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Adobe Audition provides a robust set of AI-powered tools to reduce or eliminate background noise in audio recordings with the Adobe AI Audio Noise Reduction feature. These intelligent solutions can help clear up tough audio environments ranging from outdoor locations to noisy indoor environments. In this guide, we’ll explore the most effective techniques for taking advantage of Adobe’s noise reduction capabilities.
Overview of AI-powered noise cancellation
Audition uses Adobe Sensei artificial intelligence to analyze audio signals and create noise profiles. Then it can eliminate consistent broadband noise and ambient background noise. Key benefits of these AI tools include:
- Requires less manual tuning compared to traditional noise cancellation
- Can isolate and remove very specific sound frequencies
- Continuously adapts to the noise signature throughout the recording
- Less susceptible to damage to the source audio signal
- Maintains a more natural tone compared to standard noise filters
When combined creatively, Audition’s noise reduction effects can save even very problematic audio.
See more: Adobe’s AI Audio Enhancer: A Revolution in Spoken Audio
DeNoise – General broadband noise removal
The DeNoise effect is designed to remove consistent background noise such as HVAC rumble, traffic, aircraft noise and more. It builds a smart sound profile through AI analysis.
To use it:
- Select your clip and go to Effects > Noise Reduction/Restoration > DeNoise
- Subtly adjust the noise reduction slider (try 10-20 first)
- Listen carefully as you increase the discount amount
Start with a light touch, as too much reduction can damage the actual audio. DeNoise works well for dampening the overall tone and hum in the room.
Isolate dialogue – Concentrate speech and reduce noise
Dialogue Isolate uses AI to isolate speech from background noise. It works best with recordings of only one speaker at a time.
To use dialogue isolation:
- Go to Effects > Special > Dialog Isolation
- Enable it on your clip and adjust settings like noise reduction and suppression
- This works well for interviews and recordings with one speaker
The AI analyzes and models the voice, allowing it to selectively reduce noise and keep the speech intact.
Capture noise print – Taste the noise for yourself
You can listen to only the isolated background noise you want to eliminate:
- Select a region in your audio containing only the target sound
- Go to Effects > Noise Reduction/Restore > Capture Noise Print
- This creates a noise profile that can be subtracted
Use this when you have a clean section of just the buzz or noise itself that you want to remove from the rest of the clip.
Adaptive Noise Cancellation – consistent noise removal
Adaptive noise cancellation works well for consistent noise, such as persistent buzzing or traffic rumble:
- Go to Effects > Noise Reduction/Restoration > Adaptive Noise Reduction
- Adjust settings such as Noise Floor, Reduction Amount, Frequency Bands
- Listen carefully as you adjust the settings
An adaptive algorithm is used that continuously adjusts itself based on the noise signature. It removes the noise while retaining more of the source audio.
Parametric EQ – Notch filtering
Use Parametric EQ to isolate and eliminate narrow bands of noise:
- Add multiple EQ points and tighten the Q/bandwidth
- Slowly increase the gain reduction to filter out the target noise frequency
- Carefully combine this technique with broader noise reduction
The parametric EQ allows you to surgically target the exact sound frequencies. This works well for periodic buzzing and whining.
Best practices
Follow these guidelines when using Adobe noise reduction tools:
- Apply subtle settings first and increase them slowly
- Listen carefully when adjusting parameters
- Try combining different noise reduction effects
- Use EQ notch filtering for periodic sounds
- If possible, create a print preview with pure noise
- Consider post-processing with compression/restriction
The key is to take an iterative approach that combines both broad and surgical techniques. When applied with a gentle touch, Adobe’s AI-powered noise reduction can save even very challenging audio.
Example of a noise reduction workflow
Here’s a sample workflow for clearing a recorder interview with HVAC rumble in the background:
- Apply DeNoise broadly to dampen the rumble
- Use Dialogue Isolate to focus speech and further reduce noise
- Capture a noise print of a short section of just the rumble
- Apply Adaptive Noise Reduction tailored to the noise print
- Insert parametric EQ points to distinguish periodic hum frequencies
- Gently compress/constrain the final audio to smooth out variations
This combines the AI-powered noise cancellation with frequency-targeted EQ filtering and light compression. When you use Audition’s intelligent tools, even difficult audio can be turned into a clean, usable recording.
Conclusion
Adobe Audition offers some of the most advanced AI audio noise reduction capabilities available today. The combination of adaptive noise profiles, dialogue isolation, parametric EQ and AI-assisted effects gives users an extremely powerful toolbox for removing and salvaging audio noise. Although these tools require an iterative, subtle touch, they can extract surprisingly clear speech from even very noisy environments. For anyone recording interviews, music or audio in unpredictable locations, Audition’s audio noise reduction tools are an indispensable asset.