Recording - October 2011 - 30
BY DARWIN GROSSE
Adobe Audition CS5.5
More features, more power—and finally a full-on Mac version!
Computer-based audio-file editing has changed considerably over the last decade. The workflow used to consist of using one program, a DAW, as a multitrack editing/compositing tool, followed by a “dump” to an audio file that would be finalized using a two-track editing program. This workflow has changed; now, as often as not, the DAW that you use for multi-track editing is capable of working on the final mix, whether you want a 5.1 audio-for-video mix, stereo file for CD or SoundCloud presentation, or an MP3 file to share with online fans. Could it be that the traditional audio-file editor has been eclipsed within this new workflow? Hardly. A traditional audio-file editor Audio-file editing is still an important part of many audio tasks. Sample detailing, audio restoration, mix repurposing and mix mastering are all functions that we often perform as part of our studio work. Some of these jobs, particularly restoration and mastering, used to be in the domain of élite professionals; with the changes in the music industry, this work has become an expected function of the project studio. It is in these areas that an audio-file editor is an important tool in the wear-every-hat engineer’s toolbox. Adobe Audition is one of the audio-file editors that attempts to fill this role; with a
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RECORDING OCTOBER 2011
long history (originating as the popular Windows-only Cool Edit Pro) and some unique tools, Audition has been a powerful audio editor that excelled in certain areas, but was limited to the Windows OS. With version CS 5.5, Audition enters a new world: the world of Macintosh users. In attempting to create a complete workflow solution for media professionals, Adobe has rewritten Audition as a crossplatform solution with a few unique tricks up its sleeve. Since this was a start-fromscratch development, some of the processes have changed, some have been eliminated, and many new things have been added. Let’s start by getting an overview of the software before we dive into the details. Audio-file editor overview The audio editor is a highly capable tool; it provides an editing mechanism for working with the contents of an audio file, giving you the chance to work with its content at an extreme level of detail. It can work equally well with mono, stereo or surround file contents, with an adaptive editing environment that makes file editing a breeze. All of the usual suspects (for audio file editing) are available: very fine (but not downto-the-sample level) editing, copy/paste/cut and trim tools, and effects processing. However, the implementation that Audition presents is sometimes quite unusual.
For example, some of the most-used editing functions are available without having to delve into the user interface at all. Fade-ins and fade-outs are always present as small icons near the top corner of the waveform display. You can grab these icons and drag them into position, immediately applying a new fade. Likewise, there is a “heads-up display” that provides an overall amplitude control; at any point, you can turn the volume knob and get immediate visual feedback of the amplitude changes. Fades and level control are two of the most often-used functions when working with audio file preparation (for video, sample libraries or mastering), and it is nice to see that this work isn’t hidden in a deep menu structure. Panes for gain Other parts of the user interface will seem foreign to Mac users, but are standard fare for Windows users. The interface is made up of many “panes”, where each pane can be moved to a new location, “torn off” into its own window, or combined with other panes into a tabbed series. This provides you with the ultimate in configurability; in fact, layouts can be saved as a “Workspace”, so that you can have one layout that is best for highvolume editing, and another that works for surround editing. The panes that are available range from files displays to large-format meters.
Recording - October 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2011
Recording - October 2011
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Postcards From The World Of Recording
Grace Design m103
Adobe Audition CS5.5
Radial Engineering Workhorse and 500-Series Modules: JDV-Pre, Shuttle, EXTC, and PhazeQ
Blue Reactor Multi-Pattern Condenser Mic
Great River Electronics / Harrison 32EQ 500-Series Equalizer Module
Millennia Media HV-35 500-Series Mic Preamp
Telefunken Elektroakustik AK-47 MkII Tube Condenser Mic
Pulse Techniques EQP-1A3
Audix CX212B Multi-Pattern Condenser Mic
A-Designs HM2 Compressor “The Nail”
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 19: Album Release Checklist
Electro-Voice RE320 Dynamic Mic
Alesis iO Dock
Putting Together The Pieces
Reviewed & Revisited: Fable Sounds Broadway Big Band Kontakt Edition and Broadway Lites
Readers’ Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - October 2011 - Recording - October 2011
Recording - October 2011 - Cover2
Recording - October 2011 - 1
Recording - October 2011 - Fade In
Recording - October 2011 - 3
Recording - October 2011 - Contents
Recording - October 2011 - 5
Recording - October 2011 - Talkback
Recording - October 2011 - 7
Recording - October 2011 - Fast Forward
Recording - October 2011 - 9
Recording - October 2011 - 10
Recording - October 2011 - 11
Recording - October 2011 - Postcards From The World Of Recording
Recording - October 2011 - 13
Recording - October 2011 - 14
Recording - October 2011 - 15
Recording - October 2011 - 16
Recording - October 2011 - 17
Recording - October 2011 - 18
Recording - October 2011 - 19
Recording - October 2011 - 20
Recording - October 2011 - 21
Recording - October 2011 - 22
Recording - October 2011 - 23
Recording - October 2011 - 24
Recording - October 2011 - 25
Recording - October 2011 - Grace Design m103
Recording - October 2011 - 27
Recording - October 2011 - 28
Recording - October 2011 - 29
Recording - October 2011 - Adobe Audition CS5.5
Recording - October 2011 - 31
Recording - October 2011 - 32
Recording - October 2011 - 33
Recording - October 2011 - 34
Recording - October 2011 - 35
Recording - October 2011 - 36
Recording - October 2011 - 37
Recording - October 2011 - Radial Engineering Workhorse and 500-Series Modules: JDV-Pre, Shuttle, EXTC, and PhazeQ
Recording - October 2011 - 39
Recording - October 2011 - 40
Recording - October 2011 - 41
Recording - October 2011 - 42
Recording - October 2011 - 43
Recording - October 2011 - 44
Recording - October 2011 - 45
Recording - October 2011 - Blue Reactor Multi-Pattern Condenser Mic
Recording - October 2011 - 47
Recording - October 2011 - Great River Electronics / Harrison 32EQ 500-Series Equalizer Module
Recording - October 2011 - 49
Recording - October 2011 - 50
Recording - October 2011 - 51
Recording - October 2011 - Millennia Media HV-35 500-Series Mic Preamp
Recording - October 2011 - 53
Recording - October 2011 - Telefunken Elektroakustik AK-47 MkII Tube Condenser Mic
Recording - October 2011 - 55
Recording - October 2011 - Pulse Techniques EQP-1A3
Recording - October 2011 - 57
Recording - October 2011 - Audix CX212B Multi-Pattern Condenser Mic
Recording - October 2011 - 59
Recording - October 2011 - A-Designs HM2 Compressor “The Nail”
Recording - October 2011 - 61
Recording - October 2011 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 19: Album Release Checklist
Recording - October 2011 - 63
Recording - October 2011 - 64
Recording - October 2011 - 65
Recording - October 2011 - Electro-Voice RE320 Dynamic Mic
Recording - October 2011 - 67
Recording - October 2011 - 68
Recording - October 2011 - 69
Recording - October 2011 - 70
Recording - October 2011 - 71
Recording - October 2011 - 72
Recording - October 2011 - 73
Recording - October 2011 - Alesis iO Dock
Recording - October 2011 - 75
Recording - October 2011 - Putting Together The Pieces
Recording - October 2011 - 77
Recording - October 2011 - Reviewed & Revisited: Fable Sounds Broadway Big Band Kontakt Edition and Broadway Lites
Recording - October 2011 - 79
Recording - October 2011 - Readers’ Tapes
Recording - October 2011 - Advertiser Index
Recording - October 2011 - 82
Recording - October 2011 - 83
Recording - October 2011 - 84
Recording - October 2011 - 85
Recording - October 2011 - 86
Recording - October 2011 - 87
Recording - October 2011 - Fade Out
Recording - October 2011 - Cover3
Recording - October 2011 - Cover4
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