Fastest way to edit multiple audio tracks?

[Jack Brannen]

I have a simple interview recorded where two subjects were each wearing a lav mic. Because they were so close, their lav mics picked each other up.

This means that when subject A is speaking, I need to mute subject B's audio (to avoid slight reverb). Is there any most efficient way to do this other that keyframing each audio track? The the levels aren't consistent enough to use a noise gate.

I'm almost thinking like a multicam editing setup, but with audio tracks instead of video?

[Richard M Knight · Accepted solution]

The easiest way would be to use the track mixer with a hardware controller.

If you haven't got that, also using the track mixer, put the main mic at a fixed level, this is usually the host or interviewer, and using the track automation and the mouse, ride the level of the other mic. Once you have done that, if needed, you could do a second automation pass riding the main mic.

[Jack Brannen]

Thanks! This is exactly what I was envisioning.

[R Neil Haugen · Accepted solution]

This is where having hardware ... as in control panels ... becomes so important to save your time and sanity.

Small audio controllers aren't too costly. And even a Tangent Ripple can be set through their mapping software to work with audio Track Mixer gain controls in Premiere. So setting one ring for A1 and another for A2 you could simply play through the sequence, spin the rings for level controls as needed. Be done.

I've got a full Elements panel, and I've got that thing is mapped all over Premiere ... the Ripple I normally use with the laptop when I'm outta the shop.

And there are other controllers, Loupedeck, Monogram, and the straight audio ones also. Some fairly inexpensive these days. And far freaking faster than a mouse!