Software - Adobe Audition CC

Because I have been working heavily with SOUND the past couple of days I have gotten to know the Adobe Audition CC application a bit.... I am NOT an expert at it, but have some good working knowledge...

In the past I used either older, and more inexpensive sound-editing programs, OR I downloaded free TRIAL versions of sound-editing software.

It has been a PRIVLEDGE to be able to use the professional quality sound editing program of Adobe Audition CC that comes along with my Adobe Cloud subscription.

Screen Shot from Adobe Audition CC - A sound editing program

If you have used any sound-editing software you will be familiar with some of this program. It is basically TWO programs in one: A sound recorder/editor AND a Multi-Track sound editor.

The MAIN reason you will want to use a program like this (instead of simply using whatever sound-recorder came with your computer) is for SOUND QUALITY. Above you can see a sample of my daughter's first voice-over recording. What I did next was use an EFFECT (or, FILTER) on her entire file called "noise reduction". Basically you high light a section of the file that is just BACKGROUND noise, where no one is speaking, and the program analyses that sound to create a specialized filter that will reduce the specific frequencies of sound by the specific amounts to bring them down to near-zero. Then you run this filter on the file. It makes an AMAZING difference in the sound quality. Not only do you SEE the "quiet" sections of the sound wave go "flat", but you can HEAR the difference.

Two tips for making good quality sound: (1) get a nice microphone (garbage in equals garbage out. If you want nice sound you have to start at the source.) and (2) set your sound editing software file to a fairly HIGH quality so that your FILTERS will produce high quality effects. (see the image below for the setting that I used to record my daughter.) 32-bit depth was the key. When I tried working in 12-bit, which will probably be close to the final product itself, the sound-reduction filter caused my daughter's voice to be tinny and fake.

NOTE: The link that I have included to Adobe Audition shows some features of the newest edition of Audition, which is really neat. HOWEVER, the stuff that the guy is doing is WAYYYYY more complicated that I actually did with my daughter's voice over recording. Do not be dissuaded by the apparent complexity shown. (For example: To reduce background noise I did NOT use the color spectrum that he is showing. All I had to do was click-drag across the flat line in the wave form and select "capture noise print". Then I just selected the entire waveform and applied selected "Effect" and "Noise Reduction".)

Another advantage to using Adobe Audition is that IT WORKS SEAMLESSLY WITH ADOBE PREMIERE. This means that I will be able to open the video editor (Adobe Premiere) and the SOUND editor (Adobe Audition) at the same time.... allowing me to edit the sound tracks and the video simultaneously. (more on that on another day.... I have not really gotten into the new version of Adobe Premiere yet.... BUT I AM ABOUT TO START... TODAY....)