! See ya later
 
If you don't have a silent section to work with, then make sure you make the cut at a "zero crossing". But my experience says it's likley to be audible anyway.

Generally when I have problems like this, the best thing is to simply overdub a new part. Set a punch in at the first silent section before the mistake and a punch out at the first silent section after the mistake, and rerecord the part.

BTW, the silence only needs to be a split-second. Often just a breath between words will suffice.

Something else that has occasionally worked for me is to put a very short inverse linear fade out on the material. Start the fade right before the cut and end it at the cut. You have to let yours ears judge whether it works or not.

Good luck.
 
If the part that you messed up on (say a part on the verse or chorus) has been repeated in the song then you can just delete the bad take and copy and paste the other part in it's place. On the other hand if it was a solo or something that is only on there once, then you can try dachay's suggestion and overdub a new part, but make sure that you record it to a new track and make sure that it sounds right and matches the part before it (so that it doesn't stand out as being overdubed) before you delete the bad take. It can sometimes be hard to try to match the same settings (volume/EQ ect.) that you had when you first recorded the part.

Also the only way to get better at this eiting stuff is to practice, practice, practice. Save the same project as something different so you don't mess up your original tracks, and then cut, paste, glue, bend, blend, duct tape, ect. the different parts together. Experiment and try to make them sound as if they were origially recorded that way or at the very least not that noticable. ;)

Hope that helps

-tkr
 
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THANX!!!

Ok!!! I am getting the drift!!! Thanx for all the input, I am still at the beginning of this digi-recording learning process, and I have been doing nothing BUT PRACTICING !!!!!! LOL. I just keep recording different things and then hacking them to pieces with all the the toys that cake provides. Trying to get to the point where I can do what I want, when I want!!

The sad thing (good thing???....) that I am learning, sort of what you guys mentioned about punch in and out or over dubbing, is that not only did I record the acoustic played through my Digitech processor (that I have since edited the bank that I originally had set....:)) I also played around with the cake effects, and have NO clue what I DID!!!!! So.......to try to recreate that again would be virtually impossibe, hence why I have not yet begun to record stuff that I would be heartbroken if was lost or destroyed...........LOL!!!!

These tracks that I have recorded are just to learn. And learning I Am!!!! It is really kind of involved once you start playing with all these toys!! At first I was like, yeah do this, and add a little of this, and.... I now see why they give you all the space in the "properties" box so that you can write down EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID!!!! It is fun!! And Ya'll out here in CYBERSPACE ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanx again for heading me in the correct direction, and not BASHING a poor pathetic woodland creature with Dumb Newbie questions......everyone here is some what directly responsible for getting me this far!!!! Laterrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
Hey Bear

Glad to see you catching on so quick, I've been following your posts...just haven't had to jump into any...

I just wanted to mention that as a general rule, I use the freebee sound forge xp for small files like samples that just need silence removed or volume changes. You can't beat it's simplicity for multiple small file editing, I'd like to see the highlight and edit approach incoorperated into all sound editors. but for tracks you have to keep it in cake, cut it to pieces or do whatever everyone else mentioned.

It is important to remember what you changed, take notes, or you'll be guessing every time you edit.

I've also been using recording to set patches on my processor, It's the best way because sometimes you think your sound is better while your playing than it really is, must be the vibrations of the guitar against your body or something. it also help reduce the amount of post tracking editing.

TX
 
LOL!!!

Well HOWDY torp, How are ya?????......funny you should mention that....Before I put this post out, after an hour of banging my head on my monitor......, repeatedly smashing hands with my keyboard, and swinging my mouse into the wall two dozen times..............in MASS frustration.....I opened the track in some editor that came with the card ( it reminds me of a very nice version of Gold Wave, been using GW for a coulple of years, basically for work stuff, nothing fun) it was simple to edit, cut, copy paste in the stock editor, but I have been trying to break that habit, so that I could learn how to use cake. And the time that it takes to convert the track just so that I can edit it, and then bring it back into Cake is a waste of time. I Find that cake makes everything difficult. The stock editor, I never have even read or looked at HELP, it is just set up very similar to any windows application. But..............try to get CAKE to submit.........that my friend is a struggle.......But........I have a bigger stick, and I will beat Cake into submission!!!!!!!!!!

I am still fightng though and REFUSE to let Cake beat me!!! LOL It seems that cake will do amazing things, but I just haven't figured out how as of yet...............Like it keeps "offering" to blend this fine "hack/choke" that I am trying to remove from this test track, but, I can't for the life of me figure out HOW!!....... I have tomorrow off and I am gonna beat the LIVIN CRAP OUTTA CAKE!!! I will post my newest events on this ongoing editing madness of mine and let ya' all know how I made out.........More than likely I will just have some more LAME questions!!!!:). SUCH IS LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Later!!
 
Today, when you start to edit in Cakewalk, you should post us. Let us know exatly what you are doing AND what you are trying to accomplish.

nips
 
alrighty then.......:)

Hey......well I have (thanx to the helpfull crew here.....) figured out how to "cut" "delete" and "paste"......I am also learning the importance of "documenting" what you are doing, as you are doing it. I have not tried it yet but the next "test" track that I lay I will document what settings that I am using, i.e., what guitar/mic/or processor/ and try the punch in, punch out to try and fix a bad note/part of a song.....LOL, I am sure by that time I will have yet....another interesting thread for you "digi-gods" to help me with!!!!

What I have found is that it is almost ( maybe with a heap load more of practice...) impossible to "cut" a part/bad note/s out and have it sound right again. I did not try the fade out at the cut, and fade in at the beginning, but like I had mentioned, these tracks I am talking about are simply for practicing in Cake, but I will keep that trick in mind for the next time. My personal feelings are that the PUNCH IN/OUT would be the way to go..........I will master this madness yet!!!!:)

Sorry I was late getting back to ya'll, but I work crazy hours and I got hung up!!!! Plus I work in the IS field (networkng) and sometimes by the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is open yet another email program, or get frustrated with the harsh learning curve of CAKE.....You would have laughed though....I spent about two hours trying to "copy" another part of the song and pasting it in the "hole" that I deleted, it would sound terrible, then I would try again.....LOL!!!! ahhhhhh.......the beat goes on!!!

Have no fear!!!!! I shall return will more mind boggglllling questions based upon the digital realm of recording/editing....I have only yet begun............Thank you all for the help....the fact that I could "SEE" the tools......but couldn't use them was maddening!!!!!!! Later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Okay....got an issue that I am trying now....

I have layed down a track....simple blues rythym...now what I would LIKE......hence the word LIKE, to do is...........some how copy the bars/chord progression/rythym and paste it to the end to loop it so that I can just play a little bit of the rythym and then just loop it so that I have like a five minute track recorded instead of a one minute track.....know what I mean???

Do I have to cut it down to just exactly what I want and then use the looping function, and then create a NEW track, arm the NEW track and some how record it via a patch cable ( I have been warned about recording "what you hear") or something to this effect to do what I am trying??? Thanx in advance!!!!
 
Re: Okay....got an issue that I am trying now....

thebear said:
Do I have to cut it down to just exactly what I want and then use the looping function, and then create a NEW track, arm the NEW track and some how record it via a patch cable ( I have been warned about recording "what you hear") or something to this effect to do what I am trying???
Click to expand...
Hmmmmm.....don't think that will work (someone correct me if I'm wrong) because when you enable the loop function it will not only loop the recorded part (your blues rythem) it will also loop the track that you're recording to, so your recording will be recorded on top of it's self over and over and over again on the new track, which I've accidentally done a few times (forget to turn off the loop fuction before I hit record). I think what you're gonna have to do is just copy and paste the clips (in the audio or track view) until it's the length you want it. Also after you have copied, pasted, and lined up a few clips you can use the "Ctrl" or the "Shift" key to select more than one clip so that you don't have to copy and paste just one clip through out the whole song.

Hope that helps

-tkr
 
Yeah

The easiest way is to cut out the measures you want to loop right from the tracks you want to loop and paste them at the end, I hope your measures are timed with the tempo so you can just cut (split than cut) the measures you want.

There's some advanced features to line up the timing, but I never used them, that is if your measures aren't at tempo, if they aren't at tempo maybe alchuck can talk you through lining them up.

if they are at tempo, right click on the grid button (the only one that looks like a 9 lined #) set it to whole if it's not. now right click on the first track you want to loop, at the starting measure. select split, if it says the correct measure number in the dialog box, click OK. now repeat at the end measure of the same track you want to loop.... now you have a clip

highlight and right click on the clip and select copy, another confusing dialog box pops up, just press OK.

now if there any garbage (runoff) after the peice you copied, it's now its own clip, right click on it and select delete.

Now, you just right click at the end of the track you want to loop (on the proper measure that is) select paste, repeat as many times as nessecary, go on to next track.


if you want to loop multiple tracks, you can select all of them by holding the control button and clicking on the number on the left side of the track, (oh, this is all in track view BTW) then put your mouse pointer over one of the tracks, right click on the correct measure, select split......etc.

I hope you can understand that, I sure as hell can't :D
TX
 
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