The first place to go to figure out how to do something in one of our applications is to consult the manual or the on-line help. Sample Wrench, for example, offers on-line FAQs, How-To's, a tutorial, general instructions, reference material, and a search facility. Sample Wrench also integrates help info directly into the dialogs used for various effects and functions. For example, if you're having trouble with Echo, simply hit the Help button on the Echo dialog. This will pop up a brief description of the controls used in the dialog. At the bottom of the help page you will also find a link to the detailed description of the Echo function in the body of the on-line manual.
After consulting the help system, we suggest you try looking at our questions database (below). This contains the answers to a number of commonly asked tech support questions.
If you still haven't solved your problem, you're wondering about compatibility issues, or have other questions of a similar nature, please contact us. Include the name, version and serial number of the product along with a concise description of the problem. In cases where hardware is involved, a description of your system will prove helpful. Normal turn-around is one to two days.
Tech Support Question Database
In the future, we plan to extend the database with common how-to's, answers to everyday gotcha's, compatibility issues, known bug and limitations lists, and the like.
In order to stay compatible with older systems, Wrench uses the older version of Windows Help. This can be downloaded from the Microsoft site for free if you're using a newer version of the operating system. Try here first: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607
Sample Wrench won't start and gives an error about needing a ".dll".
In this situation, Windows can't find certain dynamic link libraries (dll's) that Sample Wrench needs to function. These are located in the System sub-directory of your Sample Wrench installation directory. Changes in your system might cause this confusion. First, try to re-install Sample Wrench. If a re-install of Wrench does not solve the problem, simply copy the contents of the Sample Wrench System sub-directory over to the Windows System sub-directory (usually c:\Windows\System in older versions of the OS). You can do this either by using the copy command from a DOS shell, or by doing a drag-and-drop from the Windows desktop.
Under NT, 2000, etc., the system can't find "wnaspi32.dll".
Sample Wrench needs this dll for SMDI transfers and will not start without it. Either winaspi32.dll was not installed on your system (it is not included in some versions of Windows unless you have installed a SCSI card), or it may be corrupted.
Sample Wrench won't read certain sound files.
Many standard file types such as WAV contain numerous sub-types. Some of these sub-types are proprietary, while others are simply not widely used. Sample Wrench reads the most popular forms of WAV, AIFF, and VOC, but does not read every possible variant. For WAV, Sample Wrench understands 8 and 16 bit mono or stereo linear PCM with optional info for markers (AKA cue-points), loops, fine tune and key mapping. Wrench also understands A-Law and u-Law compressed PCM. For AIFF, Wrench understands 8, 16, and 24 bit mono or stereo files with optional looping, marker, and fine tune info. Wrench will not accept AIFC (AIFF-C) compressed files at present. For VOC, Wrench understands 8 and 16 bit linear PCM types (VOC version 1.20 or higher). In a pinch, you can always import a sound using the RAW file types. This will work with almost any PCM, A-Law or u-Law compressed file using 8 or 16 bit data.
Other programs won't read sound files which Sample Wrench creates.
Many sound file formats such as WAV and AIFF may contain optional chunks for information such as loops, markers, and key maps. Since Wrench lets you edit these values, it saves sound files with these optional chunks. Some programs expect to read WAV or AIFF files which contain only the minimum information, and get confused if the optional chunks are present. To get around this, all files which are to be imported to one of these programs must be saved in what we call 'skinny' style (ie, without the optional chunks). To ensure this, delete all markers and loops from the wave before saving. Also, set the key map and fine tune values to 0, and set the wave name to either nothing or "Untitled". Since the optional information no longer exists, Wrench will not save the optional chunks, thus producing the 'skinny' file which the other program must have. If you need to retain the optional material, save the file in the normal fashion, and then delete the optional material, saving this file to a new name with Save As. This way you'll have two files; one with, and one without the optional info.
How to set Sample Wrench as the default tool to open WAV files.
From the Windows Explorer View menu, choose Options. Click on the File Types tab in the dialog box. Scroll through the list of file types until you find Wave Sound. Double click on it. Choose Edit from the Edit File Type dialog box which pops up. Change the name of the default opener to Wrench.exe using the Browse button to find it. You can use this same general procedure for other file types as well.
Another program imports Sample Wrench's WAV files, but they'll have a click at the start of the waveform once they're inside the other program.
The most likely cause of this is that the other program doesn't fully understand the sound file and is loading it as a RAW file instead. The click at the front end is the data header that the program can't interpret. You can cut this part out and continue using the sound in the program, but note that info on sample rate, loops, etc., will probably have been lost as well.
Information about waveform loops, markers, keymaps, etc. is not retained between applications.
This is due to the inability of certain programs to understand the optional chunks defined in the WAV and AIFF specifications for storing this info. Some programs will not properly load files with these optional chunks. Other programs will load them, but will ignore the chunks. (If the program doesn't understand the chunks, ignoring them is reasonable behavior. Refusing to load the file is improper behavior.) Once a program ignores a chunk, that info is lost the next time the file is saved. You need to discover which programs are ignoring which chunks, and arrange your usage of the programs accordingly. For example, if you are using a second program to perform edits after you have created looping info with Sample Wrench, this second program must understand looping info. If it doesn't, you should use Sample Wrench after this program, not before.
SMDI device is not recognized.
There are four things to watch for with SMDI devices:
High Resolution Record/Playback is badly distorted.
This is usually caused by an incompatible (out of date) driver for the audio card. There are two major ways of getting 24 bit audio into or out of audio cards: packed form and unpacked form (unpacked form is sometimes called "32 bit container"). Packed form was the earliest type, but unpacked form is the current standard. Wrench uses the unpacked form. If you try to use Wrench in high res mode with an old (i.e., packed form) driver, you'll get tons of distortion and noise. Contact the audio card manufacturer for the latest driver.