Colin Smith
- Audition User Guide
- Introduction
- Workspace and setup
- Digital audio fundamentals
- Importing, recording, and playing
- Multichannel audio workflow
- Create, open, or import files in Adobe Audition
- Importing with the Files panel
- Extracting audio from CDs
- Supported import formats
- Navigate time and playing audio in Adobe Audition
- Recording audio
- Monitoring recording and playback levels
- Remove silences from your audio recordings
- Editing audio files
- Edit, repair, and improve audio using Essential Sound panel
- Session Markers and Clip Marker for Multitrack
- Generating text-to-speech
- Matching loudness across multiple audio files
- Displaying audio in the Waveform Editor
- Selecting audio
- How to copy, cut, paste, and delete audio in Audition
- Visually fading and changing amplitude
- Working with markers
- Inverting, reversing, and silencing audio
- How to automate common tasks in Audition
- Analyze phase, frequency, and amplitude with Audition
- Frequency Band Splitter
- Undo, redo, and history
- Converting sample types
- Creating podcasts using Audition
- Applying effects
- Enabling CEP extensions
- Effects controls
- Applying effects in the Waveform Editor
- Applying effects in the Multitrack Editor
- Adding third party plugins
- 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)
- Effects reference
- Apply amplitude and compression effects to audio
- Delay and echo effects
- Diagnostics effects (Waveform Editor only) for Audition
- Filter and equalizer effects
- Modulation effects
- Reduce noise and restore audio
- Reverb effects
- How to use special effects with Audition
- Stereo imagery effects
- Time and pitch manipulation effects
- Generate tones and noise
- Mixing multitrack sessions
- Video and surround sound
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Saving and exporting
Special effects require mono or stereo audio; they do not support 5.1 surround.
Distortion effect
Use the Special > Distortion effect to simulate blown car speakers, muffled microphones, or overdriven amplifiers.
Positive and Negative graphs
Specify separate distortion curves for positive and negative sample values. The horizontal ruler (x‑axis) indicates input level in decibels; the vertical ruler (y‑axis) indicates output level. The default diagonal line depicts an undistorted signal, with a one‑to‑one relationship between input and output values.
Click and drag to create and adjust points on the graphs. Drag points off a graph to remove them.
To copy one graph to another, click the arrow buttons between them.
Reset
Returns a graph to its default, undistorted state.
Curve Smoothing
Creates curved transitions between control points, sometimes producing a more natural distortion than the default linear transitions.
Time Smoothing
Determines how quickly distortion reacts to changes in input levels. Level measurements are based on low-frequency content, creating softer, more musical distortion.
dB Range
Changes the amplitude range of the graphs, limiting distortion to that range.
Linear Scale
Changes the amplitude scales of the graphs from logarithmic decibels to normalized values.
Post-filter DC Offset
Compensates for any sample offset introduced by distortion processing. To understand this concept, see Correct DC offset. Such offsets can cause audible pops and clicks when edited.
Doppler Shifter (process) effect
The Special > Doppler Shifter (process) effect creates the increase and decrease in pitch we notice when an object approaches and then passes us, such as when a police car passes with its siren on. When the car comes toward you, the sound reaches your ears as a higher frequency because each sound wave is compressed by the car moving forward. The opposite happens as the car passes by; the waves are stretched out, resulting in a lower‑pitched sound.
Unlike many graphs in Adobe Audition effects, the Doppler Shifter graph is noninteractive: You can’t directly manipulate the graph. Instead, the graph changes as you adjust the effect’s parameters.
Path Type
Defines which path the sound source appears to take. Depending on the path type, a different set of options is available.
Straight Line options:
- Starting Distance Away sets the virtual starting point (in meters) of the effect.
- Velocity defines the virtual speed (in meters per second) at which the effect moves.
- Coming From sets the virtual direction (in degrees) from where the effect appears to come.
- Passes In Front By specifies how far (in meters) the effect seems to pass in front of the listener.
- Passes On Right By specifies how far (in meters) the effect seems to pass to the right of the listener.
Circular options:
- Radius sets the circular dimensions (in meters) of the effect.
- Velocity defines the virtual speed (in meters per second) at which the effect moves.
- Starting Angle sets the beginning virtual angle (in degrees) of the effect.
- Center In Front By specifies how far (in meters) the sound source is from the front of the listener.
- Center On Right By specifies how far (in meters) the sound source is from the right of the listener.
Adjust Volume Based on Distance or Direction
Automatically adjusts the effect’s volume based on the values specified.
Quality Level
Provides six different levels of processing quality. Lower quality levels require less processing time, but higher quality levels generally produce better sounding results.
Guitar Suite effect
The Special > Guitar Suite effect applies a series of processors that optimize and alter the sound of guitar tracks. The Compressor stage reduces dynamic range, producing a tighter sound with greater impact. Filter, Distortion, and Box Modeler stages simulate common effects that guitarists use to create expressive, artistic performances.
Apply the Guitar Suite to vocals, drums, or other audio to create textured effects.
Compressor
Reduces dynamic range to maintain consistent amplitude and help guitar tracks stand out in a mix.
Filter
Simulates guitar filters ranging from resonators to talk boxes. Choose an option from this menu, and then set options below:
Type
Determines which frequencies are filtered. Specify Lowpass to filter high frequencies, Highpass to filter low frequencies, or Bandpass to filter frequencies above and below a center frequency.
Freq
Determines the cutoff frequency for Lowpass and Highpass filtering, or the center frequency for Bandpass filtering.
Resonance
Feeds back frequencies near the cutoff frequency, adding crispness with low settings and whistling harmonics with high settings.
Distortion
Adds a sonic edge often heard in guitar solos. To change the distortion character, choose an option from the Type menu.
Amplifier
Simulates various amplifier and speaker combinations that guitarists use to create unique tones.
Mix
Controls the ratio of original to processed audio.
Mixing effect
Mixing 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 mix audio with the Special > Mixing effect.
Before mixing 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 mixing process.
Equalizer
Adjusts the overall tonal balance.
Graph
Shows frequency along the horizontal ruler (x‑axis) and amplitude along the vertical ruler (y‑axis), with the curve representing the amplitude change at specific frequencies. Frequencies in the graph range from lowest to highest in a logarithmic fashion (evenly spaced by octaves).
Drag control points in the graph to visually adjust the settings below.
Low Shelf and High Shelf Enable
Activate shelving filters at either end of the frequency spectrum.
Peaking Enable
Activates a peaking filter in the center of the frequency spectrum.
Hz
Indicates the center frequency of each frequency band.
dB
Indicates the level of each frequency band.
Q
Controls the width of the affected frequency band. Low Q values (up to 3) affect a larger range of frequencies and are best for overall audio enhancement. High Q values (6–12) affect a very narrow band and are ideal for removing a particular, problematic frequency, like 60-Hz hum.
Reverb
Adds ambience. Drag the Amount slider to change the ratio of original to reverberant sound.
Exciter
Exaggerates high-frequency harmonics, adding crispness and clarity. Mode options include Retro for light distortion, Tape for bright tone, and Tube for quick, dynamic response. Drag the Amount slider to adjust the level of processing.
Widener
Adjusts the stereo image (disabled for mono audio). Drag the Width slider to the left to narrow the image and increase central focus. Drag the slider to the right to expand the image and enhance spatial placement of individual sounds.
Loudness Maximizer
Applies a limiter that reduces dynamic range, boosting perceived levels. A setting of 0% reflects original levels; 100% applies maximum limiting.
Output Gain
Determines output levels after processing. For example, to compensate for EQ adjustments that reduce overall level, boost the output gain.
Loudness Radar Meter effect
TC Electronic Loudness Radar meter plug-in provides you with information about peak, average, and range levels. Loudness History, Momentary Loudness, True-peak Level and flexible descriptors are combined to give you the loudness overview in a single view. The Radar sweep view, which provides an excellent view of loudness changes over time, is also available. Choose Effects > Special > Loudness Radar Meter.
TC Loudness Radar
Settings
Target Loudness
Defines the target loudness value
Radar Speed
Controls the time of each radar sweep
Radar Resolution
Sets the difference in loudness between each concentric circle in the radar view.
Momentary Range
Sets the range for the momentary range. EBU +9, indicates the narrow loudness range, used for normal broadcast. EBU +18 is the wide loudness range used for drama and music.
Low Level Below
Sets the shift between the green and blue colors on the momentary loudness ring. This indicates that the level may be below the noise floor level.
Loudness Unit
Sets the Loudness unit to display on the radar.
- LKFS: Loudness unit specified by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- LUFS: Loudness unit specified by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
- LU: A unit for loudness relative to target according to EBU and ITU.
Loudness Standard
Species the Loudness standard.
- BS.1770-3: This ITU standard concerns Broadcast loudness and True-peak Level measurement. This standard uses Leq(K) to measure loudness.
- Leq(K): The loudness is based on a Leq measurement employing K-weighting, which is a specific frequency weighting developed by the Communications Research Center (a federal research institute in Ottawa, Canada).
Peak Indicator
Sets the maximum True-Peak level. If this value is exceeded, the peak indicator is activated.
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. The Music mode optimizes soundtracks so they better complement a voice-over.
Male
Optimizes audio for a man’s voice.
Female
Optimizes audio for a woman’s voice.
Music
Applies compression and equalization to music or background audio.
Do more with Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is a powerful application for recording and mixing audio, podcasting, and sound effect design.