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yosuket47961228
Participant
October 22, 2018
Answered

Can I avoid any save to the original audio files on Audition?

  • October 22, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1927 views

Hi I started using Audition today to put the pitch shifting effect and saved the modification over the original files by mistake as I didn't know it would overwrite and erase the original.

I don't get why it has to have access to the original files instead of copying the files like on Adobe Premiere or Audacity, and not sure if the previous versions of the files are stored somewhere. I closed the app after I saved the files.

The modification I did was pitch shifting so it was easier to retrieve the likes of the original, although I forgot the pitch I used for one of the files and cannot get the exact pitch of the original voice. Even if I could perfectly shift the same interval of pitch (for example shift +5 semi tone after -5 semi tone) I suspect the data with the effect get some losses through the modification.

Can I set up the application to avoid overwriting the original files completely? If not, to avoid overwriting the original do I need to do either: 1. make copies of any original file, 2. only work on Multitrack mode?

(I tried 2 and for some reason the app needs to conform the sample rate of the original even when the original and Multitrack are set to 48000Hz, which doesn't make sense as well)

This is marked as assumed answered by mistake. The third thing that doesn't make sense is this forum that cannot undo marked as assumed answered

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer SteveG_AudioMasters_

    yosuket47961228  wrote

    I don't get why it has to have access to the original files instead of copying the files like on Adobe Premiere or Audacity, and not sure if the previous versions of the files are stored somewhere.

    I'm afraid that there's a certain degree of 'caveat emptor' to this. Audition has two modes of operation, and these are determined by which view you're in - multitrack view is non-destructive, like Premiere, but Waveform view isn't - it works by modifying files. And it's been like that forever. If you had done your pitch-shifting in Multitrack view, you would have had to create a mixdown or export of the result, and your original would have been untouched.

    No you can't force Audition only to work in a single mode - the basis of its operations preclude this, and it would be vastly less flexible if it did; that would hack off a lot of people! If you want to do pitch-shifting (or anything else, come to that) in Waveform view, and retain the original files, then you have to use 'save as' and rename the files suitably, or put them in another location. Better yet, do what we always recommend, and don't ever work on original files, but make a copy and edit that. This is good practice, whatever you do - even with non-linear editing.

    1 reply

    SteveG_AudioMasters_
    Community Expert
    SteveG_AudioMasters_Community ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    October 22, 2018

    yosuket47961228  wrote

    I don't get why it has to have access to the original files instead of copying the files like on Adobe Premiere or Audacity, and not sure if the previous versions of the files are stored somewhere.

    I'm afraid that there's a certain degree of 'caveat emptor' to this. Audition has two modes of operation, and these are determined by which view you're in - multitrack view is non-destructive, like Premiere, but Waveform view isn't - it works by modifying files. And it's been like that forever. If you had done your pitch-shifting in Multitrack view, you would have had to create a mixdown or export of the result, and your original would have been untouched.

    No you can't force Audition only to work in a single mode - the basis of its operations preclude this, and it would be vastly less flexible if it did; that would hack off a lot of people! If you want to do pitch-shifting (or anything else, come to that) in Waveform view, and retain the original files, then you have to use 'save as' and rename the files suitably, or put them in another location. Better yet, do what we always recommend, and don't ever work on original files, but make a copy and edit that. This is good practice, whatever you do - even with non-linear editing.

    ryclark
    ryclark
    Participating Frequently
    October 22, 2018

    When working on audio in the Waveform view the first thing I always do after opening the file is to do a Save As so I am not working on the original file. I also try and give the new file a suitable suffix to denote what relationship it has with the original ie. FileXXX.wav is Saved As FileXXX_Edit.wav. Or in your case FileXXX_PS for Pitch Shift for instance.

    "This is marked as assumed answered by mistake. The third thing that doesn't make sense is this forum that cannot undo marked as assumed answered"

    Only by someone else marking it as answered.

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