Menus

The menu bar is placed at the top of the DART XP Pro main window. It contains several menus which provide access to various system functions.

The File menu contains items for managing files (New, Open, Save as, Rename, Delete, Close) or sets of files called audio trees (Open audio tree), and for exiting the program (Exit). Additionally, it provides means for performing undo operations (Create/Open Undo file), performing the soundfile format conversion (RAW to WAV, WAV to RAW), getting information about a soundfile (File info) and registering a soundfile in a DART XP Pro library of soundfiles created and handled by the Soundfile Manager (Register).

For your convenience a list of recently opened files is provided at the bottom of the File menu. To open such files simply select them from the list.

The Edit menu gives access to several standard tools for editing signals in soundfile windows (Mute, Cut, Copy, Paste) and in binary windows (setting different modes of processing - Set bits/Clear bits/Normal mode; block editing - Set/Clear/Toggle bits in selected block).

Additionally, it provides tools for moving cursor to a specified position (Go to new position, Go to beginning/end of the block, Go to next/previous marker), marking the sound material (Set/Remove markers, Set/Remove click markers, Set/Remove frame), selecting local areas (Select modified area, Select local block) and performing bit-search operations (Find bits).

The Group menu contains items which allow one to handle groups of files opened/created during a particular DART XP Pro session.

The Play menu is used to play the entire soundfile (Play all) or its portion (Play window, Play block, Play paste buffer, Play local, Play next local, Play previous local, Play from the cursor). It allows one to switch between two soundfiles during playback (Play mix) and to loop play commands (Loop).

The Record menu lets you create a new soundfile by means of recording from any source connected to your audio card (microphone, tape deck, phonograph, CD player, DAT). You can also use Record to modify (overwrite, append) an existing soundfile. Finally, the Record menu provides access to the DART CD-Recorder - a special program, which will help you arrange, play and record on a recordable CD the lists of recordings (CD-Recorder).

The Toolbox menu contains several items that perform simple signal processing functions such as scaling (Scale, Maximize) and reversing (Reverse) a signal as well as adding, subtracting and mixing two signals (Add, Subtract , Mix). The Split and Unite commands can be used to separate two channels of a stereo soundfile and to combine two mono tracks into a stereo soundfile, respectively. You can convert a mono soundfile into a stereo one and vice versa (Convert to mono, Convert to stereo). Some more complex functions are also included, such as intelligent cutting and muting of unwanted audio material (Smart mute, Smart cut, Crossfade cut), equalization (Equalize), filtering (Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Bandstop and Notch), fading (Fade in, Fade out, Crossfade), file length and sample rate adjustment (Resample, Change speed, Adjust RPM rate, Trim length, CD format), duration and pitch modification (Speed up/Slow down, Shift pitch), automatic detection of constant noise/signal patterns (Find pattern), spectral analysis (Spectrum, Spectral view), partitioning long recordings by means of detecting silences (Unpack), elimination of the lead vocalist’s performance from a stereophonic recording (DeVocalize) and simulation of the acoustics of different environments (Reverb). Finally, the DirectX command provides access to all DirectX Audio Plug-Ins installed on your computer.

The Restore menu is used to perform the main function of DART XP Pro - restoration of noisy recordings. The supported routines are capable of removing various forms of impulsive noise (DeClick Plus), broadband noise (DeHiss Plus, DeNoise Plus) and harmonic noise (DeHum). The representative noise samples can be analyzed, modified and incorporated in the process of noise reduction (NoisePrint). In some cases, the quality of the restored recordings can be further improved by means of retouching (Retouch) an existing soundfile or its duplicate (Duplicate). Finally, a large variety of complex user-defined filters can be built (Filter builder) and executed (MyFilter).

All noise reduction tools can be tuned in an on-line and/or off-line mode. On fast computers all signal restoration tools can be used in the real-time mode (Real-time).

The Options menu contains tools for configuring DART XP Pro in the most convenient way (Preferences), checking the available audio devices and memory resources (Hardware) and for changing colors of different screen elements (Colors).

The Window menu is used to change the arrangement of soundfile and binary windows (Cascade, Tile, Strip), and synchronize certain window features such as time resolution, amplitude scale etc. (Synchronization). A special support for blind users of DART XP Pro is also provided (DART-Eye).

Since in the automatic strip (default) mode, the displayed windows are arranged so as to fill up the entire screen, the icons of minimized windows are normally not seen. They are, however, listed under the Window menu and can be reloaded from there.

Finally, the Help menu can be used to access information about the system (About DART, DART help, Tip of the Day) and it's authors (About authors). Additionally it provides a list of all keyboard shortcuts (Keyboard) and a standard Windows 'help on help' (Using help).