Thanks, Rick. I appreciate that's one way of doing it, but drawing envelope points for every breath might slow me down a bit. Since I last posted, I bound a hotkey to the Volume window. Everytime I open it, it remembers the last setting I used (I'm using the same volume drop for every breath), so at least it's just a two-click operation now: hotkey and then RETURN. Could be worse, so it'll do me for now. I was kind of hoping one key could do both... but maybe I just need to stop being lazy. 😄

Thanks a mill for your quick response.

@Paul-Fegan This script calls a preset named Reduce Volume -8 dB in the Volume effect and applies it to a selection. If you save this in a text file with the file ending cs to your Sound Forge script folder and rescan the folder you can add a shortcut to this script inside the Customize Keyboard options. Then it's only a single button press instead of hotkey and Return.

For it to work, you need to save a preset with your desired settings and the name mentioned above in the Volume Effect. Of course, you can simply change the name in the script if you want to call it something different.

/* ==========================================================================
 *    Script Name: Reduce Volume -8 dB
 *    Description: This script takes a selection in an open file and applies the Volume effect preset named Reduce Volume -8 dB
 *
 *    Initial State: A file open with a selection
 *
 *    Output: Done with success or failure
 *
 * ========================================================================== */

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SoundForge;

//BEHAVIOR: Takes a selection in an open file and applies the Volume effect preset named Reduce Volume -8 dB

public class EntryPoint {
public string Begin(IScriptableApp app) {

   ISfDataWnd wnd = app.ActiveWindow;
   if (null == wnd)
      return "Open a file before running this script.";

   SfAudioSelection asel = wnd.Selection;
   if (asel.ccLength == 0)
   {
      DPF("No selection in the active window - quitting");
      return "Choose a selection before running the script.";
   }

   ISfFileHost file = wnd.File;

   bool fCancel = false;
   int idUndo = file.BeginUndo("Reduce Volume -8 dB");

   file.DoEffect("Volume", "Reduce Volume -8 dB", new SfAudioSelection(wnd.Selection.ccStart, wnd.Selection.ccLength), EffectOptions.EffectOnly);
   
   SfStatus result = file.WaitForDoneOrCancel();
   if (result != SfStatus.Success)
      fCancel = true;   

   file.EndUndo(idUndo, fCancel);
   DPF("Done - {0}", fCancel ? "failed and rewound changes" : "success");
   if(fCancel)
      return "Script canceled.";
   else
      return null;
}

public void FromSoundForge(IScriptableApp app) {
   ForgeApp = app; //execution begins here
   app.SetStatusText(String.Format("Script '{0}' is running.", Script.Name));
   string msg = Begin(app);
   app.SetStatusText(msg != null ? msg : String.Format("Script '{0}' is done.", Script.Name));
}
public static IScriptableApp ForgeApp = null;
public static void DPF(string sz) { ForgeApp.OutputText(sz); }
public static void DPF(string fmt, object o) { ForgeApp.OutputText(String.Format(fmt,o)); }
public static void DPF(string fmt, object o, object o2) { ForgeApp.OutputText(String.Format(fmt,o,o2)); }
public static void DPF(string fmt, object o, object o2, object o3) { ForgeApp.OutputText(String.Format(fmt,o,o2,o3)); }
} //EntryPoint

Hi SP, wow, this is exactly what I was hoping for. However, I'm having trouble with it. Here's what I've done:

1) copied exactly what's in the grey box above into a TXT file and renamed that as a .CS file

2) added it to SF's scripts folder

3) re-scanned my scripts in SF 18

4) the script showed up fine in the list

5) created a preset in Process > Volume called "Reduce Volume -8 dB" and set the volume parameter for -8 dB

6) bound a hotkey to the script (which I've also called "Reduce Volume -8 dB" — does it matter what I call it?)

7) selected a breath and pressed the hotkey; it didn't work

8) selected a breath and tried to run the script from the scripts menu; that didn't work either

Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

Many thanks. If I can get this working, it will make such a difference to my work flow.

P.S. Here's the file I created in case you can see anything wrong with it:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t73risoeusdv2cdhzzqge/Reduce-Volume-8-dB.cs?rlkey=g1dsdn6nbz9cpya3c8htc5m50&st=ukt3tq18&dl=0

@Paul-Fegan I tested it in SF 18 and you are correct. This is a bug in newer SF versions. Please change the EffectOptions at the end of line 37 from

file.DoEffect("Volume", "Reduce Volume -8 dB", new SfAudioSelection(wnd.Selection.ccStart, wnd.Selection.ccLength), EffectOptions.EffectOnly);

to

file.DoEffect("Volume", "Reduce Volume -8 dB", new SfAudioSelection(wnd.Selection.ccStart, wnd.Selection.ccLength), EffectOptions.DialogFirst);

and save the file.

If you now press the hotkey, the Volume Effect window opens first before the effect is applied. As you can see, the preset doesn't exist here even if you created it before. This is the bug I mentioned. Please create the preset Reduce Volume -8 dB in this window and save it. After that you can change EffectOptions.DialogFirst back to EffectOptions.EffectOnly and from now on it should run fine.

SP, you're a genius! I followed the steps to the letter and it wasn't working at first. In fact, the Volume process wasn't working at all, no matter what preset I used. Then I clicked on a different audio file that was open on the workspace and tried it there and it worked! When I returned to my original file, it was suddenly working there, too. Seriously, this has vastly improved my work flow and I am so grateful to you. Thank you very much.