Effects Overview

Effects modify, enhance, and change sounds in a variety of ways. These commands are similar to font menu commands in word processors. For example, using font commands, you can change the size of the letters. In GoldWave, using Change Volume changes the "size" of a sound. Changing the colour of a font would be similar to changing the pitch of a sound using Pitch

For an introduction to some of the terms used in this section, refer to the Editing Overview section and Appendix A. A variety of volume scales may be used by effects.

Most effects in GoldWave are cumulative. This means that if you use the same effect with the same settings, then the sound is changed each time. For example, if you use Change Volume with a value of -6.02dB, then the volume of the sound decreases to half its current level. If you use that effect again, the volume decrease again, giving one quarter the original volume.

Another example is Time. If you specify a change of 50%, then time is slowed to half and the sound is twice as long. Using the effect again at 50% makes the sound four times as long.

There are a few exceptions. Maximize Volume has an absolute setting. Maximizing the volume to 0dB sets the sound's peak volume to 0dB. Using the effect again at 0dB has no affect.

The Effect Chain Editor tool allows several simple effects to be chained together and processed as a single unit for faster processing.

Batch Processing allows any number of edits and effects to be applied many files.

Common Controls for Effects

Many effects have similar controls such as presets and shape boxes. These are explained in detail in the following sections.

Figure: Common Controls for Effects
Graph Window Left-click to add or drag-and-drop point.
Right-click to remove point.
Shape Line Current Point Shape Controls Preview
Controls
Preset Controls

Presets

Presets store settings, parameters, and shapes (described below) for quick retrieval the next time the effect or command is used. Controls for presets consist of a drop down list box, an add Add button, and a remove Remove button, as shown in the figure above.

Most effects have a Default preset, which can be changed so that the same settings are used every time the effect window is shown. See Options | Window for a setting to automatically update the Default whenever an effect is used.

To add a new preset:

  1. Enter in all the new parameters and/or draw the new shape.
  2. Type in a new name for the preset in the drop down list. This name should be the same as one currently in the list unless you intend to replace it.
  3. Choose the add Add button.

To delete a preset:

  1. Select the preset from the drop down list.
  2. Choose the remove Remove button.
  3. Choose the Yes button to confirm deletion.

To change a preset:

  1. Select the preset from the drop down list.
  2. Change the parameters.
  3. Choose the add Add button.
  4. Choose the Yes button to overwrite the preset when prompted.

If you change any of the presets installed by GoldWave, including the Default preset, they will be reset to their original settings if you reinstall or update GoldWave. Use a different preset name to retain a preset across updates.

Shape Controls

Several effects in GoldWave use Shape Controls to set graphical parameters or dynamically alter the effect across the selection. Shape Controls usually consist of a graph window and a set of controls, including a Point number box, an Add Point button, a Remove Point button, an X value box, and a Y value box as shown in the figure above.

Graph Window
The graph window initially contains a single line with two endpoints, shown as large dots. By clicking the left mouse button anywhere inside this window, you can add new points to bend the line into a variety of zigzag shapes. To move a point, click on it and drag it to a new location. To remove a point, click the right mouse button over the point. Note that endpoints cannot be removed.

Controls
Points can be added, moved, and removed by using these controls. Use the Point box to select the current point. Change the X and Y values to move the point. Use the Add Point button to insert a new point between the current point and the next point. Use the Remove Point button to remove the current point, except if it is an endpoint.

Shape Controls
Control Description
Graph Window Displays the current shape and graph. Click the mouse in the window to add points. Right-click to remove a point.
Point Sets the current point and associates X, Y, and Remove Point to that point.
X Sets the X value for the current point.
Y Sets the Y value for the current point.
Add Point Adds a new point between the current point and the next point.
Remove Point Removes the current point.
Time Adjusts the time within the selection for the graph. May set the preview start time.

Some dynamic effects, such as Doppler, Pan, and Shape Volume start previewing audio based on the current point's time value. If the X value of the current point is 1:00, for example, then preview playback starts at that time rather than at the beginning of the selection. This lets you preview the point's settings without playing the entire selection.

To save a shape, use the Presets controls, explained above.

Preview Controls

Previewing is a way of listening to how the current effect settings will sound without having to process the entire selection first. Preview Controls consist of a Play Play button and a Stop Stop button. When the Play button is pressed, previewing usually starts at the beginning of the selection. In some cases, such as effects that have time based shapes, previewing will start at the current point's time rather than at the beginning of the selection.

In most cases, any changes in the effect settings while previewing are applied in real-time so you can hear the changes as they are made. For more complex effects and most shape based effects, the Update button must be used to update previewing with the changes.

The Update button is used only for previewing. It does not apply the effect to the sound. Use the OK button to process the file.

FFT Settings

When performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processing, the sound is divided into small blocks and processed one block at a time. The FFT size value controls the size of the these blocks. The number of samples to process is calculated by taking the value as a power of 2. A value of 10 gives 2 to the 10th power, or 1024 samples. By increasing the number of samples, frequencies are processed at a higher resolution, which helps to eliminate chirping and other mechanical sound distortions, but it tends to add more echo. Usually values from 11 to 12 give the best trade-off between distortions and echo.

To smooth out transitions from one block to the next, it is necessary to overlap blocks. The Overlap value controls how much of the FFT analysis of one block overlaps the next. A high value makes the transition between each block smoother. It also requires more processing time since overlapping samples are recalculated several times. A low value may result in rougher transitions, but processes faster. For complex audio and tempo or pitch modifying effects, higher values may give better quality.

FFT Settings
Setting Description
FFT Size Controls the number of samples to process in an FFT analysis block (power of 2).
Overlap Controls the amount of overlap for each FFT analysis block. Usually set to 4x (75% overlap).

Effect Plug-ins

Effect plug-ins are modules developed by other companies that can be used within GoldWave. These appear under the Effect | Plug-in menu. DirectX and VST plug-in wrappers are available for GoldWave to add support for many of the existing DirectX and VST Audio Plug-ins. Other plug-ins are designed to work with GoldWave directly and will appear as separate items under the plug-in menu, each with its own submenu of effects. In some cases settings for effect plug-ins can be changed using the Options | Plug-in | Effect menu.

If any errors or exceptions occur while using a plug-in, you'll need to contact the plug-in creator for assistance. GoldWave Inc. cannot provide support for plug-ins created by separate (third party) developers.