Detect Silence Dialog

The Detect Silence dialog allows you to search for silent sections in events. Alternatively, you can search for sections that do not contain dialogue content. You can split events and remove the silent parts from the project, or create regions corresponding to the non-silent or dialogue sections.

  • To open the Detect Silence dialog for a selected audio event, clip, or selection range, select Audio > Advanced > Detect Silence.

    Note

    If you select multiple events, you can process the selected events successively with individual settings or apply the same settings to all selected events simultaneously.

    You can process further events using the same settings by selecting Audio > Advanced > Detect Silence (with Current Settings), or by using a key command.

The following options are available:

Waveform display

Shows the waveform of the selected audio and allows you to preview the analyzed audio before it is processed.

When you move the mouse over the waveform, the mouse pointer changes to a speaker icon. Click the waveform, and hold to play back the audio from this position. The Preview slider allows you to set the preview level. Mute Gaps mutes sections that are detected as silence when previewing.

  • To zoom in and out of the waveform, use the zoom slider to the right, or hold Ctrl/Cmd and use the mouse wheel.

  • To scroll the waveform, use the scrollbar or the mouse wheel.

  • To adjust the Open Threshold and Close Threshold values in Peak Level detection mode, move the squares at the beginning and at the end of the audio file.

The Detection section features the following options:

Dialogue

This mode allows you to use a dialogue detection algorithm to search for silent sections. When the algorithm detects speech, the function opens and lets the sound pass.

Peak Level

This mode allows you to search for silent sections by defining the level below which the audio is detected as silence.

Open Threshold

When the audio level exceeds this value, the function opens and lets the sound pass. Audio material below the set level is detected as silence.

Note

This setting is only available if Peak Level Mode is activated.

Close Threshold

When the audio level drops below this value, the function closes and detects sounds below this level as silence. This value cannot be higher than the Open Threshold value.

Note

This setting is only available if Peak Level Mode is activated.

Linked

Activate this option to set the same values for Open Threshold and Close Threshold.

Note

This setting is only available if Peak Level Mode is activated.

Minimum Time Open

Determines the minimum time that the function lets the sound pass. If your audio contains repeated short sounds and this results in too many short open sections, try raising this value.

Minimum Time Closed

Determines the minimum time that the function remains closed after detecting silence. Set this to a low value to make sure that you do not remove sounds.

Pre-roll

Causes the function to open slightly before an open section. Use this option to avoid removing the attack of sounds.

Post-roll

Causes the function to close slightly after an open section. Use this option to avoid removing the natural decay of sounds.

The Result section features the following options:

Number of Sections

Shows the number of events that are created if you click Process.

Add as Regions

Creates regions of the non-silent sections.

Region Name

Allows you to specify a name for the non-silent sections.

Auto Number Start

Allows you to specify the start number for the numbers that are automatically appended to the region names.

Process All Selected Events

Applies the same settings to all selected events. This option is only available if you selected more than one event.

Apply Fades

Applies fade ins and fade outs of the set length to the resulting events.

Analyze

Analyzes the audio event and redraws the waveform display to indicate which sections are considered silent.

Auto

Activate this option to analyze the audio event and to update the display automatically every time you change the settings.

Note

If you are working with very long files, consider deactivating the Auto option, as this may slow down the process.

The Processing section features the following options:

Strip Silence

Splits the event at the beginning and at the end of each non-silent section and removes the silent sections in between.

Keep Silent Segments

Splits the event into silent and non-silent events.

  • Mute Silent Segments mutes the resulting silent events.

  • Select Silent Segments selects the resulting silent events.

Note

If Keep Silent Segments is activated, fades are applied as crossfades between silent and non-silent events.

Process

Processes the audio according to your settings.