Audio engineers have a lot on their plate. On top of ensuring top-notch audio quality, they have demanding deadlines to meet, clients to satisfy, and many different audio projects to manage.
The thing is, there’s only so much you can do in your limited schedule as an audio engineer. You need to find ways to optimize your productivity so you can do more in less time.
That’s why you should know about the right audio engineering software to get the most out of every audio project.
Audio Editing and Mixing
Engineers spend a lot of time editing audio projects for clients, so finding software that simplifies the mixing process and saves you time will make a significant difference. Here are the best tools you can use to facilitate the audio editing and mixing process.
1. Audacity
Audacity is a free, open-source audio engineering software platform that’s very popular among engineers. It’s known for its ease of use (even for beginners to audio engineering) and is available on both Mac and Windows.
It comes with all the basic features needed to start mixing your audio track. These include editing capabilities (cutting, copying, pasting), plug-in compatibility for special effects, frequency analysis, and file exportation.
The audio engineering software also supports multi-track recording and batch processing. Along with a basic equalizer, you get access to a low-pass and high-pass filter to manage your sound frequencies. However, Audacity may not be the right audio engineering software for you if you’re looking for a platform with more advanced capabilities.
2. Magix Sound Forge Pro
Sound Forge Pro is an audio engineering platform that comes with many editing features to get the most out of your audio. It has been used in the industry for 30 years.
Its multi-track recording feature allows you to record audio simultaneously on 32 different channels. It is also easy to add plug-in effects into your recording to optimize the sound for your audience.
Sound Forge Pro’s advanced editing capabilities offer you complete control over how you manage your track. With multi-channel editing, you can make audio file changes from different sources and normalize your track’s loudness levels to ensure it meets sound quality standards.
3. Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is an audio engineering software solution in the Adobe Creative Suite. It’s subscription-based and offers flexibility with advanced features, but there is a learning curve to get started.
It comes with a multi-track recording feature for more flexibility during mixing. You can easily edit each separate part of your track during post-production and clean up individual sections. For special effects, you can use Adobe Audition’s Essential Sound panel to enhance your audio quality.
To identify and remove any unwanted noise in your recording, Adobe Audition includes the Spectral Frequency Display, which shows you any unwanted frequencies in your track, such as beeps or hiss sounds. You can then proceed to remove them from your audio project.
4. Dolby.io Media Processing APIs
The Dolby.io Media Processing APIs come with a long list of tools to mix and create exceptional audio experiences. It combines more than 50 years of experience in sound and the best technology to help audio engineers overcome the most common roadblocks in the mixing process, such as eliminating sibilance or mixing distorted audio.
With Dolby.io, you can instantly enhance the quality of your audio and deliver the best sound within minutes. It could potentially save you hours of manually mixing your audio track or identifying quality issues in your project.
Let’s take a look at the example of background noise, which can significantly reduce sound quality. By simply uploading your audio file to the platform, you can instantly reduce outside disruptions, make voices clearer, and reduce listener fatigue. Click here to see a free demo of how this works.
Other advanced features of the Dolby.io APIs include dynamic processing, plosive removal, and dynamic talker balancing. You’ll be able to make your audio content stand out and boost your audience’s engagement.
Audio Format Conversion
There are different audio formats that you can convert your file to: lossy, lossless, and uncompressed. However, converting your audio file from one format to another can also be a time-consuming process—it’s much better to use audio engineering software that automates the conversion process for you.
5. MediaHuman Audio Converter
MediaHuman Audio Converter is a tool available on both Mac and Windows to convert audio files to any format (WMA, MP3, AAC, etc.). It comes with a simple-to-use interface for audio format conversion and is free for all audio engineers.
You simply add the files you want to convert, select a format, and then press a button to finalize the conversion. MediaHuman will do all the hard work for you as you’re switching to different audio formats.
6. Max
Max is an audio conversion platform that allows you to convert your file to different formats without compromising quality. However, it’s only currently available for Mac users.
It supports around 20 compressed and uncompressed audio formats at all sample rates and sample sizes. These include MP3, AAC, WAVE, Monkey’s Audio, Ogg Vorbis, and more. It also comes with customization options to control the type and size of final converted audio files.
7. Switch by NHC Software
Switch allows you to convert multiple files at once while automatically normalizing audio. You can convert between more than 40 different audio formats and process audio conversions within minutes.
It only takes three steps: select the file you want to convert, choose the audio format, and then press click the button. Switch also has a batching feature that makes it possible to convert many different audio files at the same time. Click here to view an entire list of Switch’s supported audio formats.
8. Handbrake
Are you doing any audio post-production work? Then you might need Handbrake. When clients send you video content to edit, the platform allows you to instantly convert the video file into an audio format so you can get started with edits. You can convert video into a wide selection of supported audio formats.
Audio Project File Management
Managing many audio files at once can quickly become overwhelming. The more projects you work on, the harder it will be to find what you’re looking for, wasting time by clicking between folders. Thankfully, some tools exist that could potentially save you hours during file management.
9. A Better Finder Rename
A Better Finder Rename is a software solution that makes it easier for audio engineers and music producers to rename their files. You can use the platform to rename hundreds of files in one click: just drag them all from your file finder, rename them, and you’re good to go. All your name changes are previewed as you’re typing.
As an audio engineer, it’s likely that you frequently rename your audio files, which is why the platform comes with various ways to rename files, such as by text, character, and position.
10. Path Finder
Path Finder is a f ile management platform on Mac that simplifies browsing and viewing your audio projects. It allows you to simultaneously apply meta tags to large sets of audio files and quickly find what you’re looking for.
From the admin window, you can instantly view the information and meta tags of each of your audio files. You can easily move files, quickly check the info on your audio projects, and customize your files into different modules.
11. DaisyDisk
As you start managing many audio projects, you may begin to notice that you often run out of disk space. It’s especially the case if you’re working on an audio project to the next while forgetting to delete files you don’t need anymore.
DaisyDisk shows you exactly which files are taking up all of your storage space and allows you to delete them at the same time with one click. There’s no need to invest money in a larger disk to manage your storage space.
12. Disk Inventory X
Disk Inventory X is a similar platform to DaisyDisk that identifies large files taking up all of your storage space. It organizes your files in what it calls “treemaps” and allows you to quickly sort audio files based on their format or size.
It’s an effective platform to get an idea of your disk usage so you can find ways to save storage space. The file management platform is free for all users.
Audio Collaboration
Collaborating with others plays a significant role in delivering the highest-quality sound. By collecting feedback, you’ll constantly find ways to make your work better for your audio audience.
Audio collaboration has never been so easy, thanks to technology. It’s now possible to collaborate on audio projects with partners from around the world, even if they’re not with you in the recording studio.
13. Pibox
Pibox is an audio engineering software collaboration tool to share audio content with others and receive feedback quickly. It allows audio engineers to collaborate on mixing projects all in one easy-to-use dashboard.
Some of its key features to improve long-distance audio collaboration include live chat, video chat, and comments. It will help speed up the collaboration process so you can move forward with your audio project.
14. Bounce Boss
Bounce Boss is a cloud-based collaboration platform created with the needs of musicians and audio engineers in mind. You can use the platform to share files with others, set up tasks, and implement permission settings to control who has access to your audio projects.
The platform comes with clickable timestamps and automated email notifications to facilitate communication. When you’re finished collaborating, you can instantly export the data and audio project into a ZIP file. Its pricing plan starts at just $5 per month.
15. Notetracks
Notetracks has features that allow you to take notes and comment on shared audio projects. You can then share your audio notes with others who can access them on any device.
You can say goodbye to back-and-forth email conversations. With all of your notes and feedback stored in one place, you’ll improve communication and make more progress.
16. Pro Tools Cloud Collaboration
Pro Tools Cloud Collaboration allows you to collaborate on audio projects with anyone in the world. You can share your audio file with recipients in one click, and they can then make changes or share comments.
Since the platform is cloud-based, all of your audio tracks and feedback are saved automatically. Anyone invited to your audio project can then continue to make edits in real-time.
Stop Losing Time and Get More Done With Audio Engineering Software
When it comes to audio engineering, you don’t have to do everything manually. You should be maximizing audio engineering software to automate repetitive tasks, simplify the mixing process, and deliver the best audio experience for your audience.
In addition to utilizing software technology, make sure you’re using the right studio equipment to get the most out of your audio project. Invest in the correct microphones, cables, audio interfaces, and sound panels to optimize your recording environment.
