Viewing, zooming, and navigating audio

Learn how to view, zoom, and navigate audio in Adobe Audition to work efficiently and edit your projects with greater precision.

Audition provides different views for editing audio files and creating multitrack mixes. To edit individual files, use the Waveform Editor. To mix multiple files and integrate them with video, use the Multitrack Editor.

The Waveform and Multitrack editors use different editing methods, and each has unique advantages. The Waveform Editor uses a destructive method that permanently alters audio data, including saved files. Such permanent changes are preferable when converting sample rate and bit depth, mastering, or batch processing. The Multitrack Editor uses a nondestructive method that is impermanent and instantaneous, requiring more processing power but increasing flexibility. This flexibility is preferable when gradually building and reevaluating a multilayered musical composition or video soundtrack.

You can combine destructive and nondestructive editing to suit the needs of a project. If a multitrack clip requires destructive editing, for example, simply double‑click it to enter the Waveform Editor. Similarly, if an edited waveform includes recent changes that you do not like, you can use the Undo command to return to earlier versions since destructive edits are not applied until the file is saved.

Basic components of the editors

Though available options differ in the Waveform and Multitrack editors, both views share basic components, such as the tool and status bars, and the Editor panel.

Switch editors

Zoom audio in the Editor panel

Zoom into a specific time range

In either the zoom navigator or the timeline ruler, right-click and drag. The magnifying glass icon  creates a selection showing the range that will fill the Editor panel. 

Zoom to preset

Click on the Zoom to Time icon at the bottom of the Editor panel. There are five preset slots for zooming to a specific time. In the Save Preset menu, you can overwrite a preset slot with the currently selected duration.

Zoom to selected clip

Quickly zoom to the time range of one or more selected clips using the Zoom menu command. In the Multitrack Editor, choose Zoom > Zoom To Selection.

Zoom into a specific frequency range

In the vertical ruler for the spectral display, right-click and drag. You can learn more about viewing audio waveforms and spectrums. 

Extend or shorten the displayed range

Place the pointer over the left or right edge of the highlighted area in the zoom navigator, and then drag the magnifying glass icon .

Gradually zoom in or out

In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom In  or Zoom Out  button.

Zoom out full (all tracks)

You can zoom out all tracks to the same height to fully cover vertical spaces. The view will resize track heights to take up the full height of the multitrack editor panel. Track heights will resize to a consistent height. Minimized tracks will still remain at their minimum height.

To zoom out fully, choose View > Zoom Out Full (All Tracks).

Zoom with the mouse wheel or Mac trackpad

Place the pointer over the zoom navigator or ruler, and either roll the wheel or drag up or down with two fingers. This zoom method also works when the pointer is over the waveform in the Waveform Editor.

Magnify selected audio

In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom In at In Point , Zoom In at Out Point , or Zoom To Selection buttons.

Display the entire audio file or multitrack session

In the lower right of the Editor panel, click the Zoom Out Full button .

Navigate through time

At higher zoom levels, you can navigate to different audio content in the Editor panel.

Navigate by scrolling

• In the zoom navigator, drag left or right.
  

•  Use horizontal mouse scrolling or a middle-button drag to scroll the timeline in multitrack and waveform views.
  
  

• To scroll through audio frequencies in the spectral display, drag up or down in the vertical ruler. 

Navigate with the Selection/View panel

The Selection/View panel shows the start and end of the current selection and view in the Editor panel. The panel displays this information in the current time format, such as Decimal or Bars And Beats. 

Auto-scroll navigation

You can use auto-scroll to navigate the Waveform and Multitrack editors. To choose the scroll type, open Preferences > Playback. Use the radio buttons to select the scroll type for each editor.

• Pagewise scroll: The Playhead moves from left to right and jumps to the next frame when it hits the right corner.
• Centered scroll: The Playhead is positioned at the center, and the track beneath it moves. Therefore, the current time of audio being played is always in the middle.

Enable the checkbox to set your preference to Enable auto-scroll when starting playback or recording.

Use Toggle Playback Auto-Scroll  available in the Editor panel on the top-right corner in the Waveform Editor, and top-left corner in the Multitrack Editor, to enable or disable auto-scroll. Note that manually moving the playhead when auto-scroll is enabled automatically disables the function.