Editing soundfiles with SND

Sound editing on Snd is powerful but not as easy as with other simpler editors. Good advice is learning emacs like keyboard combinations (see below), and then try them on a SND window. To make things easier start with a short (3 secs) mono (one - channel) soundfile.

[c-x means control-x or the keyboard combination <ctrl>-<x> ] [m-x means meta-x and at CCRMA is the keyboard combination <esc>-<x>]

Above Snd's main edit window. Cursor can be moved either by clicking or with computer keyboard shortcut (aka keybindings). Regions can also be selected to edit or process either by dragging the mouse or by keybindings.

Now, if you have a soundfile in the active window try the following combinations and watch the cursor in the displayed soundfile active window. If you don't have a soundfile you can use the open command in the file pull-down menu of SND.

c-a :	move cursor to window start
c-e :	move cursor to window end
c-v :	move cursor to mid-window
c-l :	position window so cursor is in the middle
c-f :	move cursor ahead one sample
c-b :	move cursor back one sample
c-q :	play current channel starting at cursor
c-t :	stop playing
c-<space bar> :	start selection definition
c-m :	place (or remove) mark at cursor location
c-j :	goto mark
c-w :	delete (cut) current region
M-w :	(copy) current region
c-y :	paste in last deleted region
c-_ :	undo
c-x c-s :	save your current edition
C-x C-o :	show control panel
C-x C-c :	hide control panel

TIP: To play a sound file from a place other than the beginning:

1. Activate sync or sync/unite modes in the lower right check-boxes

2. Create a synchronize marker by:

   
             c-s-M (control-shift capital)         
   
   You should you get markers for all the channels.

3. To play from that location just click on the triangle in any of the markers.

4. Playback should start.

5. You can also move this markers and even 'rock the reels' by dragging the mouse.

A more complex but very useful combination for doing zero padding to your soundfile (i.e. adding silence) might be:

          c-u 0.5 c-o        

The real number in this case 0.5, means that you will insert 0.5 seconds of silence after your cursor position. Of course you can use whatever value (in seconds) you might want.

Try to move forward or backward using the following combinations:

 
      c-a            ;;; move cursor to the beginning
      c-u 0.4 c-f    ;;; move cursor forward 0.4 seconds
      c-e            ;;; move cursor to the end
      c-u 1.12 c-b   ;;; nove cursor backwards 1.12 seconds
      c-[Space]      ;;; start selection definition
      c-e            ;;; a selection of 1.12 seconds

If,

          c-u        

is followed by a float number , the actual count is that number multiplied by the current sampling rate.

Note: These combinations and more can be viewed on the online Help menu at the overview command at the right side of the SND active window.