Macromedia Audition - CC User Manual
Adobe® Audition® CC
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Last updated 6/16/2016
Contents
Chapter 1: What's New
New features summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter 2: Digital audio fundamentals
Understanding sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Digitizing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Chapter 3: Workspace and setup
Viewing, zooming, and navigating audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Customizing workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting to audio hardware in Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Customizing and saving application settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Default keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Finding and customizing shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 4: Importing, recording, and playing
Create, open, or import files for Adobe Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Importing with the Files panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Supported import formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Extracting audio from CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Navigate time and playing audio in Adobe Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Monitoring recording and playback levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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Chapter 5: Editing audio files
Editing, repairing, and improving audio using Essential Sound panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Generating text-to-speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Matching loudness across multiple audio files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Displaying audio in the Waveform Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Selecting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
How to copy, cut, paste, and delete audio in Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Visually fading and changing amplitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Working with markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Inverting, reversing, and silencing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
How to automate common tasks in Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Analyze phase, frequency, and amplitude with Audition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Frequency Band Splitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Undo, redo, and history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Converting sample types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Chapter 6: Applying effects
Enabling CEP extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Effects controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Applying effects in the Waveform Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
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ADOBE AUDITION
Content s
Applying effects in the Multitrack Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Adding third-party plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Notch Filter effect
Fade and Gain Envelope effects (Waveform Editor only)
Manual Pitch Correction effect (Waveform Editor only)
Graphic Phase Shifter effect
Doppler Shifter effect (Waveform Editor only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
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Chapter 7: Effects reference
Amplitude and compression effects in Audition
Delay and echo effects
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Diagnostics effects (Waveform Editor only) for Audition
Filter and equalizer effects
Modulation effects
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
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Noise reduction techniques and restoration effects for Audition
Reverb effects
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
How to use special effects with Audition
Stereo imagery effects
Time and pitch manipulation effects
Generate tones and noise
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
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Chapter 8: Mixing multitrack sessions
Creating remix
Multitrack Editor overview
Basic multitrack controls
Multitrack routing and EQ controls
Arrange and edit multitrack clips with Audition
Looping clips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
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How to match, fade, and mix clip volume with Audition
Automating mixes with envelopes
Multitrack clip stretching
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
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Chapter 9: Video and surround sound
Working with video applications
Importing video and working with video clips
5.1 surround sound
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
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Chapter 10: Saving and exporting
Save and export files in Adobe Audition
Viewing and editing XMP metadata
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
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Last updated 6/16/2016
Chapter 1: What's New
New features summary
The 2015.2 release of Adobe Audition CC includes advanced features that enhance your audio quality and overall
efficiency of editing audio. Use the Essential Sound panel to make common adjustments to obtain professional-quality
results even if you are not a professional audio editor and send projects directly to Adobe Media Encoder without going
back to Premiere Pro.
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Essential Sound panel
New in Audition CC 2015.2 | June 2016
With shorter turnaround times and shrinking budgets, many video editors mix their audio without engaging a
professional audio engineer. This release of Adobe Audition empowers video editors with limited audio experience to
easily handle mixing techniques for their projects.
The Essential Sound panel gives you a complete toolset to mix your audio for achieving professional-quality output.
The panel provides simple controls to unify volume levels, repair sound, improve clarity, and add special effects that
help your video projects sound like a professional audio engineer has mixed them. You can save the applied adjustments
as presets for re-use and they reflect in the full Audition toolset, making them handy for more audio refinements.
For more information, see Editing, repairing, and improving audio using Essential Sound panel.
Last updated 6/16/2016
What's New
Export Multitrack to Adobe Media Encoder
New in Audition CC 2015.2 | June 2016
Audition can now export your edited audio directly to Adobe Media Encoder for a fully linear post-production
workflow, using format presets and audio channel customization without rendering or wrangling various mixdown
files.
To export, just select your destination format and preset, which might include re-wrapping your video for many
formats to prevent re-encoding the video stream, and add to the render queue. You can even customize how your final
audio channels are assigned to your video file.
Your project will start rendering automatically in the background when the project files are prepared. Projects that you
had edited using Audition wear the Audition logo, making it easy to identify which projects are complete and ready for
use. You can get back to work in Audition or Premiere on your next project while Adobe Media Encoder renders the
files in the background.
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For more information, see Save and export files in Adobe Audition.
Remix
New in Audition CC 2015.1 | November 2015
Create remixes of music files from a collection. For example, you can take a song that has a longer duration and create
a shorter version that still sounds like the original. You can recompose any piece of music in your collection to fit the
video or project duration.
For more information, see Creating remix.
Text t o spe ech
Last updated 6/16/2016
What's New
New in Audition CC 2015.1 | November 2015
Type or paste text, and generate a realistic voice-over or narration track. Use this tool to create synthesized voices for
videos, games, and audio productions.
For more information, see Generating text-to-speech.
Match loudness
New in Audition CC 2015.1 | November 2015
Match loudness in audio clips, and apply correction to support various loudness standards and true peak limiting. The
Match Loudness panel replaces the old Match Volume panel.
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For more information, see Matching loudness across multiple audio files.
Enable CEP extensions
New in Audition CC 2015.1 | November 2015
You can use Common Extensibility Platform (CEP) extensions and build integrated panels in Adobe desktop
applications.
For more information, see Enabling CEP extensions.
Last updated 6/16/2016
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. As high-pressure
areas move through the air, they leave low-pressure areas behind them. When these waves of pressure changes reach
us, they vibrate the receptors in our ears, and we hear the vibrations as sound.
When you see a visual waveform that represents audio, it reflects these waves of air pressure. The zero line in the
waveform is the pressure of air at rest. When the line swings up to a peak, it represents higher pressure; when the line
swings down to a trough, it represents lower pressure.
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A Zero line B Low-pressure area C High-pressure area
Waveform measurements
Several measurements describe waveforms:
Amplitude Reflects the change in pressure from the peak of the waveform to the trough. High-amplitude waveforms
are loud; low-amplitude waveforms are quiet.
Cycle Describes a single, repeated sequence of pressure changes, from zero pressure, to high pressure, to low pressure,
and back to zero.
Frequency Measured in hertz (Hz), describes the number of cycles per second. (For example, a 1000-Hz waveform has
1000 cycles per second.) The higher the frequency, the higher the musical pitch.
Phase Measured in 360 degrees, indicates the position of a waveform in a cycle. Zero degrees is the start point, followed
by 90º at high pressure, 180º at the halfway point, 270º at low pressure, and 360º at the end point.
Wave length Measured in units such as inches or centimeters, is the distance between two points with the same degree
of phase. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
Last updated 6/16/2016
Digital audio fundamentals
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. If their peaks and troughs are perfectly
in phase, they reinforce each other, resulting in a waveform that has higher amplitude than either individual waveform.
If the peaks and troughs of two waveforms are perfectly out of phase, they cancel each other out, resulting in no
waveform at all.
In most cases, however, waves are out of phase in varying amounts, resulting in a combined waveform that is more
complex than individual waveforms. A complex waveform that represents music, voice, noise, and other sounds, for
example, combines the waveforms from each sound.
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Because of its unique physical structure, a single instrument can create extremely complex waves. That’s why a violin
and a trumpet sound different even when playing the same note.
Last updated 6/16/2016
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. When these voltage changes travel down a microphone wire, they
can be recorded onto tape as changes in magnetic strength or onto vinyl records as changes in groove size. A speaker
works like a microphone in reverse, taking the voltage signals from an audio recording and vibrating to re-create the
pressure wave.
Digital audio: zeroes and ones
Unlike analog storage media such as magnetic tape or vinyl records, computers store audio information digitally as a
se ri es o f zer oes a nd o nes . In d igit al st ora ge, the o rigi nal w ave form is brok en up int o in divi dua l s nap sho ts c al led samples.
This process is typically known as digitizing or sampling the audio, but it is sometimes called analog-to-digital
conversion.
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When you record from a microphone into a computer, for example, analog-to-digital converters transform the analog
signal into digital samples that computers can store and process.
Understanding sample rate
Sample rate indicates the number of digital snapshots taken of an audio signal each second. This rate determines the
frequency range of an audio file. The higher the sample rate, the closer the shape of the digital waveform is to that of
the original analog waveform. Low sample rates limit the range of frequencies that can be recorded, which can result in
a recording that poorly represents the original sound.
A Low sample rate that distorts the original sound wave. B High sample rate that perfectly reproduces the original sound wave.
To reproduce a given frequency, the sample rate must be at least twice that frequency. For example, CDs have a sample
rate of 44,100 samples per second, so they can reproduce frequencies up to 22,050 Hz, which is just beyond the limit of
human hearing, 20,000 Hz.
Here are the most common sample rates for digital audio:
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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 CD 0–22,050 Hz
48,000 Hz Standard DVD 0–24,000 Hz
96,000 Hz Blu-ray DVD 0–48,000 Hz
Understanding bit depth
Bit depth determines dynamic range. When a sound wave is sampled, each sample is assigned the amplitude value
closest to the original wave’s amplitude. Higher bit depth provides more possible amplitude values, producing greater
dynamic range, a lower noise floor, and higher fidelity.
For the best audio quality, Audition transforms all audio in 32-bit mode and then converts to a specified bit depth when
saving files.
Bit depth Quality level Amplitude values Dynamic range
7
8-bit Tel ep ho ny 256 48 dB
16-bit Audio CD 65,536 96 dB
24-bit Audio DVD 16,777,216 144 dB
32-bit Best 4,294,967,296 192 dB
Measuring amplitude in dBFS
In digital audio, amplitude is measured in decibels below full scale, or dBFS. The maximum possible amplitude is 0
dBFS; all amplitudes below that are expressed as negative numbers.
Note: A given dBFS value does not directly correspond to the original sound pressure level measured in acoustic dB.
Audio file contents and size
An audio file on your hard drive, such as a WAV file, consists of a small header indicating sample rate and bit depth,
and then a long series of numbers, one for each sample. These files can be very large. For example, at 44,100 samples
per second and 16 bits per sample, a mono file requires 86 KB per second—about 5 MB per minute. That figure doubles
to 10 MB per minute for a stereo file, which has two channels.
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Digital audio fundamentals
How Adobe Audition digitizes audio
When you record audio in Adobe Audition, the sound card starts the recording process and specifies what sample rate
and bit depth to use. Through Line In or Microphone In ports, the sound card receives analog audio and digitally
samples it at the specified rate. 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.
To sum up, the process of digitizing audio starts with a pressure wave in the air. A microphone converts this pressure
wave into voltage changes. A sound card converts these voltage changes into digital samples. After analog sound
becomes digital audio, Adobe Audition can record, edit, process, and mix it—the possibilities are limited only by your
imagination.
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Chapter 3: Workspace and setup
Viewing, zooming, and navigating audio
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.
The Waveform and Multitrack editors use different editing methods, and each has unique advantages. The Waveform
Editor uses a destructive method, which changes audio data, permanently altering saved files. Such permanent changes
are preferable when converting sample rate and bit depth, mastering, or batch processing. The Multitrack Editor uses
a nondestructive method, which is impermanent and instantaneous, requiring more processing power, but increasing
flexibility. This flexibility is preferable when gradually building and reevaluating a multilayered musical composition
or video soundtrack.
9
You can combine destructive and nondestructive editing to suit the needs of a project. If a multitrack clip requires
destructive editing, for example, simply double-click it to enter the Waveform Editor. Likewise, if an edited waveform
contains recent changes that you dislike, use the Undo command to revert to previous states—destructive edits aren’t
applied until you save a file.
For more information about the Waveform Editor, see Editing audio files ; for more information about the Multitrack
Editor, see Mixing multitrack sessions .
Basic components of the editors
Though available options differ in the Waveform and Multitrack editors, both views share basic components, such as
the tool and status bars, and the Editor panel.
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Workspace and setup
10
A View buttons and toolbar B Editor panel with zoom navigator at top C Various o ther panels D Status bar
Switch editors
Do one of the following:
• From the View menu, choose Waveform or Multitrack Editor.
• In the toolbar, click the Waveform or Multitrack Editor button.
• In t he Mu ltitrack E ditor, d oubl e-click an audi o clip to open it in the Waveform Editor. Alte rnatively, d oubl e-click
a file in the Files panel.
• In the Waveform Editor, choose Edit > Edit Original to open the multitrack session that created a mixdown file.
(This command requires embedded metadata in the file. See Link sessions to exported mixdown files.)
Zoom audio in the Editor panel
A Zoom navigator B Timeline ruler
Zoom into a specific time range
In either the zoom navigator or the timeline ruler, right-click and drag. The magnifying glass icon creates a
selection showing the range that will fill the Editor panel.
Zoom into a specific frequency range
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Workspace and setup
In the vertical ruler for the spectral display, right-click and drag. (See View audi o w avefor ms and s p e c t r ums.)
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
glass icon
Gradually zoom in or out
In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button.
.
11
You can set the Zoom Factor in the General section of the Preferences dialog box. (See Customize preferences.)
Zoom with the mouse wheel or Mac trackpad
Place the pointer over the zoom navigator or ruler, and either roll the wheel or drag up or down with two fingers. (In
the Waveform Editor, this zoom method also works when the pointer is over the waveform.)
Roll or drag over the spectral display, and press Shift to switch between logarithmic and linear frequency scales.
(Logarithmic better reflects human hearing; linear makes individual frequencies more visually distinct.)
Magnify selected audio
In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom In At In Point , Zoom In At Out Point , or Zoom To
Selection buttons.
Display the entire audio file or multitrack session
In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom Out Full button .
To display zoom buttons in a separate panel, choose Window > Zoom.
Navigate through time
At higher zoom levels, you can navigate to different audio content in the Editor panel.
Navigate by scrolling
• In the zoom navigator, drag left or right.
• To scroll through audio frequencies in the spectral display, drag up or down in the vertical ruler. (See View audio
waveforms and spectrums.)
Navigate with the Selection/View panel
The Selection/View panel shows the start and end of the current selection and view in the Editor panel. The panel
displays this information in the current time format, such as Decimal or Bars And Beats. (See
format.)
1 To display the Selection/View panel, choose Window > Selection/View Controls.
2 (Optional) Enter new values into the Begin, End, or Duration boxes to change the selection or view.
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Change the time display
Workspace and setup
More Help topics
Keys for playing and zooming audio
Monitoring time
Position the current-time indicator
Dock, group, or float panels
Customizing workspaces
About workspaces
Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizable workspace. Although each application has its
own set of panels (such as Project, Metadata, and Timeline), you move and group panels in the same way across
products.
The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement
called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.
12
You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. As you rearrange panels,
the other panels resize automatically to fit the window. 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.
In these two tutorials Andrew Devis from Creative Cow shows how to use different workspaces, and how to customize
your workspace.
A Application window B Grouped panels C Individual panel
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Workspace and setup
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.
Open the project you want to work on, choose Window > Workspace, and select the desired workspace.
Dock, group, or float panels
You can dock panels together, move them into or out of groups, and undock them so they float above the application
window. As you drag a panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—become highlighted. The drop
zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or groups with other panels.
Docking zones
Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the existing
group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.
13
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
ne stacks it with other panels.
zo
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Workspace and setup
Dock or group panels
1 If the panel you want to dock or group is not visible, choose it from the Window menu.
2 Do one of the following:
14
• To move an individual panel, drag the gripper area in the upper-left corner of a panel’s tab onto the desired drop
zone.
• To move an entire group, drag the group gripper in the upper-right corner onto the desired drop zone.
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Workspace and setup
The application docks or groups the panel, according to the type of drop zone.
Undock a panel in a floating window
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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.
Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the
following:
• Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.
• Hold down Ctrl (Windows®) or Command (Mac OS®), and drag the panel or group from its current location.
hen you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.
W
• Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the panel
to the Windows taskbar.)
Resize panel groups
When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons, all
groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups stacked
vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t
change.
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.
1 Do either of the following:
• To resize either horizontally or vertically, position the pointer between two panel groups. The pointer becomes
a double-arrow .
• To resize in both directions at once, position the pointer at the intersection between three or more panel groups.
The pointer becomes a four-way arrow .
2 Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.
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Workspace and setup
A Original group with resize icon B Resized groups
Open, close, and scroll to panels
When you close a panel group in the application window, the other groups resize to use the newly available space. When
you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.
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• To open a panel, choose it from the Window menu.
• To close a panel or window, press Control-W (Windows) or Command-W (Mac OS), or click its Close button .
• To see all the panel tabs in a narrow panel group, drag the horizontal scroll bar.
• To bring a panel to the front of a group of panels, do one of the following:
• Click the tab of the panel you want in front.
• Hover the cursor above the tab area, and turn the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling brings each panel to the front,
one after another.
• Drag tabs horizontally to change their order.
• To reveal panels hidden in a narrow panel group, drag the scroll bar above the panel group.
Working with multiple monitors
To increase the available screen space, use multiple monitors. When you work with multiple monitors, the application
window appears on one monitor, and you place floating windows on the second monitor. Monitor configurations are
stored in the workspace.
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Workspace and setup
Display the toolbar
The toolbar provides quick access to tools, the Workspace menu, and buttons that toggle between the Waveform and
Multitrack editors. Some tools are unique to each view. Likewise, some Waveform Editor tools are available only in the
spectral display.
By default, the toolbar is docked immediately below the menu bar. However, you can undock the toolbar, converting it
to the Tools panel, which you can manipulate like any other panel.
• To show or hide th e toolbar, cho ose Wind ow > Tools. A che ck mark by the Tool s command indicat es that it is shown.
• To undock the toolbar from its default location, drag the handle at the left edge to another location in the work area.
• To redock the Tools panel in its default location, drag the Tools panel tab to the drop zone that spans the entire width
of the Adobe Audition window, just under the menu bar.
A Waveform Editor tools for spectral display B Multitrack Editor tools
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.
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A Time to open, save, or process file B Vide o Frame Rate C File Status D Sample Type E Uncompressed Audio Size F Duration G Free Space
H
Detect Dropped Samples
• To show or hide the status bar, choose View > Status Bar > Show. A check mark indicates that the status bar is visible.
• To change the information displayed at the far right of the bar, choose View > Status Bar, or right-click the bar. Then
select from the following options:
Show Data Under Cusror: Displays the frequency, time, channel, and amplitude information at the location under
the cursor.
Video Frame Rate: Displays the current and target frame rate of open video files in the Multitrack Editor.
File Status: Indicates when processing is occurring for effects and amplitude adjustments.
Sample Type: Displays sample information about the currently opened waveform (Waveform Editor) or session file
(Multitrack Editor). For example, a 44,100 Hz, 16-bit stereo file is displayed as 44100 Hz • 16-bit • Stereo.
Uncompressed Audio Size: Indicates either how large the active audio file would be if saved to an uncompressed
format such as WAV and AIFF, or the total size of a multitrack session.
Duration: Shows you the length of the current waveform or session. For example, 0:01:247 means the waveform or
session is 1.247 seconds long.
Free Space: Shows how much space is available on your hard drive.
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Workspace and setup
Free Space (Time): Displays the time remaining for recording, based upon the currently selected sample rate. This
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.
Ti p:
By default, Free Space (Time) information is hidden. To show it, right-click the status bar, and select Free Space
(Time) from the pop-up menu.
18
Detect Dropped Samples: I
ndicates that samples were missing during recording or playback. If this indicator
appears, consider rerecording the file to avoid audible dropouts.
Change interface colors, brightness, and performance
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Appearance (Mac OS).
2 Adjust any of the following options, and then click OK:PresetsApplies, saves, or deletes a combination of Colors and
Brightness settings.ColorsClick a swatch to change the color of waveforms, selections, or the current-time
indicator.BrightnessBrightens or darkens panels, windows, and dialog boxes.Use GradientsWhen deselected,
removes shadows and highlights from panels, buttons, and meters.
Save, reset, or delete workspaces
Save a custom workspace
As you customize a workspace, the application tracks your changes, storing the most recent layout. To store a specific
layout more permanently, save a custom workspace. Saved custom workspaces appear in the Workspace menu, where
you can return to and reset them.
Arrange the frames and panels as desired, and then choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace. Type a name
for the workspace, and click OK.
Note: (After Effects, Premiere Pro, Encore) If a project saved with a custom workspace is opened on another system, the
application looks for a workspace with a matching name. If it can’t find a match (or the monitor configuration doesn’t
match), it uses the current local workspace.
Reset a workspace
Reset the current workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
Choose Window > Workspace > Reset workspace name.
Delete a workspace
1 Choose Window > Workspace >Delete Workspace.
2 Choose the workspace you want to delete, and then click OK.
Note: You cannot delete the currently active workspace.
More Help topics
Comparing the Waveform and Multitrack editors
Basic components of the editors
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Workspace and setup
Connecting to audio hardware in Audition
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.
A Sound card inputs connect to sources such as microphones and tape decks. B Sound card outputs connect to speakers and headphones.
Configure audio inputs and outputs
When you configure inputs and outputs for recording and playback, Adobe Audition can use these kinds of sound card
drivers:
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• In Windows, ASIO drivers support professional cards and MME drivers typically support standard cards.
• In Mac OS, CoreAudio drivers support both professional and standard cards.
ASIO and CoreAudio drivers are preferable because they provide better performance and lower latency. You can also
monitor audio as you record it and instantly hear volume, pan, and effects changes during playback.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Mac OS).
2 From the Device Class menu, choose the driver for the sound card you want to use.
3 Choose a Default Input and Output from the card.
In the Multitrack Editor, you can override the defaults for specific tracks. See Assign audio inputs and outputs to
tracks.
4 (MME and CoreAudio) For Master Clock, choose the input or output to which you want other digital audio
hardware to synchronize (ensuring accurate alignment of samples).
5 For I/O Buffer Size (ASIO and CoreAudio) or Latency (MME), specify the lowest setting possible without audio
dropouts. The ideal setting depends on the speed of your system, so some experimentation may be necessary.
6 Choose a Sample Rate for the audio hardware. (For common rates for different output mediums, see Understanding
sample rate.)
7 (Optional) To optimize the performance of ASIO and CoreAudio cards, click Settings. For more information,
consult the documentation for the sound card.
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.)
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Workspace and setup
Apply machine-specific hardware settings for network users
In network environments, Audition preferences are stored with each user account. For editing, interface, and other
preferences, this creates a customized experience for each user. Audio hardware preferences, however, should typically
remain consistent on a given machine, ensuring that inputs and outputs on the installed audio interface are available in
Audition.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Mac OS).
2 At the bottom of the Audio Hardware settings, select Use Machine-Specific Device Defaults. (Deselect this option
only if users move an assigned audio interface from machine to machine.)
To instead duplicate hardware settings from one machine to others, search for and copy the
MachineSpecificSettings.xml file.
Assign file channels to inputs and outputs
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Audio Channel Mapping (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Audio Channel
Mapping (Mac OS).
2 To the far right of items in the Input and Output lists, click the triangles to choose a hardware port for each file
channel.
This procedure also sets default outputs for the Master track in the Multitrack Editor. To override the defaults, see
Assign audio inputs and outputs to tracks.
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More Help topics
Monitoring 5.1 surround sound
Customizing and saving application settings
Customize preferences
The Preferences dialog box lets you customize Adobe Audition’s display, editing behavior, use of hard disk space, and
other settings.
Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Audition > Preferences (Mac OS). Then choose the area you want to
customize.
For information about a particular option, hover the mouse over it until a tooltip appears.
In the Media & Disk Cache preferences, choose your fastest drive for the Primary Temp folder, and a separate drive for
the Secondary Temp folder. Select Save Peak Files to store information about how to display WAV files. (Without peak
files, larger WAV files reopen more slowly.)
Restore preferences to default settings
Unexpected behavior may indicate damaged preferences files. To re-create preferences files, do the following.
Hold down the Shift key, and start Adobe Audition.
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Workspace and setup
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.
1 Choose File > Export > Application Settings. Then specify a filename and location.
2 To reapply the settings at a later time, choose File > Import > Application Settings.
To import preferences from Audition 2.0 or 3.0, search your system for the audition_settings.xml file. You can import
that file into both the Mac and Windows versions of Audition CS.
More Help topics
Change interface colors, brightness, and performance
Configure audio inputs and outputs
Working with markers
Customize the spectral display
Change the time display format
Navigating time and playing audio
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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.
Keys for playing and zooming audio
Result Windows shortcut Mac OS shortcut
Toggle between Waveform and Multitrack
Editor
Start and stop playback Spacebar Spacebar
Move current-time indicator to beginning of
timeline
Move current-time indicator to end of
timeline
Move current-time indicator to previous
marker, clip, or selection edge
Move current-time indicator to next marker,
clip, or selection edge
Toggle preference for Return CTI To Start
Position On Stop
Zoom in horizontally = =
8 8
Home Home
End End
Ctrl+left arrow Command+left arrow
Ctrl+right arrow Command+right arrow
Shift+X Shift+X
Zoom in vertically Alt+= Option+=
Zoom out horizontally - -
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Workspace and setup
Zoom out vertically Alt+minus sign Option+minus sign
Add marker M or * (asterisk) M or * (asterisk)
Move to previous marker Crtl+Alt+left arrow Cmd+Option+left arrow
Move to next marker Crtl+Alt+right arrow Cmd+Option+right arrow
Keys for editing audio files
The following keyboard shortcuts apply only in the Waveform Editor.
Result Windows shortcut Mac OS shortcut
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Repeat previous command (opening its
dialog box and clicking OK)
Repeat previous command (opening its
dialog box but not clicking OK)
Open Convert Sample Type dialog box Shift+T Shift+T
Capture a noise reduction profile for the Noise
Reduction effect
Activate left channel of a stereo file for editing Up arrow Up arrow
Activate right channel of a stereo file for
editing
Make spectral display more logarithmic or
linear
Make spectral display fully logarithmic or
linear
Increase or decrease spectral resolution Shift+Ctrl+up or down arrow Shift+Command-up or down arrow
Shift+R Shift+R
Ctrl+R Command+R
Shift+P Shift+P
Down arrow Down arrow
Ctrl+Alt+up or down arrow Option+Command+up or down arrow
Ctrl+Alt+Page Up or Down Option+Command+Page Up or Down
Keys for mixing multitrack sessions
The following keyboard shortcuts apply only in the Multitrack Editor.
Result Windows shortcut Mac OS shortcut
Select the same input or output for all audio
tracks
Ctrl+Shift-select Command+Shift-select
Activate or deactivate Mute, Solo, Arm For
Record, or Monitor Input in all tracks
Adjust knobs in large increments Shift-drag Shift-drag
Adjust knobs in small increments Ctrl-drag Command-drag
Nudge selected clip to the left Alt+comma Option+comma
Nudge selected clip to the right Alt+period Alt+period
Maintain keyframe time position or parameter
value
Reposition envelope segment without
creating keyframe
Ctrl+Shift-click Command+Shift-click
Shift-drag Shift-drag
Ctrl-drag Command-drag
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Workspace and setup
More Help topics
Customize 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.
Find shortcuts
Do any of the following:
• For menu commands, look for shortcuts to the right of command names.
• For tools or buttons, look for shortcuts to the right of tool tips. (To display tool tips, hold the pointer over a tool
or button.)
• For a complete list of all shortcuts, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Customize shortcuts
You can customize nearly all default keyboard shortcuts and add shortcuts for other commands.
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 In the Command column, select the command you want to customize.
3 If you want to replace or remove an existing shortcut, choose it from the Shortcuts For Command menu.
4 Do any of the following:
• To create a shortcut, click inside the Press Shortcut box, and press the desired key combination. Then click
sign.
As
• To remove a shortcut, click Remove.
If you enter a key combination that’s already in use, Audition displays an alert. Click Yes to transfer the shortcut to
a d
ifferent command, or No to retain the existing assignment.
Assign shortcuts to the Workspace commands to quickly switch between custom panel layouts.
Save or delete custom sets of shortcuts
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 Do either of the following:
• To save a custom set, click Save As, enter a name, and click OK.
• To delete a custom set, choose it from the Set menu, and then click Delete.
Restore the default shortcuts
1 Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2 From the Set menu, choose Default Set.
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Chapter 4: Importing, recording, and playing
Create, open, or import files for Adobe Audition
Create a new, blank audio file
New, blank audio files are perfect for recording new audio or combining pasted audio.
1 Choose File > New > Audio File.
To quickly create a file from selected audio in an open file, choose Edit > Copy To New. (See Copy or cut audio data.)
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2 Enter a filename, and set the following options:
Sample Rate Determines the frequency range of the file. To reproduce a given frequency, the sample rate must be
at least twice that frequency. (See
Channels Determines if the waveform is mono, stereo, 5.1 surround. Audition saves the last five custom audio
channel layouts that you had used for quick access.
Note: Certain custom channel layout settings are not supported by all file formats.
For voice-only recordings, the mono option is a good choice that results in quicker processing and smaller files.
Bit Depth Determines the amplitude range of the file. The 32-bit level provides maximum processing flexibility in
Adobe Audition. For compatibility with common applications, however, convert to a lower bit depth when editing
is complete. (See
Understanding bit depthand Change the bit depth of a file.)
Understanding sample rate.)
Create a new multitrack session
Session (*.sesx) files contain no audio data themselves. Instead, they are small XML-based files that point to other audio
and video files on the hard drive. A session file keeps track of which files are a part of the session, where they are
inserted, which envelopes and effects are applied, and so on.
To examine settings in detail, SESX files can be opened in text editors or stored in version control systems (such as
Perforce or Git, which are popular in the gaming industry).
1 Choose File > New > Multitrack Session.
2 Enter a filename and location, and set the following options:
Te mp l at e Specifies either a default template or one you've created. Session templates specify source files and settings
such as Sample Rate and Bit Depth.
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Importing, recording, and playing
Sample Rate Determines the frequency range of the session. To reproduce a given frequency, the sample rate must
be at least twice that frequency. (See
Note: All files added to a session must share the sample rate. If you attempt to import files with different sample rates,
Adobe Audition prompts you to resample them, which may lower audio quality. To change resampling quality, adjust
the Sample Rate Conversion settings in the Data preferences.
Bit Depth Determines the amplitude range of the session, including recordings and files created with the Multitrack
> Mixdown To New File command. (See
Note: Choose a bit depth carefully, because it cannot be changed after you create a session. Ideally, you should work at
the 32-bit level with fast systems. If your system performs slowly, try a lower bit depth.
Master Determines whether tracks are mixed down to a mono, stereo, or 5.1 Master track. (See Routing audio to
buses, sends, and the Master track.)
Understanding sample rate.)
Understanding bit depth.)
Open existing audio files and multitrack mixes
The following file types open in the Multitrack Editor: Audition Session, Audition 3.0 XML, 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.
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Note: SES session files from Audition 3.0 and earlier are unsupported. If you have Audition 3.0, save sessions to XML
format to open them in later versions.
1 Choose File > Open.
2 Select an audio or video file. (See Supported import formats.)
If you don’t see the file you want, choose All Supported Media from the menu at the bottom of the dialog box.
Append audio files to another
Append files with CD Track markers to quickly assemble audio and apply consistent processing.
1 In the Waveform Editor, do either of the following:
• To add to the active file, choose File > Open Append > To Current.
• To add to a new file, choose File > Open Append > To New.
2
In the Open Append dialog box, select one or more files.
Note: If the selected files have a different sample rate, bit depth, or channel type than the open file, Audition converts
the selected files to match the open file. For the best results, append files with the same sample type as the original file.
Last updated 6/16/2016
Importing, recording, and playing
3 Click Open.
Import a file as raw data
If you can’t open a particular file, it may lack necessary header information that describes the sample type. To manually
specify this information, import the file as raw data.
1 Choose File > Import > Raw Data.
2 Select the file, and click Open.
3 Set the following options:
Sample Rate Should match the known rate of the file, if possible. For examples of common settings, see
Understanding sample rate. Adobe Audition can import raw data with rates ranging from 1 to 10,000,000 Hz, but
playback and recording are supported only between 6000 Hz and 192,000 Hz.
Channels Enter a number from 1 to 32.
Encoding Specifies the data storage scheme for the file. If you are unsure what encoding the file uses, consult the
supplier of the file, or the documentation for the application that created it. In many cases, trial and error might be
necessary.
Byte Order Specifies the numerical sequence for bytes of data. The Little-Endian method is common to WAV files,
while the Big-Endian method is common to AIFF files. The Default Byte Order automatically applies the default for
your system processor and is typically the best option.
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Start Byte Offset Specifies the data point in the file at which the import process should begin.
Insert an audio file into a multitrack session
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.
1 In the Multitrack Editor, select a track, and then place the playhead at the desired time position.
2 Choose Multitrack > Insert Files.
3 Select an audio or video file. (See Supported import formats.)
Drag ranges from the Markers panel to the Multitrack Editor to automatically convert them to clips.
Spot-insert a Broadcast Wave file into a session
When you insert a Broadcast Wave (BWF) file into a multitrack session, Adobe Audition can use the embedded
timestamp to insert the file at a specific time. This is commonly called spot-inserting.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Multitrack (Windows) or Audition > Preferences > Multitrack (Mac OS).
2 Select Use Embedded Timecode When Inserting Clips Into Multitrack.
3 In the Multitrack Editor, select a track.
4 Choose Multitrack > Insert Files, and select one or more BWF files.
Adobe Audition inserts an audio clip at the designated start time.
To view or edit the timestamp for a BWF clip, open the clip in the Waveform Editor, and then choose Window >
Metadata. On the BWF tab, the timestamp value appears as the Time Reference.
Last updated 6/16/2016
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