Let's go over the basics of editing a podcast.
In this video, we'll cover different effects
and editing techniques
that will help your podcast sound better.
These editing techniques can be used
in all audio-editing softwares.
In this tutorial, I'll be using Adobe Audition.
You can also use free audio-editing software, like Audacity.
All right, let's cover the basic techniques
of normalization, noise reduction,
compression, and equalization.
First, let's talk about normalization.
Normalization is pretty straightforward.
It normalizes the audio to a defined loudness,
so the loudest parts of the audio
do not cross a certain defined point.
This is different than compression
because it adjusts both the loudest
and quietest parts of the audio equally.
Let's apply normalization to this clip.
Click "Effects," then "Amplitude and Compression,"
then click "Normalize."
"Normalize To" defines the point
where the loudest part of the audio will not cross.
I like to apply normalization before and after
effects like compression and equalization
to always have a good starting point
and ending point for my audio editing.
I like to normalize to negative 6 decibels
before an effect, then do an effect,
and then renormalize to negative 6 decibels.
Then, after all my editing is complete,
I normalize to negative 3 decibels.
This is my way of mastering my audio track to a good volume.
Now let's talk about noise reduction.
This can be helpful
if you have unwanted noise in your audio.
Most audio-editing software has some form
of noise reduction.
Let's open the basic noise-reduction effect
here in Audition.
Click "Effects,"
then "Noise Reduction / Restoration,"
then "DeNoise."
At the top, there are presets for "Light Noise Reduction"
and "Heavy Noise Reduction."
You can also use the slider at the bottom
to apply a certain amount of the effect to the clip.
You can also determine what frequency ranges
you want the effect to be applied to.
This is if the noise is only in the high,
mid, or low frequencies.
I like to click the "Output Noise Only" button.
This lets me play the audio clip and only hear
what the effect is deleting or removing from the audio,
then I adjust the amount and focusing.
So it's only the noise that's being affected,
and not the voice.
Then I unclick the "Output Noise Only"
and apply the effect.
Another tip is to apply noise reduction
before normalizing, EQ, and compression.
This makes it so the effects
won't be applying themselves to any type of noise.
And if there's any residual noise at the end,
then apply another light round of noise reduction
to clean everything up.
Now let's talk about compression.
Compression is a way of taking the loudest
and quietest parts of your audio
and bringing them closer together.
This is done by establishing a level
where the compression effect will kick in,
known as a threshold,
and how much it will compress the louder parts
beyond that set amount,
making the louder parts closer to the quieter parts.
This helps make everything easier to hear and understand.
Let's apply compression to this clip.
I'm going to go to my "Effects" tab,
click on "Amplitude and Compression,"
and then "Single-band Compressor."
Let's start at the top.
"Threshold" is when you want the compressor to kick in.
So if it's set to negative 12 decibels,
then any audio that's louder than that level
will be compressed
and kept close to negative 12 decibels.
Then there's "Ratio,"
which is how much it will compress the audio
above the threshold.
The larger the ratio, the more compression.
I suggest somewhere around a 3:1 ratio.
This is considered a moderate amount of compression.
"Attack" and "Release" is how fast it will react
and keep the effect going
as the audio crosses the threshold.
I suggest not applying too much compression,
or it'll make your audio sound off and robotic.
Let's move on to equalization, known as EQ.
This is an effect that can be used
to make your audio sound more full and bold.
It either lowers or raises the volume
of the high-, mid-, and low-end frequencies
of the voice, making it sound better.
Let's apply equalization to this clip.
Click "Effects," "Filter and EQ,"
then select "Parametric Equalizer."
Most equalizers will have built-in presets,
like you can see here.
"Vocal Enhancer" is a great starting-out point.
You can see that it boosts the low and high frequencies,
creating more contrast between them
and making the audio sound more full.
You can adjust different points in the spectrum
to make your audio sound perfect.
I suggest making sure your high end is not too high,
as it might make your audio a bit piercing to the ear.
Now you can export your podcast and publish it.
Check out our other "how to podcast" videos
in the description below
for more information about podcasting.