Equalization or EQ is similar to filtering, but with much more control. Think of equalization as the tone control on your car stereo taken to a much grander scale. Equalization of your audio soundtrack requires more than the simple twist of a knob, but the results are worth the effort. A simple equalizer has one band of control for each octave of the sound spectrum, giving you control of nine or ten ranges of sound. A more aggressive EQ might have as many as 31 bands of control -- three for each octave. You can boost or cut each band to shape the tone of your audio. To improve the clarity of your dialog, you may have to boost the upper two or three bands. This increases the high frequency content of the sound, making it crisper and easier to understand. Alternatively, you could reduce the sound in the middle or lower bands to remove the mud in that range, also improving the clarity of sound. However you choose to apply EQ, start with small adjustments and try pulling a few bands down before you start boosting everything else.

Dynamics are the differences between the loudest and softest part of your audio. A gunshot, for example, has a huge dynamic range, since it goes from silence to deafening in a split second. At the other end of the scale, a typical pop song has a very small dynamic range so it will sound louder on the radio. There are two types of dynamic range control filters -- limiters and compressors. A limiter allows you to set a ceiling on the sound and will keep any and all sound from exceeding that setting. Limiters are great for controlling sounds with wide dynamic ranges. A compressor, by contrast, lessens the difference between loud and soft, bringing the loud sounds down in volume and boosting the softer sounds. Compressors are perfect for controlling sounds that change volume over time, like dialog and music. You can also use your dynamics plug-ins to boost the overall volume of your soundtrack, just like that song on the radio.

The previous four audio tools deal with the volume and tone of your audio, but what about its location? Panning is the process of placing your sound at a specific spot in the sound field. For stereo projects, this means locating sounds in the left or right speaker. For surround mixes, you can put your sounds virtually anywhere in the room. On a mixing console, there is a pan knob and a simple twist will place sound anywhere between the left and right channels. In your editing software, audio panning may be just as simple, or as complicated as setting key frames and drawing pan envelopes. Regardless of how your software handles it, this is a valuable tool. While most dialog is anchored in the center, clever panning can put sound effects and music across the screen or even out of the frame.

While it's unlikely you'll ever be stranded on a desert island with video to edit, it's still a good idea to get familiar with the essential audio treatment tools. Your videos will have more punch, be clearer and just sound better overall. Your clients will be happier, your reputation as a producer will grow and nobody will be able to vote you off the island.

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant.