Audition CS6 (Review)

Posted by Mark Mehlbauer on Dec 20, 2012 | 0 comments

Software Review
Audition CS6
Publisher: Adobe Systems, Inc
Type: Audio manipulation and post-production software
Cost: $349
Release Date: Available Now
Official Website: Click Here
Download Demo: Click Here
Special Discount: Click Here
Samples: n/a
Review Issue: Issue #82 (12/12)
Reviewed By: Mark Mehlbauer
Final Score: 8.3

Anyone with even the most minimal experience in the radio/music/audio-for-film industry most likely has at least heard of Adobe Audition. Formerly Cool Edit, it has become the benchmark in audio manipulation and production in a radio setting and is becoming increasingly popular with low-budget filmmakers since it was returned to the Production Premium package starting with CS5.5. If you hear a commercial spot or promo on the air, chances are it was created using Audition. With that said, it’s no surprise that the bar has been set high in terms of expectations and delivery of new, time-saving features and integration with today’s rapidly-changing technology. Fortunately the developers at Adobe are more than up for the task.

For those who are unfamiliar with the software, Audition allows you to view an audio file as a waveform and trim, edit, and apply a vast array of effects to create the desired output you’re seeking. In addition to radio and broadcast television which I’ve spent a lot of time in, those in film post-production looking to sweeten, restore, or add subtle sound effects to their audio tracks as well as those in the music production industry seeking to perfect a mix will be pleased to know that Adobe has actively sought to simplify and speed up the process significantly with the latest release.

Adobe isn’t afraid to look to the future when it comes to implementing Audition in multiple practical settings, and while there’s still plenty of ground left to be explored, it’s good to know that this latest software release isn’t just a rehash of the previous release with a few new bells and whistles thrown in. Special attention has been given not just to new features but also to how the software functions as a whole. The specific needs of multiple potential user groups has been taken into consideration when building this release, and whether you’re in radio, music, or film, Audition is bound to have something to peak—I mean, pique your interest.

Ease of Use

Compared to some other Adobe products, Audition is fairly easy for beginners and casual users to sink their teeth into. Audition has always had a fairly low learning curve, but, with CS6, the workflow and arrangement of panels has been simplified even more. Panels can now be docked and grouped to a user’s specific preference. Even more advanced users will be delighted to know that moving from the media browser to the effects rack to multiple other views is simple, straightforward, and conveniently arranged to speed up the editing process.

While Audition has always been a fairly straightforward program to use, previous versions of the interface might have been a bit daunting to newcomers. Adobe has taken this into consideration and has modified the overall look and feel of the software, making it much simpler and more customizable. Managing assets is made easier with new sorting options that enable a user to list different files by name, type, sample rate, and other metadata. Clips can now be grouped together and edited simultaneously as a unit, which speeds up workflow significantly. (This feature can also be turned off so that edits can be made to individual files.) Audio can be more easily previewed in the media browser before it is brought into a project, as well.

Attention has also been given to simplifying the process of applying effects and mixing down a project. Users can now create favorites in the effects rack which can easily be called up in future sessions; no more trying to remember which effects were applied where. Finally, specifying certain clips or a specific range for mixing down has been made simpler and more straightforward.

Depth of Options

Adjusting specific parameters of a clip (such as length or pitch) to a certain set value is a common task for radio and film audio producers. This is made easy with features such as real-time clip stretching which enables you to simply drag a clip out to non-destructively adjust its length. You can also specify whether you want to adjust the pitch and speed as well, and the clips can be then rendered for highest quality. The trim-to-selection feature is also a fast yet effective way of automatically matching clip lengths to a specified selection.

One constant gripe about Audition has been parameter automation. Applying points to an automation curve in previous versions has been cumbersome, to say the least, with points seemingly appearing out of nowhere with a stray click. With that being said, it felt much easier to apply automation in CS6 with the points and lines being larger and more easily visible. It also felt easier to move and adjust the points without making a mistake and having to repeatedly press “undo” until the points-in-question disappeared.

Perhaps the most popular feature of CS6 is the exciting new automatic speech alignment. This allows you to replace an audio track with a higher quality version or re-take and instantly sync it with the original. In a more practical setting, say you have a line of dialogue that was made during a field shoot that requires ADR due to excessive background noise. Previously the actor would have to record and re-record in the studio so that it syncs perfectly to the picture. Any filmmaker will tell you that this is a long and arduous process. With this new CS6 feature, the actor would only have to re-record the line ONCE, and Audition would automatically sync the new line to the original audio. The result is an instantly-replaced, perfectly synced clip. This is truly a timesaver and an invaluable tool for those in film or TV post-production. I tested this feature by recording a short video of myself on my iPhone and importing it onto my computer. Upon viewing the audio and video in Audition, I re-recorded the same line using my best British accent. After using the speech alignment feature, the new audio clip was perfectly synced to video.

Performance

With all the new features available in CS6, one would think that it would require a lot of CPU power. Fortunately this isn’t the case. The new high-performance audio engine makes the entire audio production process faster and more effective, regardless of what system your running. Whether it’s bringing in files, working with multiple layered effects, or exporting to a specific format, everything is accomplished efficiently and quickly. In fact, a multitrack session enables a virtually unlimited amount of tracks to simultaneously work with. The only limit is the CPU of the specific computer you’re working on.

Adobe has also enabled seamless integration with various control surfaces including the iPad as well as Mackie Control and other native control surfaces with EUCON support. Music producers will be glad to know that CS6 now supports VST3, and those in radio can now integrate Audition with various radio automation systems. Finally, film and video producers will be delighted to know that Audition supports full HD video.

Value

CS6 boasts not only a wealth of new features but also improves functionality and workflow which gives existing Audition users plenty of incentive to upgrade. Compared to some other Adobe software products, Audition CS6 runs fairly cheap at $349. Keep in mind that this is also included with either the Production Premium or the Master Collection, which further decreases the individual cost for each program. Finally, for folks who don’t need a permanent license, Adobe now offers the Creative Cloud which includes the entire $2599 Master Collection, and a few more Adobe applications, such as Lightroom, Adobe Story Plus, and others, for just $50 a month. This is an extremely good value for those deep into audio, video, and other forms of digital media. Film and TV producers will absolutely love the automatic speech alignment feature, and those in radio will be happy to see the improvements in workflow and the user interface. While it is a good program for music producers, it’s still not close to replacing Pro Tools or Cubase in terms of a fully-fledged DAW (or “Digital Audio Workstation”) for music. However, it’s rapidly gaining ground, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds in this area.

Final Comments

Overall Adobe Audition CS6 does an excellent job in speeding up workflow through its new audio engine and streamlined methods of manipulating large quantities of audio simultaneously. The convenient interface and docking of panels allows new users to dive in quickly and professionals to increase productivity and stimulate creativity when producing radio spots. The automation is vastly improved, and the automatic speech alignment is a must-have for anyone in film production. Its support for VST3 and various control surfaces is a welcome addition. It would be nice to see more in the way of music creation and MIDI control (as seen in software such as Pro Tools), but Audition CS6 delivers in many areas and is a worthy investment.

 

Breakdown
Ease of Use	8.0
Depth of Options	8.0
Performance	9.0
Value vs. Cost	8.0
Overall Score	8.3