What kind of editing is Short/cut 2000 designed to do? Any task performed by a reel-to-reel machine can be done faster and more efficiently with Short/cut 2000. Editing news interviews and actualities Editing call-in segments Music and voice production Corporate presentations Production for theater and sports events What are Short/cut 2000's editing and control keys? Transport Controls Duplicates analog tape transport functions: STOP, PLAY, RECORD, FF, and REW. A Scrub Wheel also plays audio forward and in reverse, and emulates tape-reel "rocking." Edit Keys CUT - Removes selected audio. COPY - Stores audio on a clipboard or a Hot-Key. INSERT - Inserts audio, rippling later material. ERASE - Replaces selected audio with silence. Function Keys DIR - View and select the 10 directories. FILES - View and select audio files within a directory SAVE - Saves all edits in the current recording. EXIT - Cancels the current operation. LOOP - Loops playback of a complete audio file. ZOOM IN/ ZOOM OUT - Sets waveform horizontal resolution (2-20 seconds). HOT-KEYS - Load and play individual recordings with a single keypress, or store clips during edit sessions. ALPHANUMERIC KEYBOARD - For tilting recordings and for "Find" operations. Input Section PEAK LEVEL - LED meters display audio levels. LEFT/RIGHT - Adjust input level during recording. ARM - Select tracks for record & edit operations. SOLO - Mutes the opposite channel. VOLUME - Adjust output level for speakers and headphones. RECORDING How good is Short/cut 2000's audio quality? Short/cut offers true 16-bit linear recording at sample rates of 44.1kHz or 48 kHz. It provides a bandwidth of 20Hz-20kHz, SNR and Dynamic Range in excess of 90 dB, and distortion below .005%. How do I record new files? Just press RECORD, and no matter what mode Short/cut is currently in, it will automatically open a new file and begin recording. Can I title my recordings? Yes. Whenever a new recording is made, Short/cut automatically prompts for entry of a new name. Type a name (up to 30 characters) with the built-in alphanumeric keyboard, or just press ENTER to automatically assign a default name. Different default names can be selected for each Directory, and you can rename files anytime. What is the maximum length of a recording? A recording can be as short as a few milliseconds, or as long as two hours. The Short/cut 2000 provides a total storage time of about 12 hours of stereo audio. How many recordings can be made? Up to 200 recordings can be stored in each of Short/cut's 10 directories. How do I add new audio to an existing recording? Position the cursor anywhere in the file, press INSERT, then RECORD. Existing audio will be "pushed out" and new audio inserted into the file. You can also set up punch-in and punch-out boundaries to overwrite part of an existing recording. How do I protect my recordings? Directories can be password protected to prevent unauthorized access. And individual files or entire directories can be archived to an external Iomega Zip drive. Of course, you can also use the COPY feature to make a spare copy of a recording to another Directory. BACKUPS & TRANSFERS Can I transfer recordings made on Short/cut to other digital audio products? Short/cut files can be transferred to most other digital audio machines using the AES/EBU or IEC-958 Type II standards for audio transmission. Transfers can also be made to Iomega Zip disks, which can be played on 360 Systems' DigiCart/II Plus recorder. How do I backup my work when I run out of disk space? The Short/cut 2000 provides backup of recordings to any AES/EBU compatible audio DAT via D-NET, or to an external Zip drive. EDIT FEATURES How accurate is the editing? With Short/cut, you can accurately select and remove breathing, smacks, clicks, pops, words, phrases or entire sentences. Although optimized as a voice editor, Short/cut is equally capable of editing music or sound effects. Short/cut's absolute precision is a tight ±5 milliseconds (thousandths of a second). Every edit point is a fast cross-fade (soft cut) to prevent clicks from occurring. If I've recorded a long interview or music piece, can I quickly locate to any point for editing? In edit mode, press FIND and enter a time. Short/cut will immediately position the cursor at that point in the waveform. A "zero set" point can be placed anywhere as an immediate auto-locate point. What are "Marks"? Marks are reference points that can be placed anywhere in a recording. Up to 200 Marks can be placed "on the fly" during recording, playback or editing. Each recording can have an unlimited number of Marks. By pressing the "GO TO" buttons (with the double arrows) you can quickly jump to different Marks within an audio file. What if I make a mistake when editing? Pressing the UNDO button will restore the previous edit and allow you to try it again. Until you have pressed the SAVE button, Short/cut will not commit your changes to disk. When you press EXIT, Short/cut will ask if you want to save your work. If you elect not to save, the recording will be restored to its original state. Can I import audio from a file in another Directory? From the FILE menu, select a recording, or part of a recording from any Directory. Press COPY, then return to your original file and INSERT the audio at the current cursor position. PLAYBACK How do I select cuts for playback? Choose a Directory to work in, then press FILES to view a list of what's available. The Jog wheel can be used to scroll through the list. Press PLAY to audition and recording or ENTER to load it for an edit session. Or, if you know the name of the file, just press FIND, then type the name and press ENTER. Short/cut will quickly locate the file. What are Hot-Keys? Pressing a Hot-Key causes immediate playback of any cut currently assigned to that key. File "segments" may also be assigned to Hot-Keys for clipboard insert operations during edit sessions. Ten separate Hot-Keys can be programmed for each Directory, and are automatically loaded whenever a new Directory is opened. HARDWARE AND REMOTES Are there any remote control options? All of Short/cut's transport controls can be accessed through GPI (General Purpose) inputs. A separate GPI input is also provided to mute the built-in speakers. Tally outputs are provided for RECORD, PLAY, STOP, REWIND, and FAST FORWARD. Is there a built-in phone interface? Many phone systems designed for applications like call-in shows include GPI or closure outputs for remote control of audio recorders. By connecting these GPI lines along with the audio from the phone device, your phone system can initiate recording on Short/cut. Models available from Gentner and Telos operate with the Shortcut Editor on a plug-and-play basis. Are any DSP functions like fades, crossfades or gain-change available? Crossfades of almost any length can be placed during editing. The absolute gain of a cut can also be changed after a recording has been made, and gain changes between marked locations are also possible. What is the advantage of Short/cut over a PC editor? Now Short/cut doesn't require a computer and its accessories, it's a lot faster (and easier) to produce professional results. Short/cut is optimized for fast editing, and gives a real " tape-like" performance with the advantages of random access digital editing. Today, many creative people appreciate dedicated hardware/products designed to do a particular task, in the most direct way. Plus, the Short/cut Editor is small, portable, and low-cost. Take it with you on your next project! How durable is Short/cut? Short/cut incorporates the same rugged professional design that has made other 360 Systems products like DigiCart/II and Instant Replay the most trusted, reliable hard disk recorders in the industry. Thousands of Short/cut Editors are in use today, in over 60 countries. What about using Short/cut in the field? Short/cut's small size, light weight and rugged construction make it ideal for remote jobs. Its built-in speakers and switchable mic/line inputs let Short/cut to operate in situations where no external monitoring or mixing is available. Although it does require AC power, Short/cut can run all day from a small inverter. GENERAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS What's the learning curve on a Short/cut Editor? Intuitive operation was the most important design criteria for Short/cut. Anyone who has done basic tape editing will find the transport controls and clearly labeled buttons deliver rapid and predictable results. The Jog wheel simulates rocking of tape reels with realistic audio " scrub". What is the storage capacity of Short/cut's internal hard disk? The standard disk stores about 12 hours of 48K stereo audio. Is Short/cut compatible with other file formats? Short/cut 2000 provides the ability to read and write both PC and MAC formatted diskettes with WAV, BWF, AIFF and SD-II file translations. Earlier models can be upgraded to have these capabilities. How do I decide which 360 Systems product best meets my needs? Short/cut is best for applications requiring rapid and accurate editing, such as reel-to-reel tape replacement for news and call-in shows. DigiCart/II Plus will provide the best solution for applications that require mass storage, basic top & tail editing and complex playlisting; i.e., TV master control, live production, SFX and music archiving. Instant Replay excels in situations that call for extremely fast random access to numerous audio cues, with a simple user interface. It is most often used on "morning zoo" radio programs, live shows, and for simple playlisting in radio and television stations. Instant Replay excels as a fast-access player, providing storage of 1,000 cuts, accessible from banks of 50 Hot keys.