Copyright: ® Lee Lai Huat


Help Contents
Creative Mixer Help Contents

Overview

Creative Mixer

The Interface

Knowing Creative Mixer

Working with Creative Mixer

Using the Mouse and Keyboard

Customizing Creative Mixer

Selecting Recording Sources

Controlling the Output Gain

Quitting Creative Mixer


Creative Mixer

Creative Mixer is a powerful Windows-based audio mixer that allows you to combine and manipulate sound from various audio sources.

With the Creative Mixer, it is possible to control the volume, tone and gain of an audio source while running other Windows applications.  You can also select and mix different audio sources during playback and recording.


Knowing Creative Mixer

Related Topics:

Master Control

Tone Controls

Audio Source Controls

PC Speaker Volume Control

LED Display

Audio Source Check Boxes

Recording Source Check Boxes

Control Menu


Master Control

Master Control

Master Control adjusts the volume level and balance of all audio sources.

Use the vertical slider to adjust the volume and the horizontal slider to adjust the balance.  To balance both channels, double-click the thumb of the horizontal slider.

You can use the Audio Source check box [image] to turn on sound from the Master Control.  A green dot indicates a selected Master Control.


Tone Controls

Bass

Treble

Tone Controls adjust the bass and treble of all audio sources.

Use the vertical slider to adjust the level of bass or treble and the horizontal slider to adjust the balance.

Bass represents the lower range of sound frequencies in the output.  Treble represents the higher range of sound frequencies in the output.


Audio Source Controls

Wave input

MIDI input

CD-audio

Line-input

Microphone input

Audio Source Controls adjust the volume level and balance of the various audio sources.

Use the vertical slider to adjust the volume and the horizontal slider to adjust the balance.  To balance both channels, double-click the thumb of the horizontal slider.

You can use the Audio Source check boxes [image] to turn on sound from the audio sources.  A green dot indicates a selected audio source.

See Also

Audio Source Check Boxes


PC Speaker Volume Control

PC Speaker Volume Control adjusts the volume level of the PC's internal speaker.

You can use the Audio Source check box [image] to turn on sound from the PC speaker.  A green dot indicates a selected PC speaker.


LED Display

The LED Display allows you to view the data of audio sources graphically.

To invoke the LED display, select LED Display from the Control Menu.

When you click on the LED Display, you can switch among any of the following graphic displays.

Power Spectrum—shows different frequency levels of the output.

VU Meter—shows the intensity of the sound entering both the left and right speakers.

Scope—shows the combined amplitude of waves from the selected audio sources.

You can use the LED Display check box [image] to turn the display on or off.  A green dot indicates the LED Display is on.

There will not be any LED Display during the playback or recording of wave files.


Audio Source Check Boxes

Audio Source check boxes allow you to turn on the sound from the audio sources. You can turn on all sound or the sound from a specific audio source by choosing the Audio Source check box for the Master Volume or the specific source respectively.

A green dot in the Audio Source check box indicates that the audio source is selected for output.

See Also

Recording Source Check Boxes


Recording Source Check Boxes

  The Recording Source check box allows you to select different audio sources for recording.  You can record from MIDI input, CD audio, Line-input and microphone input.

A red dot in the Recording Source check box indicates that the audio source is selected.

See Also

Audio Source Check Boxes


Control Menu

The following describes each command on the Control Menu:

Command	Description
Restore	Restores Creative Mixer to its previous size.
Move	Lets you move Creative Mixer.
Minimize	Reduces Creative Mixer to an icon.
Close	Closes Creative Mixer.
Switch To	Opens the Task List dialog box listing all the currently running applications.
Minimum View	Displays the Master Control only.
Expanded View	Displays all the controls of Creative Mixer.
Custom View	Displays the customized controls only.
Title Bar	Allows you to show or hide the Title Bar.
LED Display	Invokes LED Display.
Preferences	Allows you to customize Creative Mixer.
Recording Settings	Opens the Recording Settings dialog box.
Output Gain	Opens the Output Gain dialog box.
About Creative Mixer	Displays copyright information about Creative Mixer.
If the title bar is is not displayed, the Menu appears when you click on your right mouse button anywhere on the Mixer window (except on a check box, slider, or LED display).


Using the Mouse and Keyboard

Like many Windows applications, Creative Mixer can be controlled using the mouse or keyboard.

 Using the mouse:

♦	To select a check box, click on it with your left mouse button.

♦	To adjust a slider bar, click on it and hold down the mouse button as you drag it to the desired position.

 Using the keyboard:

♦	To activate the Control-Menu Box, press <F10>. Use arrow keys to select options.

♦	To advance from one control to another, press <Tab>.

♦	To move to the previous control, press <Shift+Tab>.

♦	To select an option in a check box, press <Spacebar>.

♦	To adjust the volume, tone and gain of audio sources, use the Up or Down arrow keys.

♦	To toggle the Title Bar, press <ESC>.


Customizing Creative Mixer

You can customize the appearence of Creative Mixer by using the Control menu.  The three ways of customizing the appearence of the Mixer are as follows:

♦	Minimum View displays the Master Control only.

♦	Expanded View displays controls for all the sources of sound available for recording or playback.  This  includes the volume, bass and treble controls.

♦	Custom View displays any of the the Master Control, PC Speaker Control and the controls of the Wave, MIDI and CD-audio.

The Master Control always appears on the Mixer as it controls the volume and balance of the overall audio output during playback and recording.

If you want to choose the controls to display with the Custom View setting, choose the Preferences option in the control menu.  The Preferences dialog box below appears.

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The Preferences dialog box allows you to toggle display of the following controls: Treble, Bass, Wave, MIDI, CD-audio, Line-input, microphone, and PC speaker.

In addition, the Preferences dialog box also allows you to choose the following options:

♦	Show Balance Control—displays or hides the balance sliders.

♦	Always on Top—keeps the Mixer as the topmost window.

♦	Save Settings on Exit—saves all the settings made when you exit the Mixer.

Related Topics:

Hiding the Title Bar


Hiding the Title Bar

You can hide or display the Title Bar by double-clicking anywhere in the window except on a check box, slider, or the LED display.


Selecting Recording Sources

You can quickly select audio sources for a recording by choosing the Recording Source check boxes. When a source is selected, a red dot [image]  appears in the Recording Source check box.  Alternatively, you can use the Recording Settings dialog box.

Related Topics:

Using the Recording Settings Dialog Box


Using the Recording Settings Dialog Box

With the Recording Settings dialog box, you can not only select the different audio sources for recording, but also define the channels through which the audio sources will and be recorded from.

To change the recording settings:

1.	Select Recording Settings from the Control Menu.

The Recording Settings dialog box, shown below appears.

2.	Select the audio source for recording from the Left In and Right In group boxes.

3.	Use the Gain group box to amplify the recording gain level of either channel and AGC (Automatic Gain Control) to automatically adjust input from the microphone to a resonable level during recording.

To get stereo recording, make sure that the left signal (L) from the audio source is directed to the Left In channel and the right signal (R) to the Right In channel.


Controlling the Output Gain

To control the output gain:

1.	Select Output Gain the Control Menu.

The Output Gain dialog box below appears.

2.	Change the gain setting of the left and right output channels to the desired level.  You can do this by clicking the up or down arrows in the L and R spin buttons.

3.	Choose Close to close the Output Gain dialog box.


Quitting Creative Mixer

1.	Select Close from the Control Menu.

Alternatively, double-click the Control-Menu box.