What are some essential tips for editing audio effectively?

When I first started in the industry, one of the first things I was told was “garbage in, garbage out”. If you start with poor quality audio, you’ll likely end with poor quality audio. Fixing “garbage” audio is a skill that should be learned, and it is certainly necessary if you find yourself receiving audio from sources outside of your control. But if you have total control over the audio from the very beginning, ensuring it’s clean before and after a recording session will save you a lot of headaches.

I learned, the hard way, that bad audio In will never be good audio Out, with whatever technology we had in 1996! It's been perfect In, since, or I don't Roll!

Experiment of SINK AUDIO has enhanced the natural perception of the visual display simply because it is ORIGINAL in nature. There is no artificial human conceived additives. Many of our geniuses directors have done this experiment in the past with great adulation. A well conceived background effects naturally recorded along with original voice positively enhances the effectiveness of the narrative on screen.

This should go without saying if you’re recording any meditation style voice overs. But turn off any fans in the room and close the windows so you don’t get traffic sounds either. Turn off your phone. And remove any noisy clothing, especially things that have jingles or rattles.

A professional engineer once told me: "Organization is 80% of a mix". Time passed and I learned that organization is more than technical labeling and coloring. A simple EQ move to fit a track in a mix is also organizing it to sound cohesive. Creating a checklist that starts with audio files naming conventions all the way to giving each track its space will definitely improve your mix and open up space for creativity.

Organizing audio tracks by type—location sound, sound effects, music, and narration—enhances storytelling through precise editing. Location sound grounds the narrative; sound effects add depth; music sets emotional tone; narration provides context. A well-organized, balanced mix makes the story more immersive, engaging the audience effectively. Mastering these basics improves the final result, offering creative flexibility and a nuanced storytelling approach.

In mixing and editing audio here are some considerations. Effect use of silence and pauses allow the listener to reflect and consider the words and statements being made. Insights are gained. Silence and pauses allow for effective pacing of the program segments. They relax the ears and thinking of the listener. I don't have to grasp everything all at once. Who was it who said "Silence is Golden"? The precise and gradual transition from speech to music background. This smooths and soothes the listeners ears, mind and heart.

Organizing will not only help you stay on task, but if you work on a team where others may hop into your project, it'll help them find what they need as well. If your DAW allows changing the color of clips, having a color code for specific reused sound motifs (think a brand's logo, transitions, lower thirds) is very helpful. When you're ready to copy and paste they're easy to find. Also, organizing sfx tracks into more specific sections like ambiences vs hard effects can help keep your project clean. Being able to quickly find a specific clip when you've got loads of tracks is essential.

Organizar o material o aúdio é o passo primário para iniciar a edi??o, tanto pra você ou para outras pessoas terem acesso ao seu projeto. Fazer a sele??o de takes, localiza??es, sound fx, trilhas, e já deixar organizado por labels coloridas te ajuda a ser ainda mais eficiente na edi??o.

With DAW’s, use your eyes as much as your ears when editing dialogue, such as looking at a multitrack session where it’s easy to scan with your eyes and see waveforms that may be too hot or too low, have pops or even noise. Over time you’ll learn to spot potential issues by the characteristics of waveforms alone.

Make sure if you have recorded multiple takes of the scene, song or sound; that you keep record of the select and alternate takes. Editing from these files will guarantee everybody involved will be happy with your edit.

Try not to over use Dialogue De-noisers Start with removing unnecessary frequencies especially in dialogue with a male voice anything below 80hz is unnecessary especially in a nicer environment so you can remove those frequencies below that range.. if a man has a naturally low resonant noise it may be more of a challenge.. with female voices I would remove at a higher frequency perhaps around 100/ 120hz this is a good place to start ...

Audio editing has a lot of parallels to life, particularly balancing. Determine what the main focus of the overall audio is and build everything else up around it. Imagine that your main focus in life is your family (a kick drum). You would make that family/kick the center of everything you do. Nothing becomes more prominent, they become complimentary. Career/bass tucks neatly under the kick since it’s the next most important thing in your life. Your social life/synths can sometimes overshadow things so you want it to be there, but very low in the mix as not to be a distraction….All while making sure all of those components combined don’t have you in the red on your master bus/your life. Don’t take on so much that you distort. Balance/Life

Manter o balanceamento de áudio em um projeto é crucial para manter o espectador naquele universo, um trecho mais alto do que o outro pode ser o suficiente para você perder a conex?o do seu espectador com sua obra.

After making sure that the source is sounding good, balancing levels should only bring a final touch to push the groove or dialogue into its right place. It's all about the mix. Listen to your reference, align your client expectations and trust your ears.

Everything lives in a certain range on the EQ spectrum. Adjusting levels properly and then carving areas for other tracks to breath via ducking, automation, and panning can help paint a clear and sonically legible space for the listener.

Aplicar efeitos ajudam no seu caminho de manter seu áudio limpo e claro do início ao fim, ou?a o quanto for necessário para entender a necessidade de cada momento.

Less can often be more with EQ… it’s very easy to push something to unnatural levels. Constantly reference the original un- EQ’d signal and even try taking the EQ values down by half (a separate Mix control is wonderful for this)

Keep in mind where your project is going to be distributed. Different platforms have different loundness specs. Loundness is measured differently than peaks. You want your mix to stand up to others that are being shown in the same place and create a comfortable listening experience for your audience (ex. YouTube, broadcast, theater, streaming). This tip could also be under Balance Levels, but loudness can also be fine tuned and adjusted in the Mastering stage.

Make sure you can always hear the audio clearly … many times music and sound effects drown out the dialogue Sometimes ambient sound is golden

A keen listening ear is important. You want to hear those sounds that no one else pays attention to and listen to where those sounds should be placed and how they should be heard. Rather or not you want that sound far away or right up close, it's position should be tailored to the rightful position of the production.

Whenever you have finished a project, take a step back, let it sit there for a few hours or even days before you listen to it again and never ever skip obtaining honest feedback.

Imagination is essential to effective editing. Because editing is just as well about mixing and blending and immersion as it is about cutting. And of course you must be an exceptional listener - to hear the possibilities. Linear and non-linear. Are we editing for drama or precision or presentation? Or to emphasize a strength or weakness or objectivity or subjectivity? The end result of the edit is about imaging (imagination).

As my vision fades, from glaucoma, I am happy I learned some keyboard shortcuts because there are times I can no longer see the small function buttons on editing software. So the undo, the save, the jump to cursor, the Select and volume cues and keys I always thought were not needed. ‘Hey, the buttons are right there!’ Pretty cool that I did learn them so now I can say y’know I can edit blind! Because legally? I am blind and those key stories that are helpful and time saving are project saving for the vision challenged.