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Editing
When you right click on a waveform, there are several new editing options in the drop down window, including "Rescale Volume Options," which opens the Flexible Envelope Scaling tool. A different process than simply raising or lowering the overall track volume, this tool changes the scale of the volume. What it does is boost the top volume value in a track by two decibels, scaling the envelope down so that every point on the envelope has the same absolute value that it did before. The result is more headroom, and more possibilities to adjust a track's volume than you have when an envelope is already peaking the top of the volume scale. This works remarkably well, and is perfect for raising the apparent volume of a track without distortion.
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| This screenshot shows how Flexible Envelope Scaling has magically created more headroom on a track, allowing one envelope point to be greatly boosted in volume without distorting. |
The other major new editing tool is the Frequency Space Editing, with which you can isolate a sound within a certain frequency and then alter it, by cutting it completely, pasting it somewhere else or adding an effect. This is effective for eliminating external noises in a recording, as a tutorial supplied by Adobe demonstrates.
The tutorial includes a file of orchestral music punctuated by two loud coughs. To get rid of the coughs, you open the file in the Edit View, and choose View > Spectral View. The whole file then takes on a Northern Lights appearance, with purple, yellow and red hues representing the various frequencies. Next, you press the new "Marquee" button at the top of the screen, which enables a cursor you can use to drag a rectangular area around bright orange spikes representing the coughs. Then you choose Favorites > Repair Transient. The big orange spikes become practically invisible. Afterwards, you boost the deceibels slightly to restore a more natural sound, by choosing Effects > Amplitude > Amplify/Fade, and selecting the the 3dB Boost preset. Upon playback, the coughs have been rendered virtually indistinguishable.
Frequency Space Editing is a unique precision tool that can be used in many ways, not just for cough removal. Any function that can be applied to audio in time space can also be applied in frequency space. For example, it could be used to apply different effects to different frequency ranges -- adding reverb to one track while compressing bass frequencies on another.
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Before: This stereo audio file shows a spectral view of an orchestra recording with two orange spikes that represent intrusive coughs.
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Another new editing tool is Automatic Pitch Correction, which is best when used for subtle corrections of small pitch variations and warbles by a singer or instrumentalist. When it's dialed in too aggressively, you risk making the source sound synthetic (performances that are way off key should probably be rerecorded, perhaps with a better singer). Manual pitch correction controls also exist, but the automatic options are safer and easier to use. The process is straightforward; go to Effects > Pitch Correction, and enter the key, adjusting Attack and Sensitivity to taste. If you want deeper control, you can try the manual settings for a graphical representation of the track, with Envelope edting of pitch controls.
Vocal/instrumental extraction (aka Center Channel Extraction) can be used to remove center panned vocals for Karaoke purposes, but its applications actually range far beyond that. Using it on a centered lead vocal, you can adjust the volume to decrease the vocal track -- or to increase it if you want to strenghten the track. Instead of just inverting the sound, the Center Channel Extractor lets you control relative levels between any spatial location in the audio, anywhere in the stereo or surround field. This is a versatile tool that can also be used to target audio at any phase, pan position or delay location between the left and right channels. For example, you could set it to isolate only audio material that is panned 25 degrees left or right of the center.
Automatic click/pop elimination has been simplified and upgraded from Audition 1.0. Although the old Click/Pop Elimininator still exists, the new module is built for speed, and can quickly get rid of clicks, pops, and other surface noises on an LP. It can also be used to remove microphone noise from live recordings. It's an effective way to eliminate audio anamolies without ruining the overall dynamics.
There are also numerous small upgrades sprinkled throughout Audition 1.5, notably preview controls in the Organizer window that allow you to preview individual clips more quickly. There's also the newly added ability to save customized keyboard shortcut sets, and some user interface changes that make the interface function more like other applications in the Adobe Video Collection.
Finally, one of the great benefits of Audition is its looping ability, augmented by a huge variety of included loops. Version 1.5 includes 500 new royalty-free loops, raising the total number of included loops to more than 5,000. There are also 20 new sample sessions.
With this release, Audition has become a much stronger tool, and the way that Adobe has added both audio and video features is a good indication of the program's future development path. As part of the Adobe Video Collection, Audition has really come into its own, taking a big step toward seamless interoperability and video integration. But the program's audio and video development are proceeding in parallel. The new audio features secure Audition's place as a complete application for audio-only users, and admirably continue the Cool Edit Pro legacy.
Whatever your intended use, Audition 1.5 is well worth the price, whether you're upgrading from Version 1.0 or starting off as a new user.
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