Audio Editing

LDS · Apr 20, 2014

Question... What do all those "pro" people use to edit the audio?

The only software I use is audiacity (still, don't really know what I'm doing with it lol )

I use zoom h4N which is supposed to give good quality sound, and it does (if in good hands) but still, I sometimes get some noises...

I don't think Hollywood films' sound is edited in audiacity LOL

jax_rox · Apr 20, 2014

A Pro Tools system along the lines of this:

LDS · Apr 20, 2014

jax_rox said:
A Pro Tools system along the lines of this:

hmmmmmmmmmmmm that (the desk) is bigger than my room lol :cool:

AudioPostExpert · Apr 20, 2014

LDS said:
hmmmmmmmmmmmm that (the desk) is bigger than my room lol

That's a tiny desk! Probably an old photo of an audio edit suite. The desk itself is a DigiDesign Pro-Control, I used to have one but they stopped selling them well over a decade ago and you don't see many of them about anymore. If you want to see what a real film desk looks like, this is far more representative:

Jax is right though, behind those big desks are pretty much always AVID ProTools HD systems, several of them linked together. You only need big rooms/desks like that for actual mixing/re-recording of commercial theatrical features. For audio editing, much smaller edit suites with very basic mixing capabilities are used. This pic is more representative of a modern TV re-recording room or a theatrical sound design suite:

Still ProTools HD software running the show though. At the extremely low budget end of the market the non-HD version of ProTools is the most common. You're right that no one uses Audition professionally, ProTools dominates the pro market, to the point that one wouldn't be taken seriously using anything else.

G

Metrostar · Apr 20, 2014

Cool Edit Pro and Adobe Audition.

mus · Apr 20, 2014

APE's first picture looks like the bridge of the Enterprise or something.

Alcove Audio · Apr 20, 2014

mussonman said:
APE's first picture looks like the bridge of the Enterprise or something.

Although not as "pretty" you should see the server/machine rooms that go along with mixing/dubbing/rerecording stages.

Ah! I found a picture! Macs up top, Pro Tools modules beneath - ten (10) racks.

Probably serves this stage:

JoshL · Apr 20, 2014

mmmmstudioporn.....

And I disagree that the server racks aren't as pretty!

AudioPostExpert · Apr 21, 2014

Metrostar said:
Cool Edit Pro and Adobe Audition.

No! These might be useful pieces of audio software for amateur filmmakers but you won't find them being used for professional audio post. As I said, the pro audio market is dominated by AVID's Pro Tools.

Alcove Audio said:
Although not as "pretty" you should see the server/machine rooms that go along with mixing/dubbing/rerecording stages.

However, I would add that the pic you posted is a damn sight prettier than my machine room!

I visited the dub stage for one of the Harry Potter films quite a few years ago and they were using 13 or 14 linked Protools HD systems. To be honest though 3-4 linked PTHD systems is more common, 10 or so linked systems is generally only employed on the big action blockbuster type features.

G