Enabling the recording meters

Recording meters are displayed in the Meters tab at the bottom of the Record dialog so you can check your input before recording.

Click the Meters tab at the bottom of the Record dialog to display recording meters, and then select the Monitor check box to enable the recording meters.  The peak meters represent the volume of the recording input. For best results, the peak level should be somewhere in the yellow range with an occasional red: you want your input to be as loud as possible without clipping.

You can display a peak meter, VU/PPM, a phase scope, and mono-compatibility meter for each channel. To toggle the display of each meter, right-click the Meters tab in the Record dialog and choose a command from the shortcut menu.

A check mark is displayed to indicate which meters are currently visible.

• For more information about using VU/PPM meters, please see VU and Peak Program Meters.

• For more information about using the phase scope, please see Phase Scope.

• For more information about using the mono-compatibility meter, please see Mono Compatibility Meter.

Tips:

• Click the Reset button (or press Alt+T) to reset clip indicators or held peaks or valleys.

• Right-click the meters and choose a setting from the shortcut menu to change the meters’ scale.

• If you are going to decrease the bit depth of your sound file after recording, it is particularly important that you record with the loudest possible levels. High recording levels ensure that you will use the maximum possible dynamic range in the converted file.

Enabling input monitoring

Click the Advanced tab and select the Enable audio input monitoring check box if you want to route the audio received by the input device to the current output device.  

This check box is available only when the Monitor check box on the Meters tab is enabled.

Recording starts at the cursor position. You can perform either of the following steps to change the recording start time (and cursor position) from the Record dialog:

• Type a number in the Start box to specify a position using the current status format.

• Click the Go To button to display the Go To dialog, where you can specify a position using any input format.

If you choose Punch In from the Mode drop-down list, you can specify the length of your recording. If a selection exists when you open the Record dialog, audio will be recorded into the selection, or if no selection exists, audio will be recorded from the cursor position to the end of the file. Do any of the following to change the recording length:

• Type numbers in the End or Length boxes to specify a recording length using the current status format.

• Click the Selection button to display the Set Selection dialog, where you can specify a selection using any input format.

Click the Arm button if you want to begin recording as soon as possible after clicking the Record button .

The Arm button is optional, but can allow for more accurate takes when recording in Punch-In mode. When you click Arm, the wave device is opened and all recording buffers are loaded in order to minimize the amount of time between clicking the Record button and when recording starts.

On the Advanced tab at the bottom of the Record dialog, select the Prerecord buffer check box and type a value in the edit box to maintain a set amount of time in a buffer when Sound Forge software is armed for recording. A prerecording buffer helps to ensure you won’t miss a perfect take if you’re a bit slow to click the Record button.

When you click the Record button , recording starts and the sound data in the buffer is committed to disk. For example, if you set a 15-second buffer, recording effectively begins 15 seconds before you click the Record button.

The prerecord buffer is unavailable in punch-in mode.

1. Click the Record button on the Transport toolbar.

2. From the Method drop-down list, choose Normal.

3. Choose where you want to record. By default, Sound Forge software will record into the current data window, but you can choose to record to a new data window or to any open data window:

4. Click the New button on the Record dialog to create a new data window. The New Window dialog is displayed to allow you to set the attributes for the window. When you record to a new window, you can paste or mix recorded data from the new window into other windows, reducing the risk of accidentally recording over data that you want to keep.

—or—

• Choose a destination window:

a. Click the Window button on the Record dialog to display the Record Window dialog.

b. Choose a window from the Record destination window drop-down list.

c. Click the OK button.

4. Choose a recording mode from the Mode drop-down list.

5. Click the Record button in the Record dialog when you’re ready to start recording.

6. Click the Stop button to stop recording.

7. Click the Close button to close the Record dialog when you’re finished.

Click the Play button (or press Alt+P) to hear the section of data over which you are going to record. After recording, you can click Play to hear the data you have just recorded. During playback, the button changes to a Stop button ; click again to stop playback.

Click the Go to Start button (or press Alt+Z) to return the cursor to the beginning of the current sound file. Use this to review takes or to begin recording from the beginning.

Click the Go to Start of Last Take button to move the cursor to the beginning of the previously recorded take.

Click the Go to End button to move the cursor to the end of the current sound file.

Review takes with pre- and post-roll

In Punch-In and Automatically retake recording modes, you can review your takes with pre- and post-roll to help you review your takes in context.

1. Click the Advanced tab at the bottom of the Record dialog.

2. Select the Review pre/post-roll check box and type values in the boxes to indicate the amount of sound data that should be played preceding or following your recorded take when you review your takes.

• In Punch-In mode, you can review takes with pre- and post-roll.

• In Automatic retake mode, the post-roll control is unavailable.

Overwriting a selection

1. Select the data you want to replace.

2. Click the Record button on the Transport toolbar. The Record dialog is opened.

3. From the Method drop-down list, choose Normal.

4. Choose Punch-in from the Mode drop-down list. The Start, End, and Length boxes are automatically filled in to match your selection.

Click the Selection button to display the Set Selection dialog to make or adjust a selection. You can click the Play button to preview the current selection.

5. Click the Record button in the Record dialog when you’re ready to start recording.

6. Recording will stop at the end of the selection.

Specifying the punch-in location and duration in the Record dialog

1. Click the Record button on the Transport toolbar. The Record dialog is opened.

2. From the Method drop-down list, choose Normal.

3. Choose Punch-In from the Mode drop-down list.

4. Use the Start, End, and Length boxes to specify the length and placement of your recording. The Start, End, and Length boxes are automatically filled in to match your selection or cursor position.

Click the Selection button to display the Set Selection dialog to make or adjust a selection.

5. Click the Record button in the Record dialog when you’re ready to start recording.

6. Click the Stop button to stop recording.

7. Click the Close button to close the Record dialog when you’re finished.

Click the Remote button to hide the main Sound Forge window and show only the Record Remote dialog. The Record Remote dialog will be displayed in the foreground of any application so you can easily record while using other components of your system such as a CD player, mixer, or sequencer.

Click the Back button on the Record Remote dialog to return to the Record dialog.

Many of the commands from the Record dialog are available by right clicking anywhere in the Record Remote dialog.

Click the Insert Marker button (or press M) to place a marker at the current cursor position. This feature allows for easy location of mistakes or points of interest.