1. Creating a Soundtrack in Adobe Audition CS6
Chapter 3
Creating a Soundtrack in
Adobe Audition CS6

2. Exploring Audition
Adobe Audition, like Premiere Pro and After Effects, includes a number of preformatted, customizable workspaces that optimize the arrangement of panels for particular tasks.
When you select one of the preformatted workspaces, the current workspace is adjusted accordingly.

3. Exploring Audition
The Default workspace is designed to optimize audio editing by providing a large view of the Editor panel.
The workspace can be changed by selecting a default workspace or by rearranging the panels to your individual preference.

4. Exploring Audition Editor panel Workspace drop-down menu Tools panel
Files panel
Media Browser
Default workspace

5. Exploring Audition
Audition is designed for the non-musical professional to edit and create musical scores.
However, an understanding of some fundamental digital audio concepts will help you as you work with Audition.

6. Exploring Audition
Sound is created by a vibration in the air created by an object that causes the air pressure to change.
This vibration eventually reaches the eardrum causing it to vibrate, which is then interpreted as sound.

7. Exploring Audition
Sound is represented in a waveform, which is a line that visually depicts the variations in the waves being created by the air pressure, much like the way wind creates waves in water.

8. A sample waveform on the Editor panel
Exploring Audition
A sample waveform on the Editor panel

9. Exploring Audition
The line at its high point, caused by higher pressure, is called its crest.
Lower pressure is represented at the line’s lowest point and is called its trough.
When there is no air pressure, the sound wave is at zero, which is indicated by the red zero line.

10. Exploring Audition
Amplitude is the change in pressure from crest to trough.
High-amplitude waveforms are loud and lowamplitude waveforms are quiet.

11. Audio file in the Files panel
Exploring Audition
Waveform button
Editor panel
Files panel
Waveform Editor
Audio file in the Files panel
Waveform Editor view

12. Exploring Audition
The number of cycles per second, measured in hertz, is called frequency.
A wavelength is the distance in inches or centimeters measured between any two points, at the same height on the waveform.

13. Exploring Audition
The Files panel organizes the references to all of the files used in a session and also lists the multitrack sessions.

14. Exploring Audition
You can use Audition to import audio files or to record audio.
A variety of audio and video file formats are supported, including:
Mp3
WAV
AVI
MPEG

15. Exploring Audition References to audio files Session file
Files panel displaying references

16. Exploring Audition
Audition has two different editors that can be used when working with audio files:
The Waveform Editor
The Multitrack Editor

17. Exploring Audition The Waveform Editor:
is used to edit individual files.
uses a destructive method of editing.
Destructive editing means that any changes that are made are permanent and cannot be undone.
A destructive edit is not applied until you save the file.

18. Exploring Audition
Waveform Editor

19. Exploring Audition The Multitrack Editor:
is used to mix multiple audio files and can be used to integrate them with video.
Uses a nondestructive method.
Nondestructive editing means that the audio file is not changed permanently and can be undone.
Nondestructive editing requires more processing power but provides greater flexibility.

20. Exploring Audition
Multitrack Editor

21. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Audition allows you to combine audio files and mix settings to create soundtracks for videos that you can then import into Premiere Pro or After Effects.
A multitrack session is a file that contains references to source files and mix settings of multiple tracks, keeping the file relatively small.
The extension for an Audition document is .sesx.

22. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Multitrack sessions support importing video files to use as references while mixing a soundtrack, allowing you to synchronize your music.
A multitrack session can be created before or after you import your movie file.

23. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Multitracks appear on the Multitrack Editor panel, and you can quickly switch between audio files by selecting the drop-down menu on the Editor panel.

24. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Editor panel drop-down menu
Open files
Click track name to rename
Switching between audio files

25. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Tracks can be renamed by clicking the current name and typing a new name.
If you have several audio tracks, it is helpful to assign them descriptive names so that you can easily keep track of where each sound effect or audio clip is located.

26. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Audio files on the Files panel can be placed on an audio track by dragging them to the Multitrack Editor panel.
An audio file that has been placed on a track is known as a clip.
Adjusting the length or duration of an audio clip is as simple as clicking and dragging.

27. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Cursor at the end of clip
Trimming a clip

28. Working with Multitrack Sessions
The placement of a clip on a track can also be adjusted by clicking and dragging the clip with the Move tool.
It is a good idea to place clips on separate tracks so that you can overlap them to eliminate the cut from one audio clip to the next.

29. Working with Multitrack Sessions
You can also add keyframes for the volume level allowing you to create and fade from one audio clip to the next.

30. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Zoom navigator
Keyframe
Volume level
Overlapped clip
Creating a fade on an audio clip

31. Working with Multitrack Sessions
You can create a fade in or a fade out effect between audio clips by right-clicking the fade icon.
You can then adjust the length of the fade by dragging the fade icon.
You can adjust the amount of fade by dragging up or down to create a curve.

32. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Fade out added to this clip
Fade in icon
Using the fade in effect

33. Working with Multitrack Sessions
When working in the Multitrack Editor, each clip and track has its own Effects Rack panel.
Effects are nondestructive in the Multitrack Editor and can be changed at any time.
The Effects Rack panel allows you to apply up to 16 different effects to each track or clip.

34. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Clip Effects button
Track Effects button
Number of effects that can be applies
Effects Power button
Effects Rack panel in Multitrack Editor View

35. Working with Multitrack Sessions
While you are performing edits on a soundtrack and syncing it to video, you should keep it in the Audition SESX file format.
The SESX format allows you to add effects and to adjust fades.

36. Working with Multitrack Sessions
You can also import a file in the SESX format directly into Premiere Pro and After Effects and access the file from those applications for editing.
The Save As dialog box allows you to rename a multitrack session and change the location where it is saved.

37. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Click the Browse button to change where the file is saved
Save As dialog box

38. Working with Multitrack Sessions
When you are done editing your file and ready to save it for playback or for use on other devices, you need to do what is called a mix down, which is a process that combines all of your audio tracks and outputs them together.
This is accomplished using the Export Multitrack Mixdown command.

39. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Format menu
Export Multitrack Mixdown dialog box

40. Working with Multitrack Sessions
As part of this process, you need to choose an audio file format to save in.
The MP3 file format is one of the most widely used file formats for portable media players and web-based audio.
has a highly compressed file size to make downloads faster, but also results in poorer quality.

41. Working with Multitrack Sessions
MP3 file
MP3 file in the Files panel

42. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Use the MP3 file format when saving for the Web or for portable media players.
Windows Waveform, or WAV, is the standard, uncompressed audio format for the Windows operating system.

43. Working with Multitrack Sessions
Audio Interchange File Format, or AIF, is the standard, uncompressed audio file format for Mac OS.
You should use these file formats when you plan to share your files with other applications or burn them to discs.

44. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Audition can be used to clean up and restore audio files.
For example, crackling noises from old vinyl records or microphone recordings can be removed with the Automatic Click Remover effect.

45. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Background noise such as wind or humming can be removed with the Adaptive Noise effect.
These effects can be used in either the Waveform Editor or the Multitrack Editor.

46. Cleaning Up Audio Files
If you want to correct multiple problems or identify the noise you want removed, the Noise Reduction effect can be used.
Using the Noise Reduction effect can significantly reduce any unwanted noise that is constant throughout the waveform.

47. Cleaning Up Audio Files
The Noise Reduction effect is only available in the Waveform Editor and is therefore a destructive edit.

48. Cleaning Up Audio Files
By default, the Waveform Editor displays an audio file as a waveform showing amplitude changes.
The Waveform Editor can also display an audio file as a Spectral Frequency display, or spectral display.
In this display, the x-axis measures time and the y-axis measures frequency.

49. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Editor panel
Waveform display
Spectral Frequency display
Spectral Frequency display

50. Cleaning Up Audio Files
You can use the spectral display to identify and select noise.
Bright vertical bars that extend from the top to the bottom are usually clicks and crackles.
Light red clouds that extend across the top of the display are usually hissing noises.

51. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Identifying noises in the Spectral Frequency display
Crackling noise
No crackling noise

52. Cleaning Up Audio Files
The Noise Reduction command can be used to remove noises like hisses and hums that remain constant in the background.

53. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Spectral Frequency display of repaired audio file
Removed crackling noise

54. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Before you can apply the Noise Reduction command, you need to identify the noise.
A noise can be selected with the Rectangular Marquee tool in the spectral display to generate a sample of the noise you wish to remove.
The Capture Noise Print command creates a noise print, which is a sample of the artifact you want to remove from the audio file.

55. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Selecting
a noise
Creating a noise print

56. Cleaning Up Audio Files
The Noise Reduction setting in the Effect –Noise Reduction dialog box sets the amplitude of the noise floor.
The noise floor is the level of amplitude representing the near-constant background noise that you have identified and are trying to remove.

57. Cleaning Up Audio Files
Highest amplitude of detected noise
Amplitude below which noise reduction occurs
Lowest amplitude of detected noise
Control curve sets amount of noise reduction in frequency range
Analyzing a noise print