Live input monitoring

In Adobe Audition 2.0, recording performance has been improved so you can now hear input from a microphone
or other device in real time when recording a session. You can also apply an effect while recording,
and listen in as the track is altered in real-time. For musicians who like hearing reverb during their performances, real-time input monitoring can be a valuable tool, allowing artists to hear changes as they occur, without committing to the effects during recording. Real-time input monitoring can also be used to premix record-enabled tracks as a session plays to properly blend it with other tracks.

Try it: Live input monitoring

Note: You will need a microphone for this section. If you don't have access to one, please skip to Part 7.

1. If you don't already have Adobe Audition 2.0 open, start the application now and select Mulititrack View from the workspace pull-down menu.

2. Choose File > New Session. Select 44100 as the sample rate. In the controls area for the first track, make sure your sound card input is selected in the Input pull-down menu, just below the Pan and Fader knobs. If your sound card doesn't appear in the pull-down menu, choose Audio Hardware Setup from the Edit menu and select it as the default input in the Multitrack View tab. Make sure your microphone is plugged into the input on your sound card.

3. The Session Properties panel should be available at the bottom-right of the application window (if not, Choose Window > Session Properties to open it). In the Session Properties panel, select Audition Mix from the Monitoring pull-down menu. If you can't see this selection, resize the panel larger until you see the controls.

4. To avoid feedback, make sure the speaker and microphone
are not too close together, or use headphones for this portion of the project. Arm the first track
for recording by toggling the Record button , but don't start recording just yet. In monitoring mode, notice how the meters start moving as the microphone picks up noise from the room. Speak into the microphone
and observe the track meters move. You should also hear yourself in your speakers or headphones. If you get feedback, disarm the track for recording and put a greater distance between the microphone and
the speakers, or turn them down.

5. Select the Mixer panel, and find the Effects pull-down menu for the track you are working with; it will be directly below the input gain knob in the channel strip. Choose Delay Effects and Echo from the pull-down menu, and choose the Spooky Preset. Listen to how it affects the monitored signal.

6. To begin recording, click the Record button in the Transport panel. Record your voice as a test signal, saying (slowly), “Testing 1 2 3 4” and you can see the audio recording into the track. Also note how you can hear the echo on your voice as you record. The echo is not actually recorded in the track, but instead is part of the session, so if you decide not to include it in the mix, you can always remove or change it later. Some artists like to hear more echo as they are recording, but reduce it in the final mix. Using live monitoring, you always have the dry, non-processed recording as your source.

7. Leave this session open and move on to Part 5.