Audition Project
Software Purpose: Create podcasts or other audio recordings by combining and editing separate audio files into one seamless presentation
Workshop Project: During the workshop, we learned how to import audio files for a podcast and then use Audition to combine and edit the host's introduction, interview audio, intro music, outro music, and a sound effects file. I also recorded my own ending, as instructed by Shauna during the demonstration.
The final audio recording for the podcast is below, and I included a screenshot of what the final Audition tracks look like!
Favorite Features: I found the following tips and software features helpful when using Audition:
(1) Labeling Dialogue: I appreciate the workshop mentors' advice to label each audio file as either dialogue, music, sound-effects, etc. This is helpful when using the auto-ducking function, which can automatically lower any background music or sound effect when someone is talking. So convenient!
(2) Fade-In and Out: I also really liked how easy it was to use the little boxes at the beginning and end of each audio clip to add a fade-in and fade-out. I never realized how this makes podcasts sound so much better when transitioning between music and talking.
(3) Undestructive Edits: It was great to know that when I shortened a clip using the brackets the software didn't delete the data; I could go back and extend the clip back to where it was at any time. I learned that the only time the data is completely gone is if I cut and delete a portion of the clip. The use of undestructive edits makes editing much easier to play around with different options using the brackets to just shorten clips, instead of stressing about losing the audio data.
(4) Lossy vs. Lossless: I've taught my students about lossy and lossless compression in my telecommunications class, so it was great to hear the Adobe mentors discuss various audio formats and their pros/cons. They taught us that an MP3 saves as a smaller size, but it uses lossy compression, which means they will lose quality with each copy or iteration. On the other hand, Wave files use lossless compression, which means they will be a larger size, but they maintain their quality with new copies/iterations. This is a great example for my students to explain the pros and cons of lossy vs. lossless compression.
Classroom Uses: My students could use Audition in the following ways:
(1) Tester Feedback Presentation: In a few of my classes, students create a system prototype and then have other students test the system and provide feedback. For a more interactive assignment, students could audio record the testers giving the verbal feedback and then create an audio presentation that provides an overview of their system with integrated audio clips of their testers' comments. This could even be put into Rush or Pro to combine the audio with videos or photos of their system design or testing event.
(2) Special Topic Podcast: I frequently have students select "special topics" in my classes that they then research and present what they learned to the class. For example, in my Health IT class, students present on topics like 3D printed organs, precision medicine, robotic surgery, virtual reality therapy, etc. Instead of doing the traditional classroom presentation with a slide deck, I think it would be fun for students to pair up with a few other students, learn Audition, and then create a podcast where they each take turns talking about the selected topic round-table style. The other teams can then review each other's podcasts to learn more about the emerging health technologies.