My simple audio post production workflow
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GUIDE Sony a7S II Guide

My simple audio post production workflow

In this lesson I’ll walk you through my simple audio post production workflow. Important! I’m not an audio professional, probably not even a good audio amateur. My workflow is the ‘down and dirty’ one. You know, the one that helps somebody get started. Under no circumstances should you think of this as a qualified audio […]

In this lesson I’ll walk you through my simple audio post production workflow.

Important! I’m not an audio professional, probably not even a good audio amateur. My workflow is the ‘down and dirty’ one. You know, the one that helps somebody get started. Under no circumstances should you think of this as a qualified audio workflow for any paid (or personal) project. In fact, if you know better, please teach me! I could learn a thing or two as well.

Here’s my typical workflow:

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Some handy tips:

  • Never break up your audio clips prior to ‘basic’ processing. This includes noise reduction, vocal enhancements, etc. Any global effect or correction applies.
  • Master to -12 LUFS (ITU 1770). This is the ‘new’ standard and it works great for the Internet and Broadcast. This will ensure your audio plays well on most people’s devices. It will also ensure all your videos play at the same level.
  • Complex mixing, involving sound effects and music, is beyond the scope of this lesson. I typically purchase MP3s from sites and then just play with the overall level of each channel till it sounds right.
  • Always record a minute of ‘room tone’ whenever recording audio. It’s a good idea to start recording audio and wait for a while before recording video. Always put back room tone wherever there are gaps in audio.
  • Crossfade the beginning and end of the audio track, and crossfade between each hard edit point. Don’t let it abruptly cut, unless you have to do it for some reason.
  • Try not to add too many effects, especially vocal enhancements. Different rooms produce different results, and you really must be good at it to make them all match. When in doubt, keep things simple!
  • Snap your fingers or clap your hands at the beginning of the take, if it is appropriate. Or slate if you can. It’s a great habit.

If I think of more I’ll update this list. If you know of some great tips for noobs, let me know and I’ll share them here.