Variable bitrate compression uses the smallest size possible for each section of audio. If the audio contains silence, then the bitrate will be very low. If the audio contains complex music, the bitrate will be at its maximum.

Variable bitrate gives the best compression and quality. However, it makes it difficult to seek within the stream or file since there is no direct relation between time and size.

Appendix B:

In addition to all the standard menu keystrokes, such as Alt+F O to open a file, Alt+E C to copy, Alt+E P to paste, etc., GoldWave includes a number of additional keyboard shortcuts. These are summarized in the following table. Use to reassign shortcuts.

Keyboard Commands
Keystroke Action
Ctrl+A Selects the entire sound.
Ctrl+B Pastes the clipboard into the sound at the beginning.
Ctrl+C Copies the selection into the clipboard.
Ctrl+D Displays the window. Crossfades the clipboard with the selection.
Ctrl+E Pastes the clipboard into the sound at the end.
Ctrl+F Pastes the clipboard into the sound at the finish marker's position.
Ctrl+G Displays a window to set the playback marker's location to a specific time.
H Starts playback relative to the mouse's horizontal position in the waveform.
J, K, L Rewinds, plays, and fast forwards respectively from the current playback marker's position. Playback stops at the finish marker but can be continued. Playback stops at the start marker when rewinding.
Shift+J, Shift+K, Shift+L Makes the playback speed slower, normal, and faster respectively.
Ctrl+J Jumps the start marker to the next cue point.
Ctrl+Shift+J Jumps the start marker to the previous cue point.
Alt+J Jumps the finish marker to the next cue point.
Alt+Shift+J Jumps the finish marker to the previous cue point.
Ctrl+K Overwrites the selection with the clipboard.
Ctrl+M or Shift+Ctrl+Ins Displays the window. Mixes the clipboard with the sound at the start marker's position.
Ctrl+N Creates a new sound.
Ctrl+O Opens a sound.
Ctrl+P Pastes the clipboard into a new Sound window.
Q Drops a new cue point at the start marker position. Cue naming is controlled by the settings.
Shift+Q Drops a new cue point at the finish marker position. Cue naming is controlled by the settings.
Ctrl+Q Drops a new cue point at the current recording, playback, or start marker position. Cue naming is controlled by the settings.
Ctrl+Shift+Q Drops a new cue point at the current recording, playback, or start marker position and displays the edit window.
Ctrl+R Replaces the selection with the clipboard contents.
Ctrl+S Saves the file.
Ctrl+T Trims the sound. Removes all audio outside the selection.
Ctrl+Backspace Displays the Trim Silence window. Removes leading and trailing silences at the beginning and end of the selection.
Ctrl+V Pastes the clipboard into the sound at the start marker's position.
Ctrl+W Sets the select to the view (as in ).
Ctrl+X Cuts the selection and copies it into the clipboard.
Ctrl+Y Redo. Reverses last undo.
Ctrl+Z Undoes last change.
Ctrl+Shift+B Selects both channels of a stereo file.
Ctrl+Shift+L Toggles the selection the left channel.
Ctrl+Shift+R Toggles the selection right channel.
Shift+0 Zooms 10:1 horizontally.
Shift+1 Zooms 1:1 horizontally.
Shift+2 Views 1 second horizontally.
Shift+3 Views 10 seconds horizontally.
Shift+4 Views 1 minute horizontally.
Shift+5 Views 1 hour horizontally.
Shift+A Horizontally zooms all the way out.
Shift+E Displays the window.
Shift+M Stores the locations of the start and finish markers.
Shift+P Zooms to previous horizontal zoom.
Shift+R Moves the start and finish markers to the stored locations.
Shift+S Horizontally zooms in on the selection.
Shift+U Horizontally zooms to the user defined level.
Shift+V Vertically zooms all the way out.
Shift+Y Displays window to specify horizontal zoom.
Del Deletes the selection, permanently.
[ (left bracket) Moves the start marker to the current playback position.
] (right bracket) Moves the finish marker to the current playback position.
Shift+[ Plays some audio up to the start marker. controls the amount of audio played or three seconds is played if that value is set to zero.
Shift+] Plays three seconds of audio up to the finish marker. controls the amount of audio played or three seconds is played if that value is set to zero.
Ctrl+[ Plays from the start marker to the finish marker.
Ctrl+] Plays from the finish marker to the end.
Shift+\ Moves the selection to its range.
Left Scrolls the Sound window view left.
Right Scrolls the Sound window view right.
Page Up Scrolls the Sound window view left one page. The amount of time scrolled depends on the current level. If you used a play button in to play the file, playback is restarted at the new scrolled position.
Page Down Scrolls the Sound window view right one page. See the Page Up key for more details.
Home Moves the Sound window view to the start marker's position.
End Moves the Sound window view to the finish marker's position.
Ctrl+Home Moves the Sound window view to the beginning of the sound.
Ctrl+End Moves the Sound window view to the end of the sound.
Shift+Home Moves the start marker to the beginning of the sound.
Shift+End Moves the start marker to the finish marker's position.
Ctrl+Shift+Home Moves the finish marker to the start marker's position.
Ctrl+Shift+End Moves the finish marker to the end of the sound.
Shift+Left, Shift+Right Moves the start marker left or right.
Ctrl+Shift+Left,
Ctrl+Shift+Right 		Moves the finish marker left or right.
Shift+Up Horizontally zooms in.
Shift+Down Horizontally zooms out.
Ctrl+Up Vertically zooms in.
Ctrl+Down Vertically zooms out.
Space Plays or stops a sound (toggles playback). The region that is played depends on the button settings. Use Ctrl for play 1 and Shift for play 2.
F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8 Plays 1, plays 2, plays 3, rewinds, fast forwards, pauses, and stops respectively.
Ctrl+F9, Ctrl+F8, Ctrl+F7 Starts, stops, and pauses recording respectively.
F11 Displays Device Controls Properties window.
F1 Starts help.
Ctrl+F4 Closes the Sound window.
Alt+F6 Switches between Main window and Device Controls window.
Ctrl+F6 Switches between Sound windows.

Appendix C: