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SpiderCircle
SpiderCircle
Known Participant
September 16, 2022
Question

Podcast Editing Issues in Audition

  • September 16, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 713 views

We're using the Zoom PodTrak P4 to record using four microphones. One Host, Three Guests. When I ingest the stems into Adobe Audition using Multitrack, I can't seem figure out how to make all peaks in each file consistent with each other to somewhere between -6db and -3db.  I tried the 'Normalize' effect but that doesn't work while guests are speaking as the peaks vary in size with the original file. 

 

Another issue is that the three guest files pick up the host talking in the background and would like to keep that from happening or any easy way to remove that all together in Audition. In addition, background talking is heard in all four files when the guest on that specific microphone is not speaking. Are we using the  correct  microphones here?

 

I'm trying to find the most quick and efficient way to complete these podcast episodes without having to resort to adjusting individual peaks every few seconds in the consolidated file. This has been a time consuming and frustrating experience thus far and would greatly appreciate any professional feedback and support. Please find attached a picture of what the multitrack session looks like at the beginning.

Thank you! 

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2 replies

SteveG_AudioMasters_
SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
September 12, 2023

The PodTrak P4 has a limiter on each input. Are you using them? The general way to use limiters in this context is to actually let them limit - to do this, you increase the gain on each input slightly. What happens then is that the limiter will set the peak value for any contributor, so you don't have to - you simply alter the gain control on each channel so that all of your guests have a similar level, and the peaks on each channel will be the same. This is normal broadcast practice, incidentally.

 

You can achieve a similar result after the event by using a limiter on each channel in Audition - you put a limiter in the rack effects for each track, all set the same, and use the gain control in the Properties section for the track to alter the input level to it. You have to do it this way, or you won't get a consistent result. This will give you a similar result to using the limiter in the P4.

M
Michael32223150rhtc
New Participant
September 12, 2023

 

I'm glad to hear this actually works. I'm trying to figure out multi-microphone recording and was considering the Zoom. As for the tracks issue you're having, it's actually very simple: delete it!

When I do multi-mic recordings, without baffles or separate rooms, I get microphone bleed all the time. The trick is to remove the speaker audio when the speaker isn't speaking. Click on the track you want to edit, drag the scrubber to where the speaker stops talking, and hit CTRL K. It'll slice the track. Then slide the scrubber to right before that speaker starts talking again. Select the track again and hit CTRL K, slicing the track again. Now, just delete the part of the track with just background noise. It helps if you mute all other tracks while doing it. You can get pretty fast at it. This is how I remove mouth sounds, breathing, background noise, throat clearing, room noises and pregnant pauses or screw ups.

Heres where all the cuts go, based on my best guess looking at your image:

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