XO Wave: Edit Fade Window

Note: Most of the functionality of the Fade window is also available directly in the Edit window.

The Fade window allows you to modify fade-ins, fade-outs, and cross-fades. Fades are one of XO Wave's most powerful features, because they allow you to create smooth transitions between different regions of your tracks. Fades also allow you to gradually fade in and out, using a variety of transition settings. As useful as they are, XO Wave avoids many of the transition fades that would be necessary in other software, thanks to a feature called Edit Softening, which automatically eliminate pops and ticks at region transitions.

Unlike many other digital audio workstation programs, XO Wave computes all fades in real time. That means that maximum internal precision is retained throughout the fade, and you won't have to muck around with dither settings or add noise to signal. It also means that you don't have to wait for your cross-fade to be calculated before you can hear it, which is especially important for long fades. Moreover, your fade will be played back with all the effects on the track, so you'll hear how it actually sounds in the mix. You can opt to hear your fade either with all the other tracks in the mix or in isolation, just by clicking on the  Solo button.

Creating Fades

Creating a fade involves selecting one or two regions in the Edit window's Track Editing Area and selecting Edit:Create Fade. Creating a fade with Edit:Create/Edit Fade additionally opens the Edit Fade window to customize the new fade.

Whether you create a fade-in, fade-out or cross-fade depends on your selection: if you select from the start of a region to somewhere in the middle, you create a fade-in; if you select from the middle of a region to the end, you create a fade-out; and if you select from the middle of one region to the middle of an adjoining region, you create a cross-fade.

Fade out Fade in Description Off: These curves simply turn off either the "in" or "out" portion of the fade. This is most useful for listening to the other portion of the fade. Normal Curve: These curves, which are the default, provide equal power response, meaning that a normal fade-in and normal fade-out will result in a transition that is constant in volume. Linear: The linear fades are most useful for cross-fading very similar regions when the normal curve is too loud. Smooth Curve: These curves provide close to matched power, like the normal curve, with a longer "tail" to help smooth the extreme end of the fade, which sometimes drops off too fast using the normal and linear curves. Fast Curve: These curves fade the audio very quickly, so that it sounds instant, but the fade is just long enough to eliminate discontinuities that would otherwise cause a clicking or popping sound. Zero Crossing: This special fade-in waits for the signal to cross zero, meaning that it eliminates any potential click, while still preserving all the audio after the zero crossing.

Editing Fades

To edit an existing fade, simply select part of the fade and select Edit:Create/Edit Fade. This opens the Edit Fade window, which offers control over a variety of fade settings.

The bulk of the Edit Fade window is comprised of the three track editing areas for cross-fades, or one track editing area for fade-ins and fade-outs. These areas show the region that is fading out, the region that is fading in and the combination of the two (for cross-fades). Each track editing area lets you select the style of fade, as described on the left.

Below the fade-in and fade-out area are two triangles to adjust where the fade starts and ends. As you do so, the combined waveform is updated at the bottom.

When you play back audio from the Edit Fade window, it plays back from the beginning of the fade to the end. Using the pre-roll and post-roll settings on the right, you can play an additional portion before and/or afterwards.

Finally, at the bottom right of the window you will see an Auto Zoom checkbox. This helps keep the fade in the center of your view if you edit the fade in the Edit window.

Deleting Fades

If you decide you don't want a fade, it's easy to delete. From the Edit window, select part of the fade and use the delete key or Command-X (Control-X on Linux) and the fade will be deleted.