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 button, and a 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 button.

To delete a preset:

1. Select the preset from the drop down list.
2. Choose the 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 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.

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 button and a 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.