Audio is an extremely vital part of the final video product. Editing audio starts with verifying our sound file specifics and transcoding, if necessary, then cleaning up our SOT (Sound-On-Tape) and any V/O (Voice Over) work; after which we need to spot music and sound effects; followed by the final mixing of the whole composition. While some of these sound-editing processes overlap, each is unique. Having the software packages that suit your specific needs is very important to give you the tools and workflow that help you deliver quality products to your clients on time. And although all video-editing applications have the capability of performing audio editing internally, they are limited and can be bulky to work with in many situations.

This article is unable to cover every software package available, nor every unique audio mixing situation, so we'll cover a general overview of the process, and give the reader a good idea of what is on the market. The goal being to give readers who might be purchasing audio editing software a basis to make an intelligent decision and enjoy the rewards of having software that fits with their overall workflow. Please note that prices stated are approximations based on the market as of this writing (Summer 2011).

Video Editing Suites

Most all video editing applications have some built-in set of audio tools. Apple's Final Cut Pro X ($300), Avid's Media Composer ($2495), Adobe's Premiere Pro (Production Bundle $1699) and Sony Vegas Pro ($600) all have the ability to do basic audio edits, apply the common filters such as noise reduction, equalization, limiting and compression. They can also handle performing a final audio mix. You can keyframe level, pan and most filter parameters. For the most basic video and broadcast work, the built-in abilities will be enough. None of them provide the ease of use and power of dedicated audio editing software. The Suites, such as those in the CS5 family, include applications for working strictly with sound, like Adobe's Audition. Not only do you have much more power and flexibility in the tools offered for audio editing, but they provide the ability to access built-in and expandable libraries of sound effects, audio loops and completed music beds.

The first advantage is the ability to switch between multitrack projects and single audio file projects, access to powerful and easier-to-control filters, and greater ease in doing basic edits, as well as keyframing various parameters. Some of these, such as Soundtrack Pro, have voice over "multi-take" tools that make recording and compositing several takes into one very quick and easy. If you do need to record a lot of voice work you may want to look at multi-take recording/editing tools in the various packages. If you already own a video editing suite package, look into what you already have, take the necessary time to properly learn the basics and see if it will fulfill your needs, then decide what functions you'll need to purchase additional applications for. Let's look at where you would go from here to expand your studio's audio editing toolbox.

Transcoding and Repair

There are several smaller, very inexpensive audio applications available that do very basic work, such as Audacity (freeware), Amadeus Pro ($40), QuickTime Pro ($30) and others. These applications are great for doing the very basics of audio work. They can record individual voice and instrument tracks, clean up damaged audio and edit a file to be longer or shorter than it already is. They can also transcode between audio codecs such as AIFF, WAV, and MP3. For very quick, simple preparing of audio files, these types of applications can do the work quickly without the bulk and expense of larger, more heavy duty applications. Amadeus Pro also has a Batch function that can transcode many audio files at one time, and impressive audio repair tools. There is a hard limit to what these audio utility applications will do, but they can be handy for some workflows. These packages are so basic, you'll probably spend only a few minutes learning what you need to use them, so there is basically no time lost in that aspect.