Audition CS 5.5 and the future of Audition

[_durin_]

Good morning Audition fans.

As promised, I wanted to share the news and state of Adobe Audition as well as answer your questions about the new release and what the future holds. 

First, Adobe announced the release of CS 5.5 Monday morning to coincide with our presence at the NAB convention in Las Vegas, NV.  Among the updates to the other applications in the Production Premium suite, the big news from my perspective was the inclusion of Audition into the Production Premium and Master Collection suites.  Soundbooth, the previous audio tool offered in the Suite, has been discontinued.

Next, a little bit of history:  Adobe purchased Syntrillium 8 years ago in order to provide an audio solution to their video and broadcast production users.  At the time, Premiere Pro was a Windows-only NLE and Cool Edit, now Audition, was a great fit in the original Video Suite.  However, as Adobe recognized the value in the Suite model for users and the bottom-line, the other applications were updated to support Apple and Windows users.  The Audition team looked at the 15 years of legacy Windows code and were not confident the application could be ported quickly enough to satisfy the CS release schedule.  As an audio editor was necessary in the suite package, we created Soundbooth which was a simple audio editor built on top of Premiere Pro's media playback engine.  This enabled the team to provide value to the Suite, but the limitations of a playback engine crafted to handle large video files was not ideal for detailed audio production.  As a tool to assist with basic audio editing and restoration needs for a primarily video and motion graphics audience, it did find a userbase who appreciated the simplicity and ease of use, although leaving audio professionals and more savvy users wanting more.

Immediately after each release of Soundbooth, the team continued working on Audition but it was apparent that Adobe did not need two audio tools in production and the more popular application was absolutely Audition.  We made the commitment to build Audition as a fully cross-platform solution and replace Soundbooth in the line-up, offering the power and fidelity of Audition without making the transition for Soundbooth fans too jarring.  For at least the past 7 years that I've been with the team, the most-requested feature has unequivocably been "Bring Audition to the Mac!"  There are numerous on-line petitions and forum threads demanding this happen.

So we've spent the past two years re-writing Audition from the ground-up, preserving or updating our core DSP, modernizing the code to take advantage of current hardware and operating system technology, and emphasizing increased productivity and speed with every feature.  Updating or completely rewriting 15 years of C++ code takes time, and we recognized rather quickly that we were not going to reach feature parity with Audition 3.01 with this release.  We continuously prioritized our feature database based on our visits with customers big and small, and our awesome, secret, pre-release team.  Our core userbase has always been broadcast - radio, podcast, and video - and our focus for the CS 5.5 release was to build a platform that supported those workflows but remained open and flexible enough that expanding the application to support other audio users would be simple and straightforward.  As we approached the end of our development cycle, I think everyone on the team and in our pre-release program recognized how strong this application is and will be moving forward, even if some of our pet features did not make it into this release yet.

In the next post, I'll describe what's new in Audition CS 5.5, what didn't make it into the application yet, and what we hope to accomplish in the next release.  As I mentioned before, Adobe has publicly committed to a more open release schedule with a major release approximately every 24 months with an additional mid-cycle release.  Not only will this allow us to bring more features to you more quickly, but will help with any hardware updates and purchasing decisions our users may encounter.  Additionally, and currently Audition is not part of this program yet, Adobe is offering installations on a subscription model with all upgrades rolled into the cost.  It will be interesting to hear feedback from our users how this solution works for their needs.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

Inity Arts & Music wrote:

This really feels like Adobe is using a slight efficiency improvement to resell all the same old features multiple times by spreading them out amongst numerous "upgrades". It's appalling.

Well, I understand the sentiment, but they aren't exactly doing that for the Mac users, are they? They've never had the features in the first place. But I can understand completely that Windows users might think that to a very great degree, they've subsidised that...

[Michael_Putrino]

Regarding the FIR filter. I'm not really happy with what you guys did to the FIR filter. It was great in Audition 3.0. I wish you had not changed it.

It is now difficult to draw straight lines. you've made them curve even when I don't have spline set.

I hope the old 3.0 version of the FIR filter is made available in CS6.0.

Thanks,

Mike

[mstegner]

"Regarding  the FIR filter. I'm not really happy with what you guys did to the FIR  filter. It was great in Audition 3.0. I wish you had not changed it.

It is now difficult to draw straight lines. you've made them curve even when I don't have spline set.

I hope the old 3.0 version of the FIR filter is made available in CS6.0.

Thanks,

Mike"

Michael,

What FIR filter are you referring too?  Do you mean the FFT Filter?

As far as the interface changes to the FFT Filter effect, we made the effect run in realtime, so it is available in the multitrack now.  We removed and/or changed very little of that effect (only removing the Time-Variable Setting settings and changing the range). The range was limited to something reasonable, and made less buggy.  The morphing ability was removed due to the effect becoming realtime, which we thought was a suitable tradeoff (the ability to use it in the Effect Rack verses changing the effect over time).

As for the curved lines: the line now more accurately displays what the EQ plot is actually doing when in logarithmic mode, where this was not the case in Audition 3.0.  Switching to linear mode will show a straight EQ plot lines.  Splining functionality has not changed.
-MattS

[Michael_Putrino]

Hi Matt,

Yes, sorry, I did mean the FFT.

Since I am a mastering engineer, I do almost all of my mastering in the Edit window and rarely use multitrack mode...only for mixing splines when I get them...again rarely.

Being able to draw a straight line in logorithmic mode is extrememly valuable to me. For example, if I need to slightly increase the bass perception without affecting the mix, I might draw a straight line with +0.5db at the extreme low end, to -0.5db at the extreme high end. I could do the oposite to reduce the perceved bass... -0.5db in the extreme low end to +0.5db in the extreme high end. This straight-line EQ in the logorithmic realm is precisely what I want and is pleasing to the ear. There are no side effects and it does exactly what I want. Doing a straight-line in linear mode, would not be correct.

Regarding the morphing ability: again, I rarely use multitrack mode...or the effects rack for that matter because I need to be able to both hear and see the results of each change that I make individually. Putting a bunch of effects together in one pass does not work well for me. And, I can't see how using the FFT in multitrack mode would allow me to morph the EQ from say, no EQ to a high-end roll-off over a 5 second window. With the Audition 3.0 FFT, I can do that in the Edit window.

The only think I put in the effects rack is my InspectorXL meter. It gives me the Bob Katz K-metering that Audition lacks and that I absolutely require.

Agian, please do put back the 3.0 FFT capabilities into CS 6.0.

Thank you for your help,
Mike

[georgi_m]

Hi. Thanks for an amazing insight into Audition's history. I've long been a Cool Edit fan, and was missing it dearly from the Mac platform.

In my work I've always made use of the tone and noise generation capabilities, and it was disturbing to see them omitted in the CS5.5 build. However, I'd like to ask about the Doppler effect? It's one of the best tools I've seen in any software so far, and I can understand it's an underdog so priority is out of the question, but could do with a "yes we're adding it back soon"... ? I think there's a growing trend of sound designers diversifying regarding the tools and techniques they use, and assume they would be among your user base too?

G.

[nowuc01oio1010]

Durin,

Thank you for all the information and support you have provided.

I have one issue I have not yet seen discussed.

My biggest objection is the tiny fonts used in Adobe Audition.

Portable PC's (net-books and notebooks) outnumber Desktop PCs between five and ten to one. It is unfortunate Adobe Audition lacks DYNAMIC FONTS.

For example, I use a business class notebook with 15.4" display and a native resolution of 1680 x 1050. I cannot easily use Audition even when my PC is set to 144 dpi (150%) plus large fonts, because Audition locks down the fonts to tiny fonts.

I must downgrade my resolution to a fuzzy 1200 x 800 just to use Adobe Audition. At this resolution, spectral displays are aweful.

Remember, not everyone has a Low resolution monitor, or a 24" monitor. I hope your team will give some thought to this and make Adobe Audition more viewable and usable by employing Dynamic fonts.

Thank you.

Dave F.

[rendermanfl]

Sorry to read all the disappointments with CS5.5

I'm still running CEP on a Win 98 daw. I actually use that configuration to do all my tracking. I use another daw running XP and AA3 for mixing and pre-mastering. I use AA3 to burn quick test CDs, but use Sonic Foundry for final CD mastering and CD masters for production duplication. Yet another system for PPro with no AA at all but I'll use the trial version on that system to get a feel for my work flow with AA and PPro. I think I'll wait for CS6 Production Premium and upgrade all my modules for that system. I'm curious what would be the upgrade price from AA3 to CS6? Will there be a free upgrade from CS5.5 to CS6 if CS5.5 is purchased within a specified time frame?

[rendermanfl]

Apologies for the double post. It's late and I dozed off....

Sorry to read all the disappointments with CS5.5

I'm still running CEP on a Win 98 daw. I actually use that configuration to do all my tracking. I use another daw running XP and AA3 for mixing and pre-mastering. I use AA3 to burn quick test CDs, but use Sonic Foundry for final CD mastering and CD masters for production duplication. Yet another system for PPro with no AA at all but I'll use the trial version on that system to get a feel for my work flow with AA and PPro. I think I'll wait for CS6 Production Premium and upgrade all my modules for that system. I'm curious what would be the upgrade price from AA3 to CS6? Will there be a free upgrade from CS5.5 to CS6 if CS5.5 is purchased within a specified time frame?

[Quash45]

I took a smilar path due to ther reduction in features in AA within CS5.5.  In the case of my company we have a seperate DAW running AA3.1 under Windows XP Pro (SP3) as the use of clip grouping and control surfaces are critical to our audio work flow.  Of course we under the limitations of the OS--something I can live with for now until Adobe gets the message from the professional audio community and gets those features back in to CS6.

On the video side of our company, we have up-graded to a 64 bit CORE 7i workstation (CORE Microsystems) running Windows 7.  Because of the limitations in AA the decision was made to use CS 5.0. and not to up-grade to 5.5.  In this enviornment some minor audio work is done in Soundbooth, while other audio work is exported to the DAW running AA3.1.  It's not an ideal situation.

Hopefully, Adobe will get these features back into AA with CS6.0 and my company can get rid of our old XP Pro DAW and move into a fully intergrated 64 bit work flow world.  Until then, we live with the work-arounds.

A questions for Adobe.  Will you offer an up-grade from CS5 to CS6?  It would seem very unfair indeed (given the opinions this forum over CS5.5)  to pay for an up-grade to CS5.5 and another up-grade to CS6.

Chicago audio/video producer

Quash45

[rendermanfl]

I think the voices have been heard. An application in which the latest release has fewer features than the previous one, is not an upgrade.

In my opinion CS5.5 should have been a Beta tester for CS6. A CS6 with all the previous functionality of AA3 that is.

Sure, there is no point in reinventing the wheel with respect to CD burning or MIDI sequencing, but having those features, even with the most basic of functionality would be better than not having them at all. If they have to go, so be it, but consider a CD burning/MIDI sequencing ‘Elements’ version or a module similar to PS Image Ready.

In any event, it is only fair to let users know the price plan for upgrades from CS5.5 to CS6.

[Lowe-Fi]

No ReWire just cost me a session. Midi squencing and native soft instruments are not needed in Audition, because there are plenty of these programs out there. However, lack of the simple, no frills, and ESSENTIAL ability to ReWire to Reason (or other software) is unacceptable. ALL of my video/film soundtrack work involves either Reason or Live, and with ReWire missing from 5.5, my clients are missing as well. Maybe I am to blame for not checking if ReWire in a feature on 5.5, but I also didn't check if you could still record audio because that is a given. A no-brainer. Man, I am bummed.

[shawndenevan]

Items I miss....so far

1- Shortcut keys - some of the default ones have been changed. I'm still trying to record with ctrl+spacebar every time.....

2- Save Session As

3 - Save all associated files as

4 - Saving at the END of a project not the beginning

5- Old Files, not being able to open SES files . This should not require a 3rd party program

6- Batch Files. not being able to import 1.5 or 3.0 batch files

7 - Not a big fan of the new time pitch

8 - the curser choices and how they differ  with right/left clicks, for moving copying ect clips on multi track
9 - color scheme for everything, VERY limited. that grey is hard on the eyes
10- effect amplifi  - Fade in / out options

11 - im sure ill have more as i dive into this.

When every a new car model comes out, i know a few things. it will have 4 tires, a stereo, gas and break are in in the same spots. basically, when i get into a new car,,, it still acts and drives like the old car, its just shinyer, faster, sleaker, better... But its still the same car that goes. CE and early AA were like that. CS55 is not. (ok i just deleted a bunch of ranting that doesnt help, but staring over with a new program is very frustrating)

[ryclark]

10) Effects/Amplitude and Compression/Amplify Fade In/Out are now available in the Favourites list and can also be accessed using the Volume Envelope effect.

[Bob_Howes]

Just bumping this topic...I suspect some of the unpleasantries on Page 1 of this forum might not happen if everyone could read this.

Note to Admin/mods...is there any way this thread can be "stickied"?

[mindabuse]

I upgraded a few days ago. I hate to be such a downer (yes, add another to the long, long list), but after reading all of the countless threads about what's missing from the "new" Audition (not to mention the countless things NOT mentioned which I'm finding), as well as the reasons why, I can't help but feel like this software is either in a coma or dead for the forseeable future.

All of the responses from Adobe team members have not justified the end result to me. None of the new features apply to me (excepting the Macintosh port which is mindlessly long overdue), many of the missing features apply to me and the application is fundamentally slower for me irregardless of whatever has been rewritten for multi-core processors -- not just from a computational standpoint (waveform rendering/zooming/scrolling is much slower), but most especially from a usability standpoint (like dumbed-down effects/tools, lack of prior pop-up windows/keyboard shortcuts, meticulous details that made the app great before).

David Johnson and Syntrillium Software made Cool Edit the best sound editing application nearly 10 years prior to Adobe's acquisition. The "15 years of original C++ code" is likely going to take more than a couple product cycles to rewrite and mature. I quote "15 years" because this software has its roots close to 20 years back (1993-1994). It took all those years for Audition to mature and become great. Fundamental issues with this rewrite feel as though it's going to take at LEAST another 5+ years -- if ever -- before things even come close to what we in Adobe Audition 3.0.

The last few versions of Cool Edit Pro/Adobe Audition were the ultimate Frankeinstein lab -- with the crazy, sick, demented surgical tools to be as good or evil as you wanted. And the doctors who had been using it for 10-15+ years were very comfortable in the old lab. Now it feels like the surgeons lab, tools and devices have been replaced with a generic pharmacy. This new pharmacy might be at "home" on the Macintosh, but I'd be a lot happier working in my old lab down the road.

Audition 3.0 was the surgeons tools that would fix your problems. This new version is the pharmacy that simply numbs your symptoms by clumsily drugging you up.

I used to be a Syntrillium Beta Tester for Cool Edit Pro. I contacted Adobe about becoming a member of a similar program for Audition and never heard back. Definitely feels like a downward spiral to the point that my voice won't be heard amongst all others.

I would have gladly "upgraded" for a Macintosh version of Audition 3.0 instead of what Adobe offers today (and likely in the foreseeable future).

I'm really trying to use what's there but nearly all my shortcuts no longer work -- so I'm fumbling to the point of wanting to give up, get a refund and take a hike. I fumbled with many other applications before Audition came to the Mac. Unfortunately I am literally fumbling with this current version now. It's truly saddening after having used it for so long. Such a shame.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

mindabuse wrote:

David Johnson and Syntrillium Software made Cool Edit the best sound editing application nearly 10 years prior to Adobe's acquisition. The "15 years of original C++ code" is likely going to take more than a couple product cycles to rewrite and mature. I quote "15 years" because this software has its roots close to 20 years back (1993-1994). It took all those years for Audition to mature and become great. Fundamental issues with this rewrite feel as though it's going to take at LEAST another 5+ years -- if ever -- before things even come close to what we in Adobe Audition 3.0.

I think that a lot of people think (and I'd include myself with them) that the original codebase reached its peak with Audition 1.5. For many people, this has been the most stable version there's been. But when it came to Audition 2, the codebase was completely changed - it used a completely different engine; it had to because it became ASIO-based, rather than using the Windows API's, etc and the OS to do recording/playback.

If you use the industry norm for releases, which basically says that it's the odd-numbered versions that are generally the good ones, then the next version should be the one to look at. You have to ignore what Adobe are calling it here, because what Audition CS5.5 is is really Audition 4. The next version is Audition 5, and if the history of software development follows its normal course, this will be the significant release, not the present one...

[mindabuse]

SteveG(AudioMasters) wrote:

I think that a lot of people think (and I'd include myself with them) that the original codebase reached its peak with Audition 1.5. For many people, this has been the most stable version there's been. But when it came to Audition 2, the codebase was completely changed - it used a completely different engine; it had to because it became ASIO-based, rather than using the Windows API's, etc and the OS to do recording/playback.

I'm mostly talking about tangible front-end stuff, (not back-end). I know their separation can be blurred at times, but my focus has always been user-facing (examples like improvements to spectral editing, adding the sequencer to multitrack, etc). Those are tangible things that we can touch and use (I understand that the new audio engine allowed for Audition to venture in to the multitrack/sequencer arena in the first place).

My primary focus has always been in the areas of destructive sound editing and sound design, but I have made use of the multitrack features and non-destructive editing/recording capabilities from time to time. From the destructive sound editing point of view the engine doesn't matter. The tools at my disposal are the most important.

The mentality of "a 3rd party plug-in can do it for you" is awful. I've used these tools and their built-in effects for years and years. There are special things that only Cool Edit/Audition could do as a destructive sound editor that a plug-in made for real-time non-destructive processing cannot.

I don't think that Adobe listens to their customers. It took them 8+ years to "bring Audition to the Mac" (Soundbooth was not Audition) -- and in doing so, they've not even brought what Audition was, but a "rewrite" that discards a LOT of what made prior Audition versions great. In that time there was an interim rewrite just to stub in ASIO -- which doesn't even apply to the Mac platform.

Even/Odd version numbers aren't much of an indication. Cool Edit Pro 1.0 was the first major milestone for Cool Edit bringing multitrack editing. CEP2 was a minor release in scope. Audition 1.0 and 1.5 are essentially CEP2 (even becomes odd). Audition 2 was a major release (by your own words - ASIO). Audition 3 was minor compared to 2. Audition 4 is major as a rewrite.

Audition 5 will likely be minor -- given that 4 has only been out 9 months, and it sounds like CS6 is coming out in the first half of this year which leaves Audition 4 being barely 1 year old before another release?

I do apologize if my perspective might sound harsh, but are they not true? As hilarious as it sounds, you could probably say I'm venting through some stages of greif... ; )

[Paul_Ferguson]

I disagree with your valuation of the different versions, but in any case, what it comes down to is that Adobe released 5.5 as a stopgap while they were getting Version 3 rewritten with new code, and for Mac as well.  My guess is that AA6 will be up to speed and/or beyond every previous version in terms of stability, speed and features.  *Then* we can start to look for new features.  Well, you can look for new features.  I'm pretty happy with AA3.  But if it's faster and more stable and Mac-frendy, that's all good.

[Guest]

Despite all the mystery about AAx.x I’m curious as to the future what with all the cutbacks at Adobe, will AAx.x ever survive?

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

Adobe have always said that if development on Audition was ever going to stop, they'd tell us directly. And they haven't - yet....

[P_Forrest]

And since it was just added to Production Premium CS 5.5 suite,  I would assume it will be around awhile.   I'll be upgrading to the CS6 suite in May 2012, mostly for any improvements in Audition and not the other products.

I rather like it, after having been a Cakewalk/Sonar user since 1999.   Yeah, Audi CS5.5 is a cut-down version but I'm warming up to it.  But will Audi CS5.5 handle the speeds on the German Autobahn?  😉  hehe

cheerio,

Petey

[SuiteSpot]

"Cool Edit Pro 1.0 was the first major milestone for Cool Edit bringing multitrack editing. CEP2 was a minor release in scope. Audition 1.0 and 1.5 are essentially CEP2 (even becomes odd). Audition 2 was a major release (by your own words - ASIO). Audition 3 was minor compared to 2. Audition 4 is major as a rewrite.

FWIW there were more versions than most people realise.  The ones that I can recall off the top of my head are:

CEP 1.0

CEP 1.1

CEP 1.1a

CEP 1.2

CEP 1.2a

CEP 2.00

CEP 2.1

CEP 2.1a (not sure if there was CEP 2.1b, and c)

CEP 2.1d

AA 1.0

AA 1.5

AA 2.0

AA 3.0

My reference is the ses files themselves and from those I can determine internally what IMO has been 'major' or 'minor' changes and I can tell you that there were very few changes that I would determine as 'minor' but even so the 'major' ones are nothing in comparison to the jump to 'Audition 4'.

"Audition 5 will likely be minor -- given that 4 has only been out 9 months"

I'm sure that is far from the truth.

Unfortunately, those not involved in the actual development have no real idea of how easy or hard anything is and some of us can only guess.  I mean how hard could it have been to add in clip grouping?

To ask a question like that means that person has no idea what is involved and what would need to be in place in order to pull it off.

We have a Harbour Bridge which has 6 lanes on it and everyone wants a 7th lane - how hard could that be?

I have nothing but respect for the developers based on what I can see under the hood.

But of course not only does none of this matter nor does it change anything as all that matters is what you can see or use.

I would guess that Adobe realise the importance of their next release so it's really a waiting game now - either quietly or noisily 😉

Anyway my fingers are crossed.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

mindabuse wrote:

I do apologize if my perspective might sound harsh, but are they not true? As hilarious as it sounds, you could probably say I'm venting through some stages of greif... ; )

Well, they're true perhaps from your perspective, but that doesn't necessarily make them 'true', does it?

For instance:

Audition 5 will likely be minor -- given that 4 has only been out 9 months, and it sounds like CS6 is coming out in the first half of this year which leaves Audition 4 being barely 1 year old before another release?

Because CS5.5 as a basic release has been technically successful, development has been able to continue, rather than a lot of remedial work being done. So if you consider it like that, it might look somewhat different, perhaps? That's from my perspective as a beta tester....

[Bob_Howes]

Bump to put this on page one...as yet another post has been made this would be relevant for.

[Jim_Bonds]

Durin,

First, a tremendous applause on the development of a Mac OS X compatible Audition.  I've been using Audition since 1.5 and love it.  I've recently switched to Mac so the new version is wonderful news.  Unfortunately I have one requirement that is absolutely critical to me that has not yet been met.  I desperately hope that it can be met in CS 6.

In older versions of Audition I could time stretch a clip (not the full track, just the clip) in multitrack view.  This allowed me to take a small clip maybe 2 to 4 measures long and visually time stretch it to match another clip.  Once the timing was correct I could then grab the clip boundary and extend it to play more of the track.  This is absolutely critical to me.  There are times when I need to a) beat match tracks that are so far apart they cannot be matched on turntables, and b) match an a capella to an instrumental.

CS 5.5 only allows time stretch by numerical input (i.e. percentage or duration change).  The afformentioned tasks require a more visual/less exact approach.  Unfortunately, until this requirment is met I will be stuck running Audition 3 in a Windows virtual machine using VMware Fusion on my Mac.  Needless to say this is a less than desirable solution.  I really hope the Audition team can resolve this as Audition has been the heart and soul of my studio for years.