This page contains tips to help you do batch scanning – i.e. scanning multiple images, prints, negatives, or slides. It gives tips for saving time and optimizing quality.

There are tips for organizing your work, for using a step by step procedure, for turning off the preview, for making things faster, for choosing file types, for choosing file names, for scanning photographs, and for scanning with a transparency adapter.

Organizing Your Work

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Here are a few tips for organizing, scanning and archiving your photos and slides:

1. The first and most important step in scanning a collection of photos or slides is to make the hard decisions about what you want to scan. A good rule of thumb is that you should only scan one out of five pictures from a roll of film. Most people can go through a set of 36 photos or slides and quickly see the 7 or 8 that they would like to scan.

   Of course, if these are the only existing photos of your parent's wedding, then you probably want to scan them all. Otherwise, be discriminating - nobody needs to scan out of focus pictures of a cousin's friend's back garden from 10 years ago.

2. The other important decision that affects how long a scanning job will take is the resolution that you use for scanning. A good rule of thumb is that most photos don't need more than 200 dpi (dots per inch) resolution, and most slides don't need more than 2000 dpi.

   For instance, scanning photos at 300 dpi will take twice as long and use twice as much disk space as 200 dpi, but few people will see much difference visually.

3. Scan all photos and slides to JPEG files, using your scanner software's default settings. Few people will see much difference between JPEG files and file types such as TIFF and BMP, but the JPEG files will take up only 10% of the disk space of these other file types.

   With VueScan, set 'Output | JPEG file' to do this.

4. Use the automatic file naming capability of scanner software. For instance, most scanner programs will let you scan images one after another and write them to files with a fixed name but in increasing numerical order (i.e. xmas1987-001.jpg, xmas1987-002, etc.). This can save a lot of time agonizing over what to name each scan. Try to put the year into the file name - and maybe the place or event.

   With VueScan, set 'Output | JPEG file name' to 'nameNNNN-001+.jpg'.

5. Scan images in batches, usually from one stack of prints or a box of slides. Use a common file name pattern for each batch (like xmas1987-nnnn.jpg). After each batch, use an image viewer to make sure the images look good, then move the images to a different folder on your hard drive.

   Be very, very careful not to waste hours making scans, and then finding out at the end that something was wrong and you need to re-do all that work. You'd be surprised how often this happens, so be careful!

6. After every day's work, burn every image you've scanned to a CD, label the CD, and then make sure you can read the images from the CD. Burn two sets of CD's, keep one set for yourself, and store a master copy separately. Only use the master copy if your main copy has problems, otherwise don't touch it again. If friends or relatives want a copy, make them a copy from your main copy.

   CD's can fail, wear out, get scratched, get lost, get eaten by the dog - keep two copies!

7. Print out small thumbnail images for each CD and store it with each CD so you can find an image later. It easy to find images in a normal photo archive, but a stack of silver CD's isn't especially useful when you look for something later. There are lots of programs for making thumbnail image prints from a collection of JPEG files - one is 'Thumbs Plus' at www.cerious.com.

In summary, the key to successfully scanning photos and CD's is to do a bit of planning and organizing before you start. If you do this, and if you don't scan every photo and slide, it'll be far less difficult than you think. After all, how many out-of-focus images of your friends do you need after all?

Step by step procedure

1. Turn on scanner
2. Run VueScan
3. Choose 'File | Default options' from menu
4. Press 'Advanced' button
5. Click on 'Input' tab
6. Set 'Options' to 'Advanced'
7. Set 'Scan resolution' to '300 dpi'
8. Click on 'Prefs' tab
9. Un-check 'External viewer' box
10. Put first snapshot in upper right corner of scanner
11. Press Preview button
12. If snapshot not at top, move to opposite corner and press Preview again
13. Draw crop box around snapshot
14. Press Scan button
15. Put next snapshot on scanner (in same position) and press Scan button
16. Repeat last step for each snapshot

You will get files named crop0001.jpg, crop0002.jpg, etc. for each snapshot. Move these files into a folder with a name that reflects what you've scanned.

Turning off the preview

VueScan does a preview scan before each scan for two reasons: to compute the CCD exposure time (if the hardware supports it), and to compute the cropping.

You can save a lot of time when batch scanning by eliminating the need for VueScan to do a preview scan before the final scan.

To do this, lock the CCD exposure (if the scanner supports this) by setting the 'Input | Lock exposure' option. Set the 'Input | RGB exposure' and 'Input | Infrared exposure' options (if necessary) to 1.0.

You also need to set the cropping to be the same for all scans. To set the cropping, press the Preview button and adjust the cropping with the left mouse button.

Making things faster

One simple thing you can do to make things faster is to make the VueScan window smaller. This makes screen refreshes faster. You can also turn off the 'Prefs | Display raw scans' option to speed up scans on some slower computers.

Choosing file types

You can save time when batch scanning by choosing the types of files that you want to write out. VueScan normally scans images and writes either JPEG or TIFF files, but you can save time by only writing out Raw scan files (if you have the Professional Edition of VueScan).

Raw scan files contain unprocessed data straight from the CCD of the scanner. They can be processed by VueScan later, and you can produce TIFF and JPEG files with varying resolutions at a later time.

Raw files are written to the hard drive at the same time as the actual scan, so there isn't any additional time required at the end of the scan. This can save a lot of time, since if you write JPEG or TIFF files, they don't start getting written until the scan completes.

You can write raw scan files by setting the 'Output | Raw file' option. If you're using a scanning with an infrared channel, make sure you also set 'Input | Bits per pixel' to '64 bit RGBI', and set 'Input | Scan resolution' to the maximum value that you'll need for JPEG and TIFF files in the future.

You can save further time by not displaying the image at the end of every scan, by turning off the 'Prefs | Refresh each scan' option.

Choosing file names

VueScan can save you a lot of time by automatically naming the files that get written. For instance, if a file name in the Output tab is something like 'crop0001+.jpg', then VueScan will try to create the next file in the sequence crop0001.jpg, crop0002.jpg, etc.

If you're scanning large numbers of images, put something meaningful in the first part of the file name (like the date taken, or the venue of the images) and put '0001+' at the end of the file name.

Scanning photographs

You can save a lot of time scanning photographs that are all the same size by positioning them in the upper right corner of the scanner. Turn off the preview (see above), and then repeatedly place each photograph in the upper right corner and press the Scan button.

Scanning with a transparency adapter

Many flatbed scanners have transparency adapters that can hold multiple slides or negatives. One way to scan all the slides or negatives is to set the 'Crop | Multi crop' option. Then use the 'Input | Batch scan' option to scan all the images.

However, it's sometimes faster to do a raw scan of the entire area of all the slides or negatives, and later process these large raw scan files.

Omnisphere is the dreamchild of Spectrasonics and the wonderful Eric Persing. On the surface, Omnisphere seems like another wonderful sounding software instrument with a great library of sounds, great effects, and a sweet synth engine. The interface is uncluttered and easy to navigate compared to other synths, but under the surface... lies a beast.

Omnisphere Turn Off Previews

Some people are happy with Omnisphere's top-level user interface. '˜Oh, I have an Amp, Filter, and Mod envelope' they say. '˜Oh how quaint, I can route the ModWheel to and LFO's depth' they say. '˜There are 6 LFOs? Wow!'

Then some people look a little closer and see that next to the Envelopes, Modulation and LFO areas, a curious little magnifying glass beckons. Innocently enough, they click on the little symbol, and the revelation within turns their minds to a gloopy jelly. Omnisphere has some serious modulation going on.

A quick recap on modulation. Modulation is when we assign an envelope, LFO, controller, or other modulation source to control a parameter of a synthesizer. For instance, if we have a sine wave LFO assigned to control a pan knob, we'll hear the sound move between the left and right channel according to the speed and shape of the LFO assigned.

For this article'which I could easily stretch into a book, but will hold back'we are going to explore some of the more advanced LFO and Envelope types, and then assign them in the Mod Matrix! Mind melting fun.

Step 1 - Get to Know the Modulation Matrix

The Modulation Matrix can be found by heading over to the Modulation section of the Omnishpere Edit window and selecting the magnifying glass. When clicked, the magnifying glass will reveal the following screen:

Do not be afraid. This screen is going to give us the power we need to route any modulation source to any target. The targets will be any parameter of Omnisphere's Oscillator, Filter, or Amp sections. In addition, we can also assign sources to control parameters of the LFOs, Envelopes, and Morphing inputs as well! More about that later...

Step 2 - Assign an LFO to Panning

Let's start simple. To assign an LFO to modulate the panning of the amplifier, Simply choose '˜LFO 1' from the source area, and then assign Amp > Pan in the target area.

Now we have LFO 1 controlling panning, but all the time. This could be annoying, and make us a little seasick after a while of listening. What would be good is to use something like the ModWheel on our controller to control how much the LFO is going to affect panning.

This is called '˜Second Order Modulation'. Congrats. You are now officially a sound junkie. Second Order Modulation is simply a modulation source controlling the parameters of another modulation source.

To create second order modulation where the ModWheel is controlling the depth of the LFO, assign '˜Wheel' as a source, and '˜LFO1 depth' as the target.

We can still hear the LFO altering our panning, but less... and when we turn the wheel up, the panning is accentuated. To have the LFO depth completely zeroed out when the ModWheel is down, simply turn the target parameter slider to the left until it reads '˜0'.

We can hear now that the panning isn't as extreme as it was before... try altering the '˜Depth' parameter of the Wheel in the Mod Matrix. Now we have the LFO back to its full range of motion.

Step 2 - Getting to know your LFOs

To get out of the Mod Matrix, simply click the magnifying glass next to '˜Mod Matrix Zoom' again. Head over to the LFO section, and make sure LFO 1 is selected.

To change the LFO waveshape, simply click on the up and down arrows next to the LFO wave. Change it to a sine wave shape:

Now check out the little blue '˜+' symbol above the arrows we were just clicking. When lit, this means the LFO is moving in only a positive direction, in the case of panning, we would be getting center to right. When we turn this parameter off, the sound will now pan in both a positive and negative direction, panning through the full stereo field. Have a look in the Modulation area, and we can see how the LFO's range changes.

Below the waveform, we can see that the LFO is set to '˜Legato'. This means the LFO will only retrigger if we lift our finger off of a note and strike a new note. If we hold a note down, and move to another note while it is held, the LFO will simply continue. There are 3 other modes:

• Free'The LFO runs without retriggering
  
• Note'The LFO restarts on every new note pressed
  
• Song Position'When the DAW song starts, so does the LFO
  

When the LFO is set to '˜SYNC', it will follow the tempo of our song.

Delay will delay the oncoming LFO, Rate is for the speed, and Depth is basically the '˜how much?' knob.

Okay. Now for some envelope action.

Step 3 - Get to Know Your Envelopes

The envelope that will always be assigned to a synth is the Amplitude Envelope. Let's head over there now.

How simple! ASDR... Attack, Sustain, Decay and Release. These are the most popular stages of an envelope.

• Attack - How long the envelope takes to come on
  
• Decay - How long it takes to reach the Sustain stage
  
• Sustain - What value the Envelope will hold at while a MIDI key is pressed
  
• Release - How long it takes for the envelope to return to a zero state
  

Now, let's look under the hood. Click that little magnifying glass next to the '˜Envelopes' sign and...

Now we're talking. Let's add some points on the line by or right-clicking in the envelope line area, and mess around a bit. Notice that when right-clicking we get a list of some interesting preset line shapes:

Try adding some of these types and listen to what they do. Alter the curve between points by simply grabbing the line between the dots, and pull up or down. Now we can create whatever shape of envelope we like

Step 4 - Use Preset Envelope Shapes

Omnisphere Turn Off Preview Mode

Now for the crazy stuff. Click and hold on the disclosure triangle next to '˜Envelopes Zoom' and choose Rhythmic Envelopes > Fancy Groove. Check out that crazy envelope!

Omnisphere Turn Off Preview

Hold down a note and listen to it. Interesting, huh? Now let's sync the envelope to our song by selecting the '˜Sync' button on the lower right. When recording in a DAW, the envelope will now sync to the song. As you can imagine, this makes for some very interesting possibilities if we were to head back over to the Mod Matrix!

Step 5 - Go Nuts!

With these tools, go back over to that Mod Matrix and GO CRAZY! We have 6 LFOs and 6 Envelopes, for goodness sakes. Imagine the possibilities!

Omnisphere Turn Off Preview Windows 10