Manual - Audio Dementia

Easy-to-use visual interface
5.1 Surround Sound mode
Stereo mode
Unlimited track capability
Exports .wav, .aiff, and .au file formats
Records and plays music exclusively as .wav file format
VST plug-ins capability
Real time mixing
Multiple selections of volume control
Easy drag and drop addition of tracks
Infinite track loops

Using Audio Dementia

The main area of Audio Dementia is the Stage. This is where Tracks are placed and moved about in relation to the Listener. Just as if you were in a room with a speaker, the distance a Track is from the Listener determines its volume and the angle in relation to the Listener determines its pan. The volume and pan of a Track can be recorded at specific moments throughout a Project using Drop Points. This provides an easier, more intuitive approach to audio mixing.

Getting Started

Before you can start using Audio Dementia, you must first select the sound hardware you will use.

Selecting your Audio Hardware-

Select Options:Preferences from the drop menu at the top of the window.

The Primary Sound Device determines which device you use for playback, while the Record Device determines which device is used to record information from Audio Dementia.

Starting a New Project-

Select File:New Project from the drop menu at the top of the window.

Here you must name your project, designate it’s save folder, and determine if you will be working in Stereo or 5.1 Surround Sound.

Locating Sound Files-

Use the File Library to browse through your computer’s folders and locate the files you’d like to use. Once you have found the files you’d like to use, simply drag and drop them from the File Library onto the Stage. Audio Dementia currently supports uncompressed PCM .wav file types.

Drop Point Tutorial

I. Select File: New Project from the drop menu at the top of the window. Name your project and choose the directory where you would eventually like the results to be saved. Choose a stereo project for now.

II. To the left of the Stage is the File Library. Here you can locate your various audio files and import them to the Stage. To do so, simply click and drag them from the File Library onto the Stage.

III. Move the Track Icon around the Stage to adjust the volume and pan of the first Drop Point.

IV. To create another Drop Point, press the play button beneath the File Library and left click and hold the Track Icon. While you are holding the Track Icon, you can adjust the volume and pan in real time. When you would like to establish a concrete volume and pan setting, simply let go of the left mouse button and a Drop Point will be created.

V. Press the back button, then the play button beneath the File Library to review your progress. Note the Track Icon as it moves from one Drop Point to the other, adjusting the volume and pan. Add as many Drop Points as you would like.

VI. You can lock the volume or pan while placing your Drop Points so you adjust one independently of the other. To do so, click the Advance Options Tab and select Lock Pan or Lock Volume.

VII. If you would like to delete a Drop Point, click the Advance Options Tab next to the Add Track tab above the File Library. You can then use the Previous and Next buttons to cycle through the Drop Points. When you come to the one you would like to delete, simply press the Remove Button.

VIII. If you are not happy with the volume or pan of some of your Drop Points you can adjust them by pressing the Edit Drop Points Button located above the Track Manager. Pressing this button will indicate all of the Drop Points with black boxes. You can then move them about as you see fit.

Track Management

You can adjust a Track’s length with the Paint and Erase buttons located above the Track Manager. Select the appropriate button, then click and drag across the Track Visualization window. If a Track ends while painting, it will loop.

You can adjust when a Track plays within a Project by sliding it to the left and right in the Track Visualization window. The Drop Points will stay in their relative positions within the track, no matter where you move the Track in the Track Visualization window.

You can move to a specific time within a project using the Time Bar. Simply click where you would like to set it on the graph.

Track Organization

Eventually, the stage will become cluttered with Drop Points from your different Tracks. You can organize things by assigning Tracks to categories. To the left of the track name is an icon, either a music note, a guitar, a microphone, or a drum. You can change the tracks category by clicking the icon and selecting to which category you’d like it assigned. That way, when you select the corresponding graphic among the tabs above the track listing, only tracks assigned to that category will be displayed for editing.

Reference

The Stage

Stereo

Surround

File Library

-Right Click Anywhere to refresh

Task Bar

New Project

Open Project

Save Project

Undo

Undoes last action

Redo

Redoes last action.

Edit drop points

Reveals drop points on the Stage for editing.

Paint

Allows the user to loop a track in the track visualization window.

Erase

Allows the user to erase a track in the track visualization window.

Track Manager

All Tab

All tracks and drop points are visible.

Solo Tab

Only the currently selected track and its drop points are visible.

The Category Tabs

Only tracks and drop points assigned to the selected

category are visible.

Category Assignment Buttons

Assign a track and its drop points to one of four categories. Note: The categories are purely a form of nomenclature. They have no effect on the tracks and are only an organizational tool.

TimeLine

Time Bar

Shows the current editing position within the project.

Drop Point Positions

Shows the time positions of the drop points.

*Note – You can select multiple time slices by holding Ctrl and clicking with the mouse. Also, you can drag multiple slices by holding shift and dragging a slice with your mouse.

Meters:

Surround

Stereo

Master

· The volume knob’s control and display the master gain’s for front, back, and the sub woofer for surround and front for stereo. When the project is exported, the settings will be part of the final export file.

Active

· The active track meters show the gain for the active track.

*The numbers above the meters show’s the highest decibel and can be refreshed by clicking with the mouse.

Advanced Options

Vol/Pan

Lock Pan: Allows only the volume to be adjusted on a track.

Lock Volume: Allows only the pan to be adjusted on a track.

Linear Volume: Drop Points will progress in a straight line across the Stage, causing jumps in volume.

Smooth Volume: Drop Points will progress in a curved line across the Stage. This avoids jumps in volume and allows for more natural sounding transitions.

Drop Points

Previous and Next: Scrolls through the selected track’s drop points.

Remove: Deletes the currently selected drop point.

Center Volume (Surround Sound Mode Only): This volume control knob is used when the track is in the center of the stage. This will set the volume of the track at the given time and create a drop point. These drop points act the same as any other drop point and can be navigated through, moved and deleted.

VST

: Add a VST plug in to a track.

VST Fade: This indicates how long you would like the VST plug-in to continue playing after the track has finished playing, in milliseconds. (Ex. VST that has a fade-out)

: This icon represents the VST that has been loaded. Right click for menu. Drag to change the order of the VST’s (The order can have a changing effect on the track)

Record Window

Audio Dementia can record audio information into .wav format.

At the following sample rates: 8,000; 11,025; 16,000; 22,050; 32,000; 44,100; 48,000; 88,200; 96,000

and bit depths: 8, 16, 24

The meter shows the volume of the input being recorded.

Export Window

Audio Dementia can export audio information into the following formats: .wav, .aiff, and .au

At the following sample rates: 8,000; 11,025; 16,000; 22,050; 32,000; 44,100; 48,000; 88,200; 96,000

and bit depths: 8, 16, 24

Preferences Window

*Here you can assign multiple soundcards to different tasks.

Key Shortcuts:

Ctrl+N:	New Project
Ctrl+O:	Open Project
Ctrl+E:	Export Project
Ctrl+S:	Save
Ctrl+A:	Save As
Ctrl+Z:	Undo
Ctrl+Y:	Redo
Ctrl+X:	Cut
Ctrl+C:	Copy
Ctrl+V:	Paste
Ctrl+D:	On/Off Edit Drop Points
Left Arrow:	Move Time Bar Over Left 1 Hundredth of a Second
Right Arrow:	Move Time Bar Over Right 1 Hundredth of a Second
Space Bar:	Play/Stop
Ctrl + Mouse Click:	Allows multiple time-slice selection on Timeline
Shift + Mouse Drag:	Allows the multiple selected time-slices to move together when dragged

Definitions:

The Stage- Where the pan and volume of a track is adjusted and recorded.

The Listener- The center of the stage. Where the volume is as loud as it can be equally in all speakers.

Track- A single audio file.

Drop Point- A recorded volume and pan setting for a track at a particular time in a project. As a project plays, the tracks’ settings are adjusted among the assigned Drop Points.

Project- The combination of tracks and drop points. This eventually becomes your final mixed result.