Sound editing is done on computers.

Digital Audio Workstations (DAW)

For smaller productions you will probably do whatever sound editing that is needed right on your nonlinear editor along with your video. But for high-budget sophisticated productions you will probably send your audio in the form of a computer file to a professional sound company for editing, processing, adding of sound effects and music, and so on. Most of that work will be done on a digital audio workstation (DAW). Many software programs are available that will let you use your home computer as a DAW. Many of these programs are excellent, versatile, and affordable. These programs use the high-impedance unbalanced sound cards that are already in your computer. Professionals will want low-impedance balanced audio, and that will require a package that includes both software and hardware. Some of these packages can cost $50,000 or more! Luckily, many of the companies that make the professional packages also make low-cost consumer software that shares the same look and many features of their professional packages.

Most of these packages allow for complex editing, sound effects and processing, and multiple tracks so that you can deal with each sound component separately. Most will have time codes so that the sound can be synchronized with video. To work best, these systems need very fast computers with lots of memory and disc space. These features allow even the smallest companies to do a level of audio work that only the biggest studios could afford a few years ago.

One of the easiest ways to ruin an otherwise good video production is by having poor sound. Bad sound will destroy all of the good parts of your production. With the tools available today, there is no reason to tolerate poor sound.

Digital audio workstations start with high-powered home computers.

Consumer and professional DAWs will add sophisticated software.

Professional DAW packages will also have specialized hardware to go with the software.