Page 1 Using ADOBE AUDITION CS5.5 ® ®...
Page 2: Legal Notices
Legal notices Legal notices For legal notices, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/legalnotices/index.html. Last updated 2/16/2012...
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Contents Chapter 1: What’s new Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals Understanding sound ....................3 Digitizing audio .
Page 4 USING ADOBE AUDITION Contents Modulation effects ....................83 Noise reduction / restoration effects .
Page 5 Chapter 1: What’s new Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, some file formats and effects, clip grouping and time stretching, and control surface support.
Page 6 Save multitrack sessions in the flexible XML format, a human-readable standard that Native XML session format facilitates conversion to proprietary formats used by different manufacturers. Adobe Audition XML sessions can be opened and edited in text editors, or created programmatically from scripts and other tools. See “Save multitrack...
Page 7: Chapter 2: Digital Audio Fundamentals
Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals Understanding sound Sound waves Sound starts with vibrations in the air, like those produced by guitar strings, vocal cords, or speaker cones. These vibrations push nearby air molecules together, raising the air pressure slightly. The air molecules under pressure then push on the air molecules surrounding them, which push on the next set of molecules, and so on.
Page 8 USING ADOBE AUDITION Digital audio fundamentals 90 º 0 º 180 º 360 º 270 º A single cycle at left; a complete, 20-Hz waveform at right A. Wavelength B. Degree of phase C. Amplitude D. One second How sound waves interact When two or more sound waves meet, they add to and subtract from each other.
Page 9: Digitizing Audio
USING ADOBE AUDITION Digital audio fundamentals Digitizing audio Comparing analog and digital audio In analog and digital audio, sound is transmitted and stored very differently. Analog audio: positive and negative voltage A microphone converts the pressure waves of sound into voltage changes in a wire: high pressure becomes positive voltage, and low pressure becomes negative voltage.
Page 10 USING ADOBE AUDITION Digital audio fundamentals Sample rate Quality level Frequency range 11,025 Hz Poor AM radio (low-end multimedia) 0–5,512 Hz 22,050 Hz Near FM radio (high-end multimedia) 0–11,025 Hz 32,000 Hz Better than FM radio (standard broadcast rate) 0–16,000 Hz 44,100 Hz 0–22,050 Hz...
Page 11 Adobe Audition stores each sample in sequence until you stop recording. When you play a file in Adobe Audition, the process happens in reverse. Adobe Audition sends a series of digital samples to the sound card. The card reconstructs the original waveform and sends it as an analog signal through Line Out ports to your speakers.
Page 12: Chapter 3: Workspace And Setup
Comparing the Waveform and Multitrack editors Adobe Audition provides different views for editing audio files and creating multitrack mixes. To edit individual files, use the Waveform Editor. To mix multiple files and integrate them with video, use the Multitrack Editor.
Page 13 USING ADOBE AUDITION Workspace and setup Basic components of Waveform and Multitrack editors (Waveform shown) A. View buttons and toolbar B. Editor panel with zoom navigator at top C. Various other panels D. Status bar Switch editors ❖ Do one of the following: •...
Page 14 USING ADOBE AUDITION Workspace and setup Zoom into a specific frequency range In the vertical ruler for the spectral display, right-click and drag. (See “View audio waveforms and spectrums” on page 35.) Extend or shorten the displayed range Place the pointer over the left or right edge of the highlighted area in the zoom navigator, and then drag the magnifying...
Page 15: Customizing Workspaces
You can create and save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for previewing. You can use floating windows to create a workspace more like workspaces in previous versions of Adobe applications, or to place panels on multiple monitors.
Page 16 A. Application window B. Grouped panels C. Individual panel Choose a workspace Each Adobe video and audio application includes several predefined workspaces that optimize the layout of panels for specific tasks. When you choose one of these workspaces, or any custom workspaces you’ve saved, the current workspace is redrawn accordingly.
Page 17 USING ADOBE AUDITION Workspace and setup Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C) Grouping zones Grouping zones exist in the middle of a panel or group, and along the tab area of panels. Dropping a panel on a grouping zone stacks it with other panels.
Page 18 When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels to the window and modify it similarly to the application window. You can use floating windows to use a secondary monitor, or to create workspaces like the workspaces in earlier versions of Adobe applications. ❖...
Page 19 USING ADOBE AUDITION Workspace and setup To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer, press the accent key. (Do not press Shift.) Press the accent key again to return the panel to its original size. Do either of the following: •...
Page 20 Display the status bar The status bar runs across the bottom of the Adobe Audition work area. The far left of the status bar indicates the time required to open, save, or process a file, as well as the current transport status (Playing, Recording, or Stopped). The far right of the bar displays various information that you can customize.
Page 21 Free Space (Time) value is shown as minutes, seconds, and thousandths of seconds. For example, if Adobe Audition is set to record 8-bit mono audio at 11,025 Hz, the time remaining might read 4399:15.527 free. Change the recording options to 16-bit stereo at 44,100 Hz, and the time remaining becomes 680:44.736 free.
Page 22: Connecting To Audio Hardware
Connecting to audio hardware You can use a wide range of hardware inputs and outputs with Adobe Audition. Sound card inputs let you bring in audio from sources such as microphones, tape decks, and digital effects units. Sound card outputs let you monitor audio through sources such as speakers and headphones.
Page 23: Customizing And Saving Application Settings
Note: By default, Adobe Audition controls ASIO sound cards while playing or monitoring audio. If you want to access the card in another application, select Release ASIO Driver In Background. (Audition still controls the card while recording to avoid having recordings suddenly stop.)
Page 24 Unexpected behavior may indicate damaged preferences files. To re-create preferences files, do the following. ❖ Hold down the Shift key, and start Adobe Audition. Export and import customized application settings Application settings files store all current preferences, effect settings, and workspaces. Export and import these files to store groups of customized settings for specific workflows, or transfer favorite settings to another machine.
Page 25: Chapter 4: Importing, Recording, And Playing Audio
Creating and opening files Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include some file formats and effects, CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, clip grouping and time stretching, and control surface support.
Page 26 105 Open existing audio files and multitrack mixes The following file types open in the Multitrack Editor: Audition Session, Adobe Premiere Pro Sequence XML, Final Cut Pro XML Interchange, and OMF. All other supported file types open in the Waveform Editor, including the audio portion of video files.
Page 27: Importing With The Files Panel
When you insert an audio file in the Multitrack Editor, the file becomes an audio clip on the selected track. If you insert several files at once, or a single file that’s longer than the space available on the selected track, Adobe Audition inserts new clips on the nearest empty tracks.
Page 28: Supported Import Formats
138 Supported import formats Audio file formats Adobe Audition can open audio files in the following formats: • AAC • AIF, AIFF, AIFC (including files with up to 32 channels) There are many different variations of AIFF format. Audition can open all uncompressed AIFF files and most common compressed versions.
Page 29: Video File Formats
• VOC • VOX • W64 • WAV (including files with up to 32 channels) There are many different variations of WAV format. Adobe Audition can open all uncompressed WAV files and most common compressed versions. • WVE • XI More Help topics “Saving and exporting...
Page 30: Extracting Audio From Cds
USING ADOBE AUDITION Importing, recording, and playing audio • MOV (including files with up to 32 audio channels) • MPEG-1 • MPEG-4 • 3GPP and 3GPP2 More Help topics “Insert a video file into a multitrack session” on page 130 “Export a multitrack mix to Premiere Pro...
Page 31: Navigating Time And Playing Audio
Navigating time and playing audio Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, some file formats and effects, clip grouping and time stretching, and control surface support.
Page 32 Synchronize the current-time indicator between files in the Waveform Editor Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Adobe Audition Preferences > General (Mac OS). Select Synchronize Selection, Zoom Level, and CTI Across Files In The Waveform Editor.
Page 33: Recording Audio
107 Recording audio Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include timed recording, CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, some file formats and effects, and control surface support. For a complete list, see Adobe Audition 3.0 features replaced or not implemented in...
Page 34 51. Direct-to-file recording in the Multitrack Editor In the Multitrack Editor, Adobe Audition automatically saves each recorded clip directly to a WAV file. Direct-to-file recording lets you quickly record and save multiple clips, providing tremendous flexibility. Inside the session folder, you’ll find each recorded clip in the [session name]_Recorded folder. Clip file names begin with the track name, followed by the take number (for example, Track 1_003.wav).
Page 35 USING ADOBE AUDITION Importing, recording, and playing audio The track meters display the input, helping you optimize levels. (To disable this default and display levels only while recording, deselect Enable Input Metering When Arming Tracks in the Multitrack preferences.) To hear hardware inputs routed through any track effects and sends, click the Monitor Input button Note: Routing inputs through effects and sends requires significant processing.
Page 36: Monitoring Recording And Playback Levels
USING ADOBE AUDITION Importing, recording, and playing audio Punch in during playback in the Multitrack Editor If you don’t need to punch into a specific range, you can quickly punch into a general area during playback. Enable one or more tracks for recording. (See “Record audio clips in the Multitrack...
Page 37 -3 dB Adobe Audition doesn’t directly control a sound card’s recording levels. For a professional sound card, you adjust these levels with the mixer application provided with the card (see the card’s documentation for instructions). For a standard sound card, you use the mixer provided by Windows or Mac OS.
Page 38 USING ADOBE AUDITION Importing, recording, and playing audio Select the input source you want to use, and adjust the Volume slider as needed. Adjust sound card levels in Mac OS Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu. Click Sound, and then click the Input tab.
Page 39: Chapter 5: Editing Audio Files
Chapter 5: Editing audio files Displaying audio in the Waveform Editor View audio waveforms and spectrums In the Waveform Editor, the Editor panel provides a visual representation of sound waves. Below the panel’s default waveform display, which is ideal for evaluating audio amplitude, you can view audio in the spectral display, which reveals audio frequency (low bass to high treble).
Page 40 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files With its clear indication of amplitude changes, the waveform display is perfect for identifying percussive changes in vocals, drums, and more. To find a particular spoken word, for example, simply look for the peak at the first syllable and the valley after the last.
Page 41 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files More Help topics “Select spectral ranges” on page 39 “Customize the spectral display” on page 37 “Techniques for restoring audio” on page 86 View layered or uniquely colored waveform channels For stereo and 5.1 surround files, you can view layered or uniquely colored channels. Layered channels better reveal overall volume changes.
Page 42: Selecting Audio
USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files More Help topics “About the spectral display” on page 36 “Techniques for restoring audio” on page 86 Change the vertical scale In the Waveform Editor, you can change the amplitude or frequency scale of the vertical ruler.
Page 43 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Dragging to select time ranges • To extend or shorten a selection, drag the selection edges. (Shift-click beyond the edges to quickly extend a selection to a specific location.) Note: If you prefer, you can right-click to extend or shorten a selection. To enable this feature, select Extend Selection in the General section of the Preferences dialog box.
Page 44 • To determine the intensity of effects applied to paintbrush selections, adjust the Opacity setting in the toolbar. By default, Adobe Audition plays only audio the spectral selection. To hear all audio in the same time range, right- click the Play button , and deselect Play Spectral Selection Only.
Page 45 • To select all of a waveform, triple-click in the Editor panel. Specify which channels you want to edit By default, Adobe Audition applies selections and edits to all channels of a stereo or surround waveform. However, you can easily select and edit specific channels.
Page 46: Copying, Cutting, Pasting, And Deleting Audio
120 Copying, cutting, pasting, and deleting audio Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include Audition-specific clipboards, CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, some file formats and effects, and control surface support.
Page 47: Visually Fading And Changing Amplitude
USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Paste audio data ❖ Do either of the following: • To paste audio into the current file, place the current-time indicator where you want to insert the audio or select existing audio you want to replace. Then choose Edit > Paste.
Page 48 To quickly fade selected audio, choose Favorites > Fade In or Fade Out. Visually fade in or out Adobe Audition offers three types of visual fades: • Linear fades produce an even volume change that works well for much material. If this fade sounds too abrupt, however, try one of the other options.
Page 49: Working With Markers
In Adobe Audition, a marker can be either a point or a range. A point refers to a specific time position within a waveform (for instance, 1:08.566 from the start of the file). A range has both a start time and an end time (for example, all of the waveform from 1:08.566 to 3:07.379).
Page 50 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Examples of markers A. Marker point B. Marker range Note: To preserve markers when you save a file, select Include Markers and Other Metadata. Add, select, and rename markers Though you can add markers directly in the Editor panel, you use the Markers panel (Windows > Markers) to define and select markers.
Page 51 Specifies a filename prefix for the new files. Prefix Specifies the number to begin with when adding numbers to the filename prefix. Adobe Audition Postfix Starting # automatically adds numbers after the prefix (for example, prefix02, prefix03) to distinguish saved files.
Page 52: Inverting, Reversing, And Silencing Audio
USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files More Help topics “Delete Silence and Mark Audio options” on page 80 “Batch process files” on page 57 Creating playlists A playlist is an arrangement of marker ranges that you can play back in any order and loop a specified number of times.
Page 53: Analyzing Phase, Frequency, And Amplitude
Choose Effects > Reverse. Create silence Creating silence is useful for inserting pauses and removing nonessential noise from an audio file. Adobe Audition provides two ways to create silence: • To mute existing audio in the Waveform Editor, select the desired content, and choose Effects > Silence. Unlike deleting or cutting a selection, which splices the surrounding material together, muting leaves the duration of the selection intact.
Page 54 In the Frequency Analysis panel, view frequency along the horizontal axis, and amplitude along the vertical axis. If you selected a range, Adobe Audition analyzes only the center point. To analyze the overall frequency of the range, click Scan Selection.
Page 55 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Determines the amplitude at which full scale, 0 dBFS audio data is displayed. For example, a value of 0 dB Reference zero displays 0 dBFS audio at 0 dB. A value of 30 displays 0 dBFS audio at –30 dB. This value simply moves the graph up or down;...
Page 56 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files • The RMS Histogram tab displays a graph that shows the relative prevalence of each amplitude. The horizontal ruler measures amplitude in decibels, and the vertical ruler measures prevalence using the RMS formula. Choose a channel to display from the Show Channel menu.
Page 57: Converting Sample Types
Enter a sample rate in the text box, or choose a common sample rate from the list. Note: Although you can work with sample rates ranging from 6000 to 192,000 Hz in Adobe Audition, your sound card may not be capable of playing all rates properly. To determine supported sample rates, consult the documentation for the card.
Page 58 The bit depth of a file determines the dynamic range of the audio. (See “Understanding bit depth” on page 6.) Adobe Audition supports up to 32-bit resolution. You can raise the bit depth of a file to gain a greater dynamic range, or you can lower the bit depth to reduce the file size.
Page 59: Automating Common Tasks
Delete button Automating common tasks Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include advanced scripting, CD burning, MIDI, the metronome, some file formats and effects, and control surface support. For a complete list, see Adobe Audition 3.0 features replaced or not implemented in...
Page 60 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Choose Favorite > Stop Recording Favorite, and name the favorite. Create a favorite from a specific effect Adjust effect settings as desired. In the upper right of the effect dialog box, click the Favorite icon .
Page 61 USING ADOBE AUDITION Editing audio files Adjust Match Volume settings ❖ In the Match Volume panel, click Settings to adjust the following options: Determines how amplitude is mathematically compared: Match To • Matches an overall loudness you specify. Total RMS •...
Page 62: Undo, Redo, And History
Undo, redo, and history Undo or redo changes Each time you start Adobe Audition, it keeps track of the edits you perform. Edits aren’t permanently applied until you save and close a file, giving you unlimited undo and redo capability.
Page 63: Chapter 6: Applying Effects
Chapter 6: Applying effects Effects controls Effects Rack overview The Effects Rack lets you insert, edit, and reorder up to 16 effects, optimize mix levels, and store favorite presets. Most rack controls appear in both the Waveform and Multitrack editors. Controls shared by the Waveform and Multitrack editors A.
Page 64 USING ADOBE AUDITION Applying effects Controls unique to the Multitrack Editor A. FX Pre/Post-Fader B. Pre-render Set input, output, and mix levels in racks • To optimize volume, adjust Input and Output levels so their meters peak without clipping. • To change the percentage of processed audio, drag the Mix slider. 100% (Wet) equals fully processed audio; 0% (Dry) equals original, unprocessed audio.
Page 65 “Favorites” on page 55 Control effect settings with graphs Many Adobe Audition effects provide graphs where you can adjust parameters. By adding and moving control points on the graph, you can precisely tailor effect settings. Graph control points function together with related numerical settings. If you change or disable a numerical setting, the related graph control follows suit.
Page 66: Applying Effects In The Waveform Editor
USING ADOBE AUDITION Applying effects When you use spline curves, lines don’t travel directly through control points. Instead, the points control the shape of the curve. To move the curve closer to a control point, click near it to create a cluster of control points.
Page 67: Applying Effects In The Multitrack Editor
USING ADOBE AUDITION Applying effects As you edit settings, watch the Levels panel to optimize amplitude. To compare original audio to processed audio, select and deselect the Power button To apply the changes to the audio data, click Apply. More Help topics “Use effect...
Page 68 USING ADOBE AUDITION Applying effects Revealing effect slots in the Editor panel Do any of the following: • Select a clip, and click Clip Effects at the top of the Effects Rack. • Select a track, and click Track Effects at the top of the Effects Rack.
Page 69: Adding Third-Party Plug-Ins
Enable VST and Audio Units plug-ins To access third-party plug-ins in Adobe Audition, you must first enable them. By default, all third-party plug-ins are disabled. To optimize performance, enable only the plug-ins you plan to use in Adobe Audition.
Page 70 USING ADOBE AUDITION Applying effects Note: If a third-party effect is incompatible, Adobe Audition adds it to an Unsupported submenu in effects menus. More Help topics “Applying effects in the Waveform Editor” on page 62 “Applying effects in the Multitrack Editor”...
Page 71: Chapter 7: Effects Reference
Chapter 7: Effects reference Amplitude and compression effects Amplify effect The Amplitude And Compression > Amplify effect boosts or attenuates an audio signal. Because the effect operates in real time, you can combine it with other effects in the Effects Rack. Boost or attenuate individual audio channels.
Page 72 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference The graph reveals the processed frequencies. Click the Preview button to see how much audio content exists in the processed range. Choose Broadband to uniformly compress all frequencies or Multiband to only compress the sibilance range.
Page 73 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference For example, if a desirable sonic element occurs around -20 dB, you can boost the input signal at that level, but leave everything else unchanged. You can also draw an inverse line (from the upper left to the lower right) that will dramatically boost quiet sounds and suppress loud ones.
Page 74 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference • Determines how many milliseconds it takes for the output signal to reach the specified level. For Attack Time example, if audio suddenly drops 30 dB, the specified attack time passes before the output level changes.
Page 75 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Controls in the Multiband Compressor let you precisely define crossover frequencies and apply band-specific compression settings. Click Solo buttons to preview bands in isolation, or Bypass buttons to pass bands through without processing. After you fine-tune individual bands, select Link Band Controls to adjust them globally, and then optimize overall volume with the Output Gain slider and Limiter settings.
Page 76 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Measure input amplitude. Double-click the meters to reset peak and clip indicators. Input Level meters Measure amplitude reduction with red meters that extend from top (minimal reduction) to Gain Reduction meters bottom (maximum reduction). Boosts or cuts amplitude after compression. Possible values range from -18 to +18 dB, where 0 is unity gain.
Page 77 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference The Amplitude And Compression > Normalize effect lets you set a peak level for a file or selection. When you normalize audio to 100%, you achieve the maximum amplitude that digital audio allows—0 dBFS. If you’re sending audio to a mastering engineer, however, normalize audio to between –3 and –6 dBFS, providing a cushion for further...
Page 78 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference More Help topics “Applying effects” on page 59 Speech Volume Leveler effect The Amplitude and Compression > Speech Volume Leveler is a compression effect that optimizes dialogue, evening out levels and removing background noise. For the best results, do the following: Select audio with the lowest level.
Page 79 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Sets a compression ratio between 1-to-1 and 30-to-1. For example, a setting of 3.0 outputs 1 dB for every 3 dB Ratio increase above the compression threshold. Typical settings range from 2.0 to 5.0; higher settings produce the extremely compressed sound often heard in pop music.
Page 80: Delay And Echo Effects
When reverb or chorus might muddy the mix, both delays and echoes are a great way to add ambience to a track. To access familiar options from hardware delays, use the Echo effect in Adobe Audition. More Help topics “Reverb...
Page 81 35 milliseconds or more create discrete echoes, while those between 15-34 milliseconds can create a simple chorus or flanging effect. (These results won’t be as effective as the Chorus or Flanger effects in Adobe Audition, because the delay settings don’t change over time.) By further reducing a delay to between 1 and 14 milliseconds, you can spatially locate a mono sound so that the sound seems to be coming from the left or the right side, even though the actual volume levels for left and right are identical.
Page 82: Diagnostics Effects (Waveform Editor Only)
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Passes each successive echo through an eight-band equalizer, letting you simulate the Successive Echo Equalization natural sound absorption of a room. A setting of 0 leaves the frequency band unchanged, while a maximum setting of -15 decreases that frequency by 15 dB.
Page 83 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference DeClicker options The Diagnostics > DeClicker effect detects and removes clicks and pops from wireless microphones, vinyl records, and other sources. DeClicker options match those for the Automatic Click Remover, which you can combine with other effects in the Effects Rack and apply in the Multitrack Editor.
Page 84: Filter And Equalizer Effects
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Delete Silence and Mark Audio options The Diagnostics > Delete Silence and Mark Audio effects identify silent passages of audio and either remove or mark them. (See “Working with markers” on page 45.) Automatically deleting silence helps you tighten up tracks without affecting foreground audio.
Page 85 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference These functions are listed in order from narrowest to widest. Narrower functions include fewer surrounding, or sidelobe, frequencies but less precisely reflect center frequencies. Wider functions include more surrounding frequencies but more precisely reflect center frequencies. The Hamming and Blackman options provide excellent overall results.
Page 86 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Parametric Equalizer effect The Filter And EQ > Parametric Equalizer effect provides maximum control over tonal equalization. Unlike the Graphic Equalizer, which provides a fixed number of frequencies and Q bandwidths, the Parametric Equalizer gives you total control over frequency, Q, and gain settings.
Page 87: Modulation Effects
Adobe Audition uses a direct-simulation method to achieve a chorus effect, making each voice sound distinct from the original by slightly varying timing, intonation, and vibrato. The Feedback setting lets you add extra detail to the result.
Page 88 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference • Determines the maximum rate at which amplitude changes occur. With very low values, the Modulation Rate resulting voice slowly gets louder and quieter, like a singer that cannot keep his or her breath steady. With very high settings, the result can be jittery and unnatural.
Page 89: Flanger Effect
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference More Help topics “Applying effects in the Waveform Editor” on page 62 “Applying effects in the Multitrack Editor” on page 63 Flanger effect Flanging is an audio effect caused by mixing a varying, short delay in roughly equal proportion to the original signal.
Page 90: Noise Reduction / Restoration Effects
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Phaser effect Similar to flanging, phasing shifts the phase of an audio signal and recombines it with the original, creating psychedelic effects first popularized by musicians of the 1960s. But unlike the Flanger effect, which uses variable delays, the Modulation >...
Page 91 More Help topics “About the spectral display” on page 36 “Edit audio clips from Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 or After Effects” on page 128 Noise Reduction effect (Waveform Editor only) The Noise Reduction/Restoration > Noise Reduction effect dramatically reduces background and broadband noise with a minimal reduction in signal quality.
Page 92 Noise Reduction options Extracts a noise profile from a selected range, indicating only background noise. Adobe Audition Capture Noise Print gathers statistical information about the background noise so it can remove it from the remainder of the waveform.
Page 93 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Determines how frequencies are arranged along the horizontal x-axis: Scale • For finer control over low frequencies, select Logarithmic. A logarithmic scale more closely resembles how people hear sound. • For detailed, high-frequency work with evenly spaced intervals in frequency, select Linear.
Page 94 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Adaptive Noise Reduction effect The Noise Reduction/Restoration > Adaptive Noise Reduction effect quickly removes variable broadband noise such as background sounds, rumble, and wind. Because this effect operates in real time, you can combine it with other effects in the Effects Rack and apply it in the Multitrack Editor.
Page 95 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Indicates the complexity of noise. Higher settings apply more processing but can degrade audio quality. Complexity Settings range from 1 to 100; the default is 16. More Help topics “Applying effects in the Waveform Editor” on page 62 “Applying effects in the Multitrack...
Page 96 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Sets the width of the root frequency and harmonics above. Higher values affect a narrower range of frequencies, and lower values affect a wider range. Determines the amount of hum attenuation. Gain Specifies how many harmonic frequencies to affect.
Page 97 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference To disable tooltips for frequency and amplitude, click the menu button to the upper right of the graph, and deselect Show Tooltip Over Graph. Determines how frequencies are arranged along the horizontal x-axis: Scale • For finer control over low frequencies, select Logarithmic. A logarithmic scale more closely resembles how people hear sound.
Page 98: Reverb Effects
This reflected sound is called reverberation, or reverb for short. With Adobe Audition, you can use reverb effects to simulate a variety of room environments.
Page 99 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference More Help topics “Applying effects in the Waveform Editor” on page 62 “Applying effects in the Multitrack Editor” on page 63 “Use effect presets” on page 61 Full Reverb effect The Reverb > Full Reverb effect is convolution-based, avoiding ringing, metallic, and other artificial sounding artifacts.
Page 100 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Sets the volume of the virtual room, as measured in cubic meters. The larger the room, the longer the Room Size reverb. Use this control to create virtual rooms of only a few square meters to giant coliseums.
Page 101 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Reverb effect The Reverb > Reverb effect simulates acoustic spaces with convolution-based processing. It can reproduce acoustic or ambient environments such as a coat closet, a tiled bathroom shower, a concert hall, or a grand amphitheater. The echoes can be spaced so closely together that a signal’s reverberated tail decays smoothly over time, creating a warm...
Page 102 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Studio Reverb effect Like the other reverb effects, the Reverb > Studio Reverb effect simulates acoustic spaces. It is faster and less processor-intensive than the other reverb effects, however, because it isn’t convolution-based. As a result, you can make real-time changes quickly and effectively in the Multitrack Editor, without pre-rendering effects on a track.
Page 103: Special Effects
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Reduces high-frequency, transient components in reverb, avoiding harshness and producing a warmer, Damping HF lusher sound. Determines how many milliseconds the reverb takes to build to maximum amplitude. To produce the most Pre-Delay natural sound, specify a short pre-delay of 0–10 milliseconds. To produce interesting special effects, specify a long pre- delay of 50 milliseconds or more.
Page 104 Mastering effect Mastering describes the complete process of optimizing audio files for a particular medium, such as radio, video, CD, or the web. In Adobe Audition, you can quickly master audio with the Special > Mastering effect. Last updated 2/16/2012...
Page 105 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Before mastering audio, consider the requirements of the destination medium. If the destination is the web, for example, the file will likely be played over computer speakers that poorly reproduce bass sounds. To compensate, you can boost bass frequencies during the equalization stage of the mastering process.
Page 106: Stereo Imagery Effects
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Vocal Enhancer effect The Special > Vocal Enhancer effect quickly improves the quality of voice-over recordings. The Male and Female modes automatically reduce sibilance and plosives, as well as microphone handling noise such as low rumbles. Those modes also apply microphone modeling and compression to give vocals a characteristic radio sound.
Page 107: Time And Pitch Manipulation Effects
USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference • Keep at 0% for faster processing. Set between 80% and 98% to smooth out background Spectral Decay Rate distortions. Specifies how much of the selected signal you want to extract or remove. Move the Center and Side Channel Levels sliders up to include additional material.
Page 108 USING ADOBE AUDITION Effects reference Changes the initial Stretch or Pitch Shift setting over time, reaching Final Stretch or Pitch Shift (Audition algorithm) the final setting at the last selected audio sample. Stretches audio to reflect pitch changes, or vice versa.
Page 109: Chapter 8: Mixing Multitrack Sessions
Adobe Audition saves information about source files and mix settings in session (.sesx) files. Session files are relatively small because they contain only pathnames to source files and references to mix parameters (such as volume, pan, and effect settings).
Page 110 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions The Mixer (Window > Mixer) provides an alternative view of a session, revealing many more tracks and controls simultaneously, without showing clips. The Mixer is ideal for mixing large sessions with many tracks. Controls in the Mixer: A.
Page 111: Basic Multitrack Controls
In the Editor panel, click an empty area of the track display to ensure that no clips are selected. Choose Window > Properties. In the Properties panel, adjust the following options: Sets a start-time offset, helping you match audio in Adobe Audition to the time displayed in video Start Time applications.
Page 112 To identify track channels, note the meters in the Editor or Mixer panel: A. Mono B. Stereo C. 5.1 Add or delete tracks Note: A multitrack session supports only one video track, which Adobe Audition always inserts at the top of the Editor panel. ❖...
Page 113 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Name text box in the Editor panel • Position the pointer to the left of the track name, and then drag either up or down in the Editor panel, or right or left in the Mixer.
Page 114 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Mute and solo tracks You can solo tracks to hear them separately from the rest of a mix. Conversely, you can mute tracks to silence them in a mix. • To mute a track, click its Mute button in the Editor panel or Mixer.
Page 115: Multitrack Routing And Eq Controls
USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions More Help topics “Automating track settings” on page 124 “Pan tracks in a 5.1 surround mix” on page 132 Duplicate tracks To perfectly copy all clips, effects, equalization, and envelopes in a track, duplicate it. Duplicate tracks provide a great starting point for new adjustments, helping you compare different processing and automation settings.
Page 116 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Dragging the right border of the track controls to reveal more or less detail For more information, see “Vertically zoom tracks” on page 109. Assign audio inputs and outputs to tracks ❖ In the Inputs/Outputs area of the Editor panel or Mixer, do the following: •...
Page 117 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions An example of audio routing for tracks A. Vocal B. Reverb bus receiving vocal and guitar sends C. Guitar D. Drums bus combining drum outputs E. Bass outputting direct to hardware F. Master track G. Hardware outputs Understanding bus tracks With bus tracks, you can combine the outputs of several audio tracks or sends and control them collectively.
Page 118 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Sending tracks to multiple buses A. Send 1 outputs to delay bus B. Send 2 outputs to reverb bus C. Master track combines vocal, guitar, delay, and reverb outputs Understanding the Master track A session always contains one Master track, so you can easily combine the outputs of multiple tracks and buses and control them with a single fader.
Page 119 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Pre- and post-fader effect and send routing for each track A. Input B. EQ C. Track volume D. Track mute E. Send F. Effects Rack In the Sends area of the Mixer, click the send Power button...
Page 120: Arranging And Editing Multitrack Clips
USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Arranging and editing multitrack clips When you insert an audio file in the Multitrack Editor, the file becomes a clip on the selected track. You can easily move clips to different tracks or timeline positions. You can also edit clips nondestructively, trimming their start and end points, crossfading them with other clips, and more.
Page 121 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions To quickly copy a reference, press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac OS). Alternatively, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the clip header. Click the Move tool in the toolbar. Then right-click and drag the clip.
Page 122 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Shift clip contents within clip edges In the toolbar, click the Slip tool Drag across the clip. Permanently edit a clip’s source file in the Waveform Editor ❖ Double-click the clip header. Split clips Split audio clips to break them into separate clips that you can independently move or edit.
Page 123: Looping Clips
Mute Looping clips Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include loop tempo and key adjustment, clip time stretching, MIDI, the metronome, CD burning, and some file formats and effects.
Page 124: Clip Volume Matching, Fading, And Mixing
USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Snap to loop beats To better synchronize a loop-based session, use the Bars And Beats time format and enable snapping. Then add loops to create a rhythmic foundation, which you can build upon by recording new audio clips. (You can also add existing audio clips, but only their start or end points will align with loop beats.)
Page 125 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Match multitrack clip volume If multitrack clips have very different volume, making mixing difficult, you can match their volumes. Because the Multitrack Editor is nondestructive, this adjustment is completely reversible. To instead permanently change the volume of source files, see “Match volume across multiple...
Page 126 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Crossfade overlapping clips When you crossfade clips on the same track, you overlap them to determine the size of the transition region (the larger the overlapping area, the longer the transition). Place two clips on the same track, and move them so they overlap. (See “Select and move...
Page 127: Automating Mixes With Envelopes
Automating mixes with envelopes Note: Some features in the Windows version of Adobe Audition 3.0 are not available in CS5.5. Examples include control surface support, CD burning, MIDI, some file formats and effects, clip grouping and time stretching, and the metronome.
Page 128 The Rack Power option lets you turn clip effects on and off over time. Automating track settings With track envelopes, you can change volume, pan, and effect settings over time. Adobe Audition displays track envelopes in an automation lane below each track. Each automated parameter has its own envelope, which you edit just like clip envelopes.
Page 129 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Automating track settings in the Editor panel A. Automation lane B. Envelope for parameter More Help topics “Apply effects to clips or tracks” on page 63 “Adjust automation with keyframes” on page 126 “Editing multitrack sessions in the Editor panel and Mixer”...
Page 130 Applies track envelopes during playback and mixdown. Read Adjust automation with keyframes Keyframes on envelope lines change clip and track parameters over time. Adobe Audition automatically calculates, or interpolates, all the intermediate values between keyframes using one of two transition methods: • Hold transitions create an abrupt change in value at each new keyframe.
Page 131 USING ADOBE AUDITION Mixing multitrack sessions Select multiple keyframes for a parameter • Right-click any keyframe, and choose Select All Keyframes. • Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and click specific keyframes. • Hold down Shift, and click to select a series of keyframes.
Page 132: Chapter 9: Video And Surround Sound
Edit audio clips from Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 or After Effects From Adobe Premiere Pro® CS5.5 or After Effects®, you can quickly open selected clips in the Waveform Editor to restore or enhance them. When you save your changes, the updated audio automatically appears in your video projects.
Page 133 To create layered video soundtracks that you can easily update, link multitrack sessions to exported mixdown files. When you select the exported files in an application such as Adobe Premiere Pro, you can either remix or edit them in Adobe Audition. As a video project evolves, simply repeat this process to create a polished final soundtrack.
Page 134: Importing Video And Working With Video Clips
USING ADOBE AUDITION Video and surround sound To overwrite the original file in the video application, do one of the following: • In the Multitrack Editor, choose File > Export > Multitrack Mixdown, and specify the same name and location as the original file.
Page 135: 5.1 Surround Sound
Monitoring 5.1 surround sound Adobe Audition supports 5.1 surround sound, which requires five speakers, plus one low frequency subwoofer (LFE). To properly monitor 5.1 surround sound , your computer must have a sound card with at least six outputs, and those outputs must be mapped to the correct channels in Audition.
Page 136 USING ADOBE AUDITION Video and surround sound Map each 5.1 channel to a sound card output: • L: Front left speaker. • R: Front right speaker. • C: Front center speaker. • LFE: Subwoofer • Ls: Left surround speaker. • Rs: Right surround speaker.
Page 137 USING ADOBE AUDITION Video and surround sound Determines the separation between stereo audio tracks, with zero and -180° producing Stereo Spread minimum separation, and -90° producing maximum separation. Determines how far around the surround field the sound extends. For example, 100% produces a...
Page 138: Chapter 10: Saving And Exporting
Extract audio channels to mono files If you want to edit or output individual channels of a stereo or surround-sound file, extract them to mono files. Adobe Audition appends the channel name to each extracted filename. For example, a stereo source file named Jazz.aif produces mono files named Jazz_L and Jazz_R.
Page 139 You can reopen a saved session file later to make further changes to the mix. If you create multitrack mixes entirely in Adobe Audition, save session files in the native SESX format. If you plan to share multitrack compositions with other applications, however, see “Export sessions to OMF or Final Cut Pro...
Page 140 USING ADOBE AUDITION Saving and exporting Export to Final Cut Pro Interchange format In the Multitrack Editor, choose File > Export > FCP XML Interchange Format. Specify a filename and location. To include audio markers and information from the Metadata panel, select Include Markers And Other Metadata.
Page 141 USING ADOBE AUDITION Saving and exporting Audio format settings In most cases, you should save uncompressed audio to the AIFF or WAV formats. Save to the compressed mp3 format only when creating files for the web or portable media players.
Page 142: Viewing And Editing Xmp Metadata
Note: The nonstandard 16.8 and 24.0 Floating Point options are provided for compatibility with previous versions of Adobe Audition. (16.8 was the internal format used by Audition 1.0. 24.0 was an optional setting from the same version.) Stores files larger than 4GB using either RF64 format, which reflects the current European 4GB Plus Support Broadcasting Union standard, or the Multiple Data Chunks format supported by previous versions of Audition.
Page 143 About the XMP standard Adobe applications store metadata using the Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP). XMP is built on XML, which facilitates the exchange of metadata across a variety of applications and publishing workflows. Metadata in most other formats (such as Exif, GPS, and TIFF) automatically transfers to XMP so you can more easily view and manage it.
Page 144 USING ADOBE AUDITION Saving and exporting Enter a property name, and select one of the following for Type: Displays whole numbers that you drag or click to change. Integer Displays fractional numbers that you drag or click to change. Real Displays a text box (for properties similar to Location).
Page 145: Chapter 11: Keyboard Shortcuts
Finding and customizing shortcuts Adobe Audition provides a default set of keyboard shortcuts to help you speed up the editing process. In menus and tool tips, available keyboard shortcuts appear to the right of command and button names. You can customize nearly all default shortcuts and add shortcuts for other functions.
Page 146: Default Keyboard Shortcuts
USING ADOBE AUDITION Keyboard shortcuts Default keyboard shortcuts These partial lists include the shortcuts that Adobe Audition experts find most useful. For a complete list of shortcuts, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. More Help topics “Customize shortcuts” on page 141...
Page 147 USING ADOBE AUDITION Keyboard shortcuts Result Windows shortcut Mac OS shortcut Make spectral display more logarithmic or linear Ctrl+Alt+up or down Option+Command+u arrow p or down arrow Make spectral display fully logarithmic or linear Ctrl+Alt+Page Up or Option+Command+Pa Down ge Up or Down...

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Audition cs5.5

Adobe 22011292 - Audition - PC Using Instruction

Chapter 1 : What's New

Chapter 2: Digital Audio Fundamentals

Chapter 3: Workspace and Setup

Chapter 4: Importing, Recording, and Playing Audio

Chapter 5: Editing Audio Files

Chapter 6: Applying Effects

Chapter 7: Effects Reference

Chapter 8: Mixing Multitrack Sessions

Chapter 9: Video and Surround Sound

Chapter 10: Saving and Exporting

Chapter 11: Keyboard Shortcuts

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