Unit 4 Sound Editing and Mixing
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UNIT 4 SOUND EDITING AND MIXING Structure 4.0 Introduction 4.1 Learning Outcomes 4.2 Why Post-Production 4.3 Concept of Sound Editing 4.4 The Process of Editing 4.5 Difference Between Destructive and Non-Destructive Editing 4.6 Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) 4.6.1 Components of DAW 4.6.2 Functionality 4.7 Open Source Softwares 4.7.1 Software Interface 4.7.2 Editing Audio 4.7.3 Basic Edit Tools 4.8 Proprietary Software 4.8.1 Different Tool Bars 4.8.2 Editing Features 4.9 Equalising and Sound Mixing 4.10 Audio Output 4.11 Metadata Tagging 4.12 Let Us Sum-Up 4.13 References and Further Reading 4.14 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers 4.0 INTRODUCTION In the first unit of this Block, you have gone through the planning and production processes of a radio programme. After that you have also learnt about the recording process. In this Unit, let us understand editing and mixing of sound – the two processes which together go by the name ‘Post- Production’. The name post-production is because these two stages come invariably after the production stage i.e. recording of a programme. Except in very simple cases, post-production is a necessary stage in radio programme production to give your programmes the necessary completeness, technical quality, richness and professional finesse. In this unit you will understand the various software options available in the market. For purposes of this unit, we shall use the open source audio editing/ recording software called Audacity. We will also examine the characteristics of a Digital Audio Workstation and its functions. Yet another important aspect of this unit is metadata tagging. Metadata tagging is a procedure which will help you to narrow down your search from among hundreds and thousands of audio files in your archive. MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 50 05-05-2021 12:30:38 Sound Editing and Mixing 4.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES After going through this unit, you will be able to: ● describe the concept of editing; ● definethe terms sound editing and sound mixing and differentiate the two; ● discuss destructive & non-destructive editing; ● describe the hardware and software that comprise a typical Digital Audio Workstation (DAW); and ● outline the salient features of popular DAW softwares. 4.2 WHY POST-PRODUCTION You may wonder why at all post-production is required. Usually, recording stage alone will not give you the final product if your aim is to get a good quality professional programme with all ingredients in place like background music, sound effects, multiple voices in proper balance, aesthetic transitions between sound clips etc. And that is where post-production chips in. Post-production, refers to works carried out after the recording process (production) is over. Post-production is essential to remove any imperfections or defects contained in the recording either by oversight of the recordist or by performers / artistes. Broadly speaking, post production helps us improve our final audio programme in two ways: 1. By eliminating / minimizing unwanted sounds and unwanted portions of the recording. 2. By enriching the recording with the addition of proper music, sound effects, and enhancing the recorded sound for improved clarity (in spoken word programmes) and richness (musicals etc). 4.3 CONCEPT OF SOUND EDITING Sound editing essentially consists of removing unwanted portions in the recorded material and adding some new ones. Gone are the days when one used to record audio on analog tape or spool and edit the programme by transfering it to another tape. Now we all record audio on digital equipment and save audio as discreet files. It is these files that one trims and arranges them in an order to produce a programme. Some feel that the final shape of the programme is decided right at the time of scripting. If one has done proper research and has come up with a good script, recording is likely to be done appropriately. If recording is done appropriately, editing becomes easy. If you have recorded your programme: ● Using the right microphone ● By ensuring that the recorder/ microphone is at the right distance from the talent 51 MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 51 05-05-2021 12:30:38 Audio Production ● By maintaining the right audio levels ● And saved your recordings properly and have a backup of the same Then you have made your editing process much easier and simple. However, you will agree that not all programmes are recorded in a linear fashion. Most programmes, be it on the field or in the studio, are recorded in a non- linear fashion. That means recordings are mostly based on the availability of talent and the studio. However, since the audio clips are not going to be in the order of playback or there may be bits that need exclusion, one needs to edit them. All it requires is trimming parts of unwanted audio and arranging them in the desirable order for broadcast. One edits to: ● Join pieces of audio to create meaningful audio ● Omit portions of audio that are considered unwanted, irrelevant, distracting or of low quality ● Increase or decrease the duration of a programme ● Direct the listener’s interest from one aspect of the programme to another ● Reveal information in stages ● Give desired shape and structure to the programme. ● Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR): Also called re-recording or dubbing, this process involves completely replacing the audio recorded on location with the same script of dialogues / spoken words recorded afresh in the studio. Usually, ADR is a process practiced in the film industry, and only occasionally in video production, but not in radio. In the radio context, since there is no accompanying picture recording, it is better to record the location sounds (ambience) separately and dialogue separately, and finally mix them in suitable proportion at the post-production stage. Of course, this method is adopted only if you are faced with excessive noise in outdoor situations (e.g., railway platforms, a busy market area, a construction site at which a road roller or a concrete mixer are operating). ● Sound design: In sound design we try to enhance the originally recorded audio with audio filters (frequency manipulation devices), and special effects as may be required (glass breaking, footsteps, gun shots etc), so that such sounds are reproduced more emphatically than by recording them on the spot. Such special effects are available as off-the-shelf material in the market. They can also be downloaded from the internet. Sound editing, in other words, enhances the quality of originally recorded material by removing unwanted defects as well as by adding additional sounds as per programme needs. Check Your Progress 1 Note: 1) Use the open space below to write your answer. 2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit. 52 MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 52 05-05-2021 12:30:38 1. In the Audio context, what is meant by the terms ‘Production’ and Sound Editing and Mixing ‘Post-production’? .............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. 2. What is the need of editing? .............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. 4.4 THE PROCESS OF EDITING Making a radio programme involves a process of including several components like interviews, narration, appropriate music and sound effects etc. And most times, these components are recorded at different points of time. For example, the narration for a programme may be recorded after the interviews have been recorded. The music may be sourced or scored at a later date while all the sound effects may be sourced and kept in a folder ready for editing. However, all of these need to be organised in order to make it an interesting programme. One needs to do the following before actually editing the programme: 1. Transcribe the recordings (the process of listening the recording and writing on paper) 2. Do a paper edit (the process of striking out ‘unwanted portions’ from the recordings 3. Keep them ready for reference before actually sitting down to edit All editing is done using software on a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). A DAW, put simply, is a computer with a sound card that is capable of processing audio and outputting it in the form of digital files using a software solution as an interface. We will learn more details about using software to edit our programmes. But before that, it is important to understand that irrespective of the software used, all digital editing involves the following procedures: 1. Importing audio files 2. Juxtaposing, rearranging and trimming the files 3. Applying effects to audio (where necessary) 4. Outputting the edited programme as a composite audio file Before proceeding to the actual process of audio editing, it is important for us to understand some concepts Earlier, editing used to be tape-to-tape, i.e. audio used to be recorded on an audio tape and then transferred in bits and pieces onto another tape. If one had to add music and sound effects etc, this meant that the edited audio would have to be married to music and sound effects once again in order to complete the programme. This not only was a laborious process but also 53 MJM-027_NEW SETTING_5th Proof.indd 53 05-05-2021 12:30:38 Audio Production resulted in what is known as generation loss. Generation loss refers to the loss of audio quality on subsequent copies. Therefore, if we have copied portions of desired audio onto another tape, it will be the first generation copy which would be slightly poor than the original. If one had to then marry this clip with music and sound effects, the subsequent copies would be poorer in quality.