In order to play an opened soundfile:
1. Make the corresponding soundfile window active.
2. Choose one of the several playing options from the Play menu or press the corresponding keyboard key. The file, which is currently played back is distinguished with a 'Play' sign (a green triangle) displayed on the left side of the corresponding window.
You can play the entire recording by means of using Play all (A
) or part: shown in the displayed window, - by using Play window (W
), or in a selected block, - by using Play block (B
).
If you choose the Play local (L
) command, a small piece of the sound material, centered around the cursor, will be played back (to change the length of this fragment adjust the Local play time in the Preferences dialog available from the Options menu). Use the Play next local (N
) and Play previous local (P
) to listen to the next or previous local fragments. This option will allow you to systematically comb an archive soundfile for disturbances.
If you choose Play from the cursor (C
), playback will start from the current cursor position.
Use the Play mix (X
) command to switch between the two soundfiles played back simultaneously. To use this option, mark one of the files as a source soundfile and the other one as a destination soundfile. After activating Play mix the system will switch between the two indicated soundfiles each time you press the TAB
key. The playback is always started from the source soundfile (from the current cursor position) and terminated when the end of the shorter of two files is reached. The switched-mode playing is a very convenient way of comparing the results of restoration with the original recording.
Finally, the Play paste buffer (U
) command can be used to play the contents of the paste buffer (provided the buffer is not empty).
In all cases listed above, pressing the SPACE
bar, clicking the
STOP
button on the toolbar,
or depressing the left mouse button, while the soundfile is played, stops playback and restores the initial cursor position (stop&return). When, during playback, the
ESC
key,
the PAUSE
button on the toolbar,
or the right mouse button is pressed, the cursor stays in its current position (stop&stay). Pressing the
REWIND
button on the toolbar, when a soundfile is played, moves the cursor backward, and pressing the
FORWARD
button
moves it forward . Finally, when the Loop option is switched on the playback is continuously repeated unless terminated by the user.
As long as you do not want to change the previously chosen playing option, the quickest way to play is to click the PLAY
button situated on the toolbar or press the
SPACE
bar (which simply repeats the last used play command). Pressing the PLAY
button when the audio file is played interrupts and restarts playback.
When the Play and show box in the Preferences\Sound card dialog is checked, the plot of an audio signal shown in an active soundfile window is swept during playback (only when the Play all or Play from the cursor commands are used). To avoid skipping during playback the time resolution factors equal to at least 100 are recommended when the Play and Show option is switched on.
NOTICE 1
Some computers are equipped with more than one wave device. To check which audio card is currently used for playing back and/or to select the preferred device, use the Hardware info dialog available after choosing the Hardware command from the Options menu.
NOTICE 2
If you audition the soundfile using the Play window or Play block commands, make sure that the selected material is long enough - your audio card will fail to reproduce sounds that are too short, e.g., are a fraction of a second in duration.