On this Reaproducer episode of Audio Pizza, I will go over the basic workflow I use when recording and editing a podcast.
Recording
Typically, we use Zoom to connect with each other but then make our own local recordings of our ends. This way, we have good, pristine copies ready for editing. On the Mac, I use Audio Hijack or Reaper to do the recording.
Once I have each of the individual files from the participants, I rename them with short filenames to cut down screen reader verbosity when navigating the project. I save a Reaper project and paste the files straight into the blank project, ready for editing.
Project Settings
To make navigating the audio easier for this type of editing, in the View menu, I change the Time unit for ruler to Minutes and Seconds, and Press Option+Return to access project settings, to adjust the tempo to 60, and time signature to 60 over 4.
This may not make a lot of sense musically; however, it is useful for navigating by minutes with Page Up and Page Down, and seconds with Command+Page Up and Page Down.
These can then be set as default project settings if you wish and it will also then retain your choice for the time ruler.
Normalising
After pasting the files into their own tracks in the project, I select all the items by first selecting one item, and then extending the selection with Command+A to all the items. I use Shift+U to bring up the SWS/BR - Normalize loudness dialog. This gives me the option to normalise each item to my preferred starting value of –23 LUFS. It is a good idea to add a limiter to your master track at this point, as it’s possible that some parts of the recording will be coming in above 0 dB and clipping.
Item: Auto trim/split items (remove silence)
Control+Accent will bring up this dialog. As the name suggests, it works on the items rather than the tracks and will split each selected item based upon the content of the item. Where the level is above the set threshold, in this case, where the particular person is talking, it will leave an item, and anywhere where the level falls below the threshold, it will remove an item. So in those locations on the track where the level was below, the track will be empty. In effect, if set correctly, it will split before and after each passage of speech and remove the rest.
This has some significant benefits and can speed up the editing process. You can now quickly navigate to particular parts of the audio and make the desired change on that item. This might be adjusting the volume of a phrase, removing a section, or shifting around the content of the podcast.
However, it’s important that your original files have a nice low noise floor, as when the quiet sections are removed, there is complete silence on that track. This can be disconcerting for the listener if there’s too much noise in the sections when the person is speaking and this cuts in and out.
Basic Editing
You can navigate to an item to be removed with Command+Left/Right Arrows, and delete, or cut and paste it to another location with Command+X and Command+V. Keep in mind your current ripple state: off, or all tracks. Usually, you would not want to use the ripple per track option as you are likely to make subsequent content go out of sync.
If a particular item is too loud or too quiet, it can be quickly adjusted with Command+Up/Down Arrow. This will adjust the particular take within the item by 1 dB.
Trimming Left or Right Edge of Item to Edit Cursor
One quick way of cutting off the end of an item is to use the action found on Control+Shift+Period — Item edit: Trim right edge of item to edit cursor. Typically, you could split the end of the item off, select that item, and delete it. However, if you place your cursor in the same location you would have made the split, and trim the right edge to that point, you’ve accomplished the same thing with one keystroke.
This can be used to extend an item as well. Place the edit cursor after the selected item, and again hit the same command, and it will grow back that edge to this point. Of course, the same works for the beginning of an item, using the Trim left edge to edit cursor command. You can either cut the beginning off or grow it back depending upon where you place your cursor compared to the selected item. Another benefit of using this method is that it does not matter how you have ripple set. Had you used the split and delete method, it would be prudent to first check your ripple state to avoid unintended consequences.
Custom Actions
If you find yourself performing sequences of actions commonly, you may wish to create custom actions that will allow you to perform the actions with one keystroke.
I found that I was often setting the end of a time selection, jumping back a bit and then playing, skipping the time selection to preview the edit. This is one of the custom actions I demo along with a couple more. To create a custom action, go into the actions list with F4, click the New action button, then select New custom action. You are then able to add a series of actions to create your own custom action. If you have actions in the wrong order, you can move them in the list with Command+Up/Down Arrows. After completing this, you can add a keystroke to the action to have quick access to it whilst editing.
Adding Intro Music and Volume Automation
If you wish to add some music to the intro of your podcast once you have finished the editing of the vocal tracks, just paste the file in on its own track with ripple turned on for all tracks. This will insert the music and keep all the other tracks in sync. If the music is to come in under the vocal tracks, have ripple turned off, or check out the podcast to see a quick method of moving everything around.
Command+Option+V will show the volume envelope for the selected track, and then Option+L to arm that envelope. You can then add points with Shift+E and adjust the values with Numpad 2 and 8, or Command+Shift+E to add and edit a point.
Fading an item out from the edit cursor is another quick way of dealing with your music.
Final Levelling and Rendering
If you’re wanting to have chapter markers in the podcast, insert standard named project markers with the syntax CHAP=Name of chapter. Use Shift+M to add and name the markers. When it comes to rendering, in the dialog tick the Metadata checkbox, and the MP3 will have chapters included with the supplied names.
There are a number of different tools to check levels and loudness within Reaper. One good option is the action Calculate loudness of master mix within time selection via dry run render. This will give an accurate representation of the final integrated loudness figure, along with the peak value, and other loudness stats.
We also have the Peak Watcher, on Option+W, this can provide integrated loudness levels along with true peak throughout the editing process, however it’s not covered on this podcast.
To adjust your levels, again you have a lot of options at different parts of the signal chain. One is to select all the items on the track with Command+Option+A and then adjust with Command+Arrows. Or you can adjust the actual track volume with Option+Arrows, or Option+Shift+Arrows. If you have folders for the vocal tracks, this can be a good place to turn up or down the overall volume before it gets to the master track where you have a limiter.
Press Command+Option+R to render out your final file with your desired settings. Typically for podcasts, for maximum compatibility, MP3 is still recommended, even though we now have better lossy formats. An integrated LUFS value near –16 dB is a generally accepted standard.
List of Actions Used
- Option+Return - Open Project Settings
- Command+A - Select all items/tracks/envelope points (depending on focus)
- Shift+U - SWS/BR: Normalize loudness of selected items/tracks…
- Shift+Home - Custom: Select from cursor to start of project
- Control+Accent - Item: Auto trim/split items (remove silence)
- Command+Shift+P - OSARA: Report ripple editing mode
- Option+Shift+P - Options: Cycle ripple editing mode
- Control+Shift+Comma - Item edit: Trim left edge of item to edit cursor
- Control+Shift+Period - Item edit: Trim right edge of item to edit cursor
- Shift+A - Xenakios/SWS: Select items under edit cursor on selected tracks
- Command+Option+A - Item: Select all items in track
- Command+Up/Down - Xenakios/SWS: Nudge active take volume up/down
- Option+Up/Down - Track: Nudge track volume up/down
- Option+Shift+Up/Down - Xenakios/SWS: Nudge volume of selected tracks up/down
- Left Parenthesis - Time selection: Set start point
- Right Parenthesis - Time selection: Set end point
- Option+Space - Transport: Play (skip time selection)
- Option+Left/Right Parenthesis - Time selection: Nudge left edge left or right
- Command+Left/Right Parenthesis - Time selection: Nudge right edge left or right
- Slash - Scrub: Toggle looped-segment scrub at edit cursor
- Command+L - Editing.RPP
- Command+Option+V - OSARA: Toggle track/take volume envelope visibility (depending on focus)
- Option+L - OSARA: Select next track/take envelope (depending on focus)
- Shift+E - Envelope: Insert new point at current position (remove nearby points)
- Option+Shift+E - Envelope: Add/edit envelope point value at cursor
- Numpad 2 - Item edit: Move items/envelope points down one track/a bit
- Numpad 8 -
