Learn about the wide array of audio effects and transitions available in Premiere Pro, what they do, and how and when to use them.
Amplitude and Compression
Amplify effect boosts or attenuates an audio signal. Since the effect operates in real time, you can combine it with other effects in the Effects Rack.
The Channel Mixer effect alters the balance of stereo or surround channels. You can change the apparent position of sounds, correct mismatched levels, or address phasing issues.
The Channel Volume effect lets you independently control the volume of each channel in a stereo or 5.1 clip or track. Each channel’s level is measured in decibels.
The DeEsser effect removes sibilance and other high frequency “SSS”-type sounds. These sounds are often created when a narrator or vocalist pronounces the letters “s” and “t.” This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clip.
Dynamics Effects consist of four sections. They are Auto Gate, Compressor, Expander, and Limiter. You can individually control each one of the sections. The LED and gain reduction meters helps you get the overview about how the audio signal is processed.
The different parameters under Dynamic Effects are as follows:
Dynamics Processing effect can be used as a compressor, limiter, or expander. As a compressor and limiter, this effect reduces dynamic range, producing consistent volume levels. As an expander, it increases dynamic range by reducing the level of low‑level signals. (With extreme expander settings, you can create a noise gate that totally eliminates noise below a specific amplitude threshold.)
Dynamics
General: Provides overall settings.
Level Detector: Determines the original input amplitude.
Gain Processor: Amplifies or attenuates the signal depending on the amplitude detected.
Band Limiting: Restricts dynamics processing to a specific frequency range.
Hard Limiter effect greatly attenuates audio that rises above a specified threshold. Typically, limiting is applied with an input boost, a technique that increases overall volume while avoiding distortion.
Multiband Compressor effect lets you independently compress four different frequency bands. Because each band typically contains unique dynamic content, multiband compression is a powerful tool for audio mastering.
Options
Single-band Compressor effect reduces dynamic range, producing consistent volume levels and increasing perceived loudness. Single-band compression is effective for voiceovers, because it helps the speaker stand out over musical soundtracks and background audio.
For examples of highly compressed audio, listen to recordings of modern pop music. By contrast, most jazz recordings are lightly compressed, while typical classical recordings feature no compression at all.
Tube-modeled Compressor effect simulates the warmth of vintage hardware compressors. Use this effect to add subtle distortion that pleasantly colors audio.
Analog Delay effect simulates the sonic warmth of vintage hardware delay units. Unique options apply characteristic distortion and adjust the stereo spread. To create discrete echoes, specify delay times of 35 milliseconds or more; to create more subtle effects, specify shorter times.
Delay effect can be used to create single echoes, and various other effects. Delays of 35 milliseconds or more create discrete echoes, while delays between 15‑34 milliseconds can create a simple chorus or flanging effect.
The Multitap Delay effect adds up to four echoes of the original audio in the clip. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
The Bandpass effect removes frequencies that occur outside the specified range, or band of frequencies. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
The Bass effect lets you increase or decrease lower frequencies (200 Hz and below). Boost specifies the number of decibels by which to increase the lower frequencies. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
FFT Filter effect makes it easy to draw curves or notches that reject or boost specific frequencies. FFT stands for Fast Fourier Transform, an algorithm that quickly analyzes frequency and amplitude.
This effect can produce:
Graphic Equalizer effect boosts or cuts specific frequency bands and provides a visual representation of the resulting EQ curve. Unlike the Parametric Equalizer, the Graphic Equalizer uses preset frequency bands for quick and easy equalization.
You can space frequency bands at the following intervals:
Graphic equalizers with fewer bands provide quicker adjustment; more bands provide greater precision.
The Highpass effect removes frequencies below the specified Cutoff frequency. The Highpass effects are available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
The Lowpass effect eliminates frequencies above the specified Cutoff frequency. The Lowpass effects are available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Notch Filter effect removes up to six user‑defined frequency bands. Use this effect to remove narrow frequency bands, such as a 60-Hz hum, while leaving all surrounding frequencies untouched.
To remove shrill “ess” sounds, use the Sibilance Softener preset. Or use DTMF presets to remove standard tones for analog telephone systems.
Parametric Equalizer effect provides maximum control over tonal equalization. It gives you total control over frequency, Q, and gain settings.
Use the Scientific Filter effect for advanced manipulation of audio. You can also access the effect from the Effects Rack for single assets in the waveform editor, or for tracks and clips in the Multitrack editor.
The Treble effects let you increase or decrease higher frequencies (4000 Hz and above). The Boost control specifies the amount, measured in decibels, to increase or decrease. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
Chorus/Flanger effect combines two popular delay-based effects. The Chorus option simulates several voices or instruments played at once by adding multiple short delays with a small amount of feedback. The result is lush, rich sound. Use this effect to enhance vocal tracks or add stereo spaciousness to mono audio.
Flanging is an audio effect caused by mixing a varying, short delay in roughly equal proportion to the original signal. It was originally achieved by sending an identical audio signal to two reel‑to‑reel tape recorders, and then pressing the flange of one reel to slow it down. Combining the two resulting recordings produced a phase‑shifted, time‑delay effect, characteristic of psychedelic music of the 1960s and 1970s. The Flanger effect lets you create a similar result by slightly delaying and phasing a signal at specific or random intervals.
Similar to flanging, phasing shifts the phase of an audio signal and recombines it with the original, creating psychedelic effects first popularized by musicians of the 1960s. But unlike the Flanger effect, which uses variable delays, the Modulation > Phaser effect sweeps a series of phase-shifting filters to and from an upper frequency. Phasing can dramatically alter the stereo image, creating unearthly sounds.
Noise Reduction/Restoration
To quickly remove crackle and static from vinyl recordings, use the Automatic Click Remover effect. You can correct a large area of audio or a single click or pop.
The DeHummer effect removes narrow frequency bands and their harmonics. The most common application addresses power line hum from lighting and electronics. But the DeHummer can also apply a notch filter that removes an overly resonant frequency from source audio.
To visually adjust root frequency and gain, drag directly in the graph.
The DeNoise effect reduces or completely removes noise from your audio file. This noise could be unwanted hum and hiss, fans, air conditioner, or any other background noise. You can control the amount of noise reduced using a slider. The values range from 0% to 100% and control the amount of processing applied to the audio signal.
The DeReverb effect estimates the reverberation profile and helps adjust the reverberation amount. The values range from 0% to 100% and control the amount of processing applied to the audio signal.
The Convolution Reverb effect reproduces rooms ranging from coat closets to concert halls. Convolution-based reverbs use impulse files to simulate acoustic spaces. The results are incredibly realistic and life-like.
Because Convolution Reverb requires significant processing, you may hear clicks or pops when previewing it on slower systems. These artifacts disappear after you apply the effect.
The Studio Reverb effect simulates acoustic spaces. It is faster and less processor‑intensive than the other reverb effects, however, because it isn’t convolution‑based. As a result, you can make real‑time changes quickly and effectively in the Multitrack Editor, without pre-rendering effects on a track.
Characteristics
Output Level
The Surround Reverb effect is primarily intended for 5.1 sources, but it can also provide surround ambience to mono or stereo sources. In the Waveform Editor, you can choose Edit > Convert Sample Type to convert a mono or stereo file to 5.1, and then apply Surround Reverb. In the Multitrack Editor, you can send mono or stereo tracks to a 5.1 bus or master with Surround Reverb.
Use this effect to use a little gravel or saturation effect to any audio. You can use this effect to simulate blown car speakers, muffled microphones, or overdriven amplifiers.
The Fill Left with Right effect duplicates the left channel information of the audio clip and places it in the right channel, discarding the original clip’s right channel information.
The Fill Right with Left effect duplicates the right channel information and places it in the left channel, discarding the existing left channel information. Apply to stereo audio clips only.
The Guitar Suite effect applies a series of processors that optimize and alter the sound of guitar tracks. The Compressor stage reduces dynamic range, producing a tighter sound with greater impact. Filter, Distortion, and Box Modeler stages simulate common effects that guitarists use to create expressive, artistic performances.
The Invert (audio) effect inverts the phase of all channels. This effect is available for 5.1, stereo, or mono clips.
You can measure the audio level of your clips, tracks, or sequences using the Loudness Radar effect.
Mastering describes the complete process of optimizing audio files for a particular medium, such as radio, video, CD, or the web.
Before mastering audio, consider the requirements of the destination medium. If the destination is the web, for example, the file will likely be played over computer speakers that poorly reproduce bass sounds. To compensate, you can boost bass frequencies during the equalization stage of the mastering process.
The Swap Channels effect switches the placement of the left and right channel information. Apply to stereo clips only.
Vocal Enhancer effect quickly improves the quality of voice-over recordings. The Male and Female modes automatically reduce sibilance and plosives, as well as microphone handling noise such as low rumbles. Those modes also apply microphone modeling and compression to give vocals a characteristic radio sound. The Music mode optimizes soundtracks so they better complement a voice-over.
The Stereo Imagery effect positions and expands the stereo image. Because the Stereo Expander is VST-based, however, you can combine it with other effects in the Mastering Rack and Effects Rack. In Multitrack View, you can also vary the effect over time by using automation lanes.
The Pitch Shifter effect changes the musical pitch. It's a real-time effect which can be combined with other effects in the mastering rack or the effects rack. In the Multitrack View, you can also vary pitch over time by using automation lanes.
If your project has an obsolete effect applied, you are prompted to replace the effect when you open the project. To apply the new version of the effect, select Yes.
The Constant Gain crossfade changes audio at a constant rate in and out as it transitions between clips. This crossfade can sometimes sound abrupt.
The Constant Power crossfade creates a smooth, gradual transition, analogous to the dissolve transition between video clips. This crossfade decreases audio for the first clip slowly at first and then quickly toward the end of the transition. For the second clip, this crossfade increases audio quickly at first and then more slowly toward the end of the transition.
Exponential Fade fades out the first clip over a smooth logarithmic curve while fading up the second clip, also over a smooth logarithmic curve. Selecting an option from the Alignment control menu, you can specify the positioning of the transition.
Though the Exponential Fade transition is similar to the Constant Power transition, it is more gradual. |