Reverting audio file back to original

Report · Jun 19, 2020

Hi, I have an interview audio file that I have edited and added some noise reduction etc, and hit save. However, the audio had turned out muddy and I want to change what I originally did. However it seems like because I hit save, all my history on the file is gone. I still have the original file outside of audition, but I don't want to have to cut the whole file again. How do I revert the file back to its original state on all the cut files?

Report · Jun 19, 2020

Basically, you can't - that's why you always work with a copy. When you do a save in Waveform view, the temp files are destroyed. Generally the safest way out of these problems (even with huge files) is to save each altered version as you work your way through it. That way you'll always have the in-between versions to go back to when you don't like something, because this way they aren't temp files, but 'real'ones.

There are different viewpoints on when you take certain steps; some people do all the NR first and then do the edit on the NR'd file, and if you are going to do the edit in Multitrack, that's quite a good idea. If you change your mind about the processing, you can always replace the original file with the revised version, and if you give it the same name as the original file, then all the edits will remain as they were - you've just got (hopefully) better audio.

The alternative is to do all the treatment to the file after it's edited and mixed down. You don't have to treat so much material, and that can save a bit of time sometimes. But it's still easy to go back to the edit and create another mixdown if you need to.

In general, editing in Multitrack is way safer than Waveform view - you can always undo things.

Report · Jun 20, 2020

Thanks for your response it is appreciated, but I do have several questions.

I am confused about working with a copy. I have the original file already, it is just in a separate location, the one that I was using (the copy) is the one that is now saved and that I cannot revert back to the original. In multitrack, where I am working from, I have that audio cut and ready to go there, but I want to revert back to that original file. It seems to me like I have to save another copy and cut the audio again. I know in premier pro, you can use the original media and "locate" it, but this seems impossible in audition.

It does help that when you do make changes or add filters, it seems to repeatedly change and sometimes doesn't even work at all. If I want to add noise reduction techniques or normalize, it differs with how big the audio file is. If I am in wave form and select all, it is different if I am in wave form and select a small part of the audio. Sometimes, the middle of the audio is different to the rest because the treatment is not working well.

It seems a little too volatile and risky. I may treat the file after I have finished the edit, but sometimes things might change in between.

For some noise reduction, you can't do it in multitrack and so I don't really have any choice but to use waveform.

Report · Jun 20, 2020

You said:

" In multitrack, where I am working from, I have that audio cut and ready to go there, but I want to revert back to that original file. It seems to me like I have to save another copy and cut the audio again. I know in premier pro, you can use the original media and "locate" it, but this seems impossible in audition."

Ah. It's not impossible at all. All you need to do is start from your original file, make a copy of it and then do two things: change the name of the file that's messed up to something different (doesn't matter what) and then change the name of that copy you just made to be the same as the original name of the messed-up file, and replace it in the original location. When you re-open the session, it will be with the copy of your original file, without anything (yet) done to it, and all your edits should be as they were.

There's nothing to stop you doing different bits of treatment to different parts of the file in Wavwform view; the only thing you can't do is make cuts, or alter the duration, as that will screw up the timing of your edits.

Report · Oct 25, 2022

Hi, I have the latest version of Au. Is it now possible to reverting audio file back to original?

Report · Oct 26, 2022

No, it isn't. The fundamental workings of Audition are the same as they've always been, and essentially the same things apply to all audio software; if you do a physical save over your original file, then the original is lost. It's not about Audition - it's about files in general. Unless you have software that deliberately makes a copy of any file you are working on and saves it independently, this applies.

Audition, in Waveform view, stores previous versions of your work as a temp file for as many undos as you've set in preferences, but if you exceed this number then you won't be able to go back further. Your only option at that point is not to save the file, and simply close it. If you have to work like that for any reason - and there are a few when you are working under severe time constraints - then the thing to do is to save the work you've done using Save As, and then just close the original without saving it when you are prompted.

Report · Feb 10, 2023

Hi SteveG: novice user here, and I too dug myself a hole by misunderstanding the destructive nature of Waveform editor. Sounds like you're saying I can keep my edits in Multitrack but tell Audition to use a different source file (the original unmodified WAV). If so, can you clarify where I should change the file names? Do I change them in the folder where they are stored on my drive, or within the Audition project? I gave it a quick try, but I'm not hearing any change when I playback in Multitrack. Thanks.

Report · Feb 10, 2023

The fundamental rule is that you shouldn't use the original for anything except making copies from - don't be tempted just to use it as a file to revert to. So if you screw up and want to revert, then make a new copy to revert from, from the original file - the original is still your safety backup, because lightning can strike twice...

You always have to do the renaming in file explorer. If you use Open in the Audition File menu, then effectively you are in file explorer anyway, and if you right-click on a file, you'll get a Rename option. Audition of itself doesn't handle file operations; that's always the OS's job.

So if you have a file called originalfile_1 and you have an editing copy of it called originalfile_2 that you've screwed up the processing of, what you do is, with the session closed, make another copy of originalfile_1 and use Save As to save it as originalfile_2.

Now, if you haven't deleted the original originalfile_2 in whatever directory it's in and you try to save this new copy in the same location then it will warn you and ask whether you want to overwrite it - and the answer is yes you do! If you now re-open your session, it will use the replacement originafile_2, and you'll still have a master copy to return to if needed.

Report · Sep 30, 2024

Hi -- this helped me. It replaced the old filed, but a lot of the edits were missing. It wasn't that big of a deal. Because at least I had a starting point that was not at the very beginning and the audio file was there. Thank you for this!!