But one thing you will notice with Adobe Audition, especially if you haven’t used it before, is the number of new words to learn. Luckily, the app becomes much easier to navigate once you figure these out—and we’re going to help you do just that.
Keep reading to discover 10 of the handiest Adobe Audition terms to know.
1. Markers
You’ll probably be familiar with markers if you read our guide to the most important Adobe Premiere Pro terms. And when you use Adobe Audition, they work the same as in Premiere Pro.
Setting markers in Audition is handy if you want to return to specific project parts. For example, you may wish to cut out certain areas. Another time that markers come in handy is when you want to add something extra, such as a sound effect.
The easiest way to add markers in Adobe Audition is to hit the M key on your keyboard. To remove them, you can press Ctrl + right-click.
2. Magnifying Glass
In Adobe Audition, you will see several magnifying glasses with several zoom capabilities. You can zoom in and edit more hard-to-reach parts of your audio, and it’s just as simple to zoom out.
Zooming in will require you to press the magnifying glass with a plus +, and zooming out is the one with a minus -.
You’ll need to select the icons with a horizontal arrow to zoom in and out of the waves. You can also increase and decrease the size of the waves with separate magnifying glasses.
3. Amplify
When you record audio on Adobe Audition, you might find it too quiet. In most instances, you should try to stay as close to -6 dB as possible. Luckily, if your audio isn’t loud enough, you can make adjustments within the app.
Amplifying your audio means changing how loud or quiet it is. When you go to Amplitude and Compression > Amplify, you can choose how much you want to increase or decrease the volume.
The presets are a useful starting point; you can pick several boosts and cuts depending on your preferences. However, you can also move the sliders to the left or right—and type in the number you’d like to increase or decrease the dB to.
4. Multitrack Sessions
If you have to edit a complex audio project, Adobe Audition is arguably the best tool on the web. And for those larger projects, you might need to use more than one audio file. When that’s the case, how do we bring everything together?
Simple: Multitrack Sessions.
In Multitrack Sessions, you can drag and drop the audio files you want to edit. On top of that, you can also record in this area. You’ll need to click on the Multitrack tab in the left-hand corner of your app.
Once you’ve finished putting everything together, you can mix the project down into a new file. Go to Multitrack > Mixdown Session to New File > Entire Session.
5. File Formats
Speaking of files, you will find a selection of different audio formats in Adobe Audition. And if you’re a beginner in audio editing, you might find navigating these a little confusing.
File formats you’ll find in Audition include .wav, .mp3, and .mp2. Generally, you should create .mp3 files when exporting podcast episodes from Audition to your hard drive.
6. Waveform
We’ve spoken a little about Multitrack Sessions, but perhaps the most important initial tab in Adobe Audition is Waveform. Here, you can edit an individual audio file in significant detail.
The Waveform tab lets you cut audio where necessary, and you can also record within sections that you need to. On top of that, this section allows you to quickly increase the amplitude—and much more.
To use the Waveform tab, all you need to do is select Waveform in the left-hand corner of your screen.
7. Record
Since you’ll be putting together audio projects, it’s needless to say that recording is the most important aspect. And while you can use your smartphone to record audio, ensuring that you have the best possible quality is essential.
The easiest way to start editing your audio project in Audition is by recording within the app itself. We don’t recommend using your computer’s microphone as the sound can sometimes be choppy. Instead, consider getting an external microphone and connecting it to your computer.
When you’re ready to record in Adobe Audition, click on the red circle. You can hit the stop icon when you’re finished; if you need to pause, you can click on the pause button.
8. Default Input and Output
What do you do when you need to change the input and output?
Changing this setting is pretty straightforward. You’ll first need to go to your preferences, which you can access via Adobe Audition > Preferences. After selecting Audio Hardware, you’ll see Default Input and Default Output—with two expandable tabs next to these.
When you plug in your microphone, choose that from Default Input. It’s worth testing that the changes have taken place before you start properly recording.
9. Limiter
While audio that’s too quiet is an issue, you will also want to ensure that what you record isn’t too loud. Fortunately, you can set limits within Adobe Audition—and doing so does not require a lot of effort.
When you add a limiter, you should aim for between -3 and 0 dB as the maximum. To set limits in Audition, go to Effects > Amplitude and Compression > Dynamics. Click the Limiter box and set your maximum.
10. Mono and Stereo
Not choosing the right audio channels is one of the most common beginner mistakes when podcasting. If you’re not careful, you might have your sound only playing out of one headphone. The solution to this, however, is simple.
To change the audio channel, go to Edit > Convert Sample Type. In the next window, you will see a dropdown list next to Channels. Expand the menu here before selecting Stereo.
Get Familiar With Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition has a lot of tools that will help you create high-quality podcast episodes, music tracks, and more. When you’re starting out, you will have a lot to learn—but after getting over the initial learning curve, you will find the app easy to use.
Now that you know the basic terms associated with Adobe Audition, why not get your creative juices flowing?
