Watch this video to learn how to put multiple tracks together in Adobe Audition

About multitrack sessions

In the Multitrack Editor, you can mix together multiple audio tracks to create layered soundtracks and elaborate compositions. You can record and mix unlimited tracks, and each track can contain as many clips as you need—the only limits are hard disk space and processing power. When you’re happy with a mix, you can export a mixdown file for use on CD, the web, and more.

The Multitrack Editor is an extremely flexible, real‑time editing environment, so you can change settings during playback and immediately hear the results. While listening to a session, for example, you can adjust track volume to properly blend tracks together. Any changes you make are impermanent, or nondestructive. If a mix doesn’t sound good next week, or even next year, you can simply remix the original source files, freely applying and removing effects to create different sonic textures.

Adobe Audition saves information about source files and mix settings in session (.sesx) files. Session files are relatively small because they contain only pathnames to source files and references to mix parameters (such as volume, pan, and effect settings). To more easily manage session files, save them in a unique folder with the source files they reference. If you later need to move the session to another computer, you can simply move the unique session folder.

Editing multitrack sessions in the Editor panel and Mixer

In the Multitrack Editor, the Editor panel provides several elements that help you mix and edit sessions. In the track controls on the left, you adjust track‑specific settings, such as volume and pan. In the timeline on the right, you edit the clips and automation envelopes in each track.

ms01 — Editor panel in Multitrack Editor

A. Track controls B. Zoom navigator C. Vertical scroll bar D. Track

The Mixer (Window > Mixer) provides an alternative view of a session, revealing many more tracks and controls simultaneously, without showing clips. The Mixer is ideal for mixing large sessions with many tracks.

A. Inputs B. Effects C. Sends D. Equalization E. Volume F. Outputs

Select ranges in the Multitrack Editor

ms04 — Simultaneously selecting a range and clips in the Editor panel

In the toolbar, select the Time Selection tool .

In the Editor panel, do one of the following:
- To select only a range, click an empty area of the track display, and drag left or right.
- To select a range and clips, click the center of a clip, and drag a marquee.

Customize start offset and time display for multitrack sessions

In the Editor panel, click an empty area of the track display to ensure that no clips are selected.

Choose Window > Properties.

In the Properties panel, adjust the following options:

Start Time

Sets a start-time offset, helping you match audio in Adobe Audition to the time displayed in video applications.

Advanced settings

To customize Time Display settings for the active session, set the Time Format and Custom Frame Rate settings. For details, see Change the time display format.

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