Zencastr Editing is a paid feature that enhances and combines your separate recorded audio and video files into a polished, mixed file. In addition to mixing the audio, Editing applies a number of enhancements for a polished final output. These enhancements can be selectively enabled or disabled in the Output Settings section on the Audio & Video tab of the Editor page so that the final audio is tailored according to your preferences.
In this article:
Output Format
Select the desired file format for the final audio mixes as MP3 or WAV.
Audio Enhancements
Enabling this applies the postproduction audio enhancements to the recording files when they are mixed whereas disabling them leaves the audio mixes as they are.
Separate Enhanced Tracks
Provides individual files with audio enhancements applied for each participant, in addition to the combined audio (and video) mixes. Read more about this here.
Noise Reduction
To remove distracting background noises and improve the audio quality, noise reduction reduces or completely eliminates noises such as hums, hisses, or other ambient sounds from each audio track. This process cleans up the audio without being overly aggressive, as excessive processing can lead to an artificial-sounding result.
Loudness Normalization
To ensure a consistent listening experience and meet industry standards for loudness, loudness normalization adjusts the overall volume of all audio tracks to a specified target level, expressed in LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale). This process also includes peak limiting, which ensures that the audio tracks don’t exceed a certain maximum amplitude level.
Loudness normalization with peak limiting prevents abrupt volume changes between different speakers’ audio tracks and unpleasant clipping or distorted sounds. The target defaults to -19 LUFS for podcasts and mobile recordings. It can be adjusted to create louder (down to -13 LUFS) or quieter (up to -31 LUFS) audio.
Noise Gate
To minimize unwanted background noises, noise gating decreases the volume of segments of an audio track where a speaker is inactive. This process helps prevent the background noise in an inactive speaker’s track from disrupting the flow of the audio, increasing the overall clarity and quality.
Cross Gate
To reduce unwanted interference between audio segments, cross gating identifies segments with crosstalk and attenuates them. Crosstalk occurs when the audio from one track leaks to another audio track. This process is particularly useful when multiple speakers are recorded in the same space, as crosstalk can often occur in this situation.
Leveler
To achieve a consistent volume level, audio leveling corrects for differences in volume within each track, increasing the volume of quiet sections and decreasing the volume of loud sections. This process ensures a more comfortable listening experience, making it easier for the audience to enjoy the content without potentially needing to adjust their volume controls.
Remove Filler Words
To enhance the clarity and polish of a recording, the remove filler words filter identifies and reduces instances of common English-language filler words such as “um” and “ah” as well as other frequent fillers and repeated words. Read more about this here.
Remove Long Pauses
To ensure that the audio flows continuously, the remove long pauses filter identifies and eliminates extended periods of silence. Read more about this here.
Related Questions
How do I edit my recording/run my postproduction?
To use editing to run a postproduction for a recording done in the ‘Record Audio, No Video’ or ‘Record Audio, Show Video’ modes, see this guide. To run a postproduction for a recording done in the ‘Record Audio and Video’ mode, see this guide.