Background noise is one of the most common problems in recorded audio—whether it’s a humming HVAC unit, room echo, or ambient bleed between spoken lines. Adobe Audition gives you a built-in tool to tackle it, but it’s easy to miss because it isn’t labeled the way you’d expect. Here’s exactly how to find it, apply it, and set it up so it works cleanly on your voice or podcast audio.
What a Noise Gate Does in Adobe Audition
A noise gate automatically silences any audio that falls below a volume level you define. When you stop speaking, the gate closes—cutting out breath sounds, room hum, and background noise during those quiet gaps. When your voice comes back up above that level, the gate opens again. It is not the same as Noise Reduction, which works differently and solves a different problem (more on that below).
One important thing to know before you start searching the menus: Adobe Audition does not have an effect simply labeled “Noise Gate.” The gate lives inside the Dynamics Processing plugin, under a dedicated Gate tab. Once you know where to look, it takes about thirty seconds to apply.
Pro Tip: Capturing cleaner audio at the source reduces how aggressively you need to gate, preserving more of your recording’s natural character. A wireless mic with built-in AI Noise Cancellation—like the Hollyland LARK MAX 2—can significantly lower your ambient noise floor before you even open Audition.
How to Add a Noise Gate in Adobe Audition
The gate can be applied two ways depending on where you are working. Both paths lead to the same Dynamics Processing plugin—the difference is whether the edit is permanent or adjustable later.
In the Waveform Editor (Destructive / Single Clip)
Use this path when you are working on a single audio file and are comfortable committing the change permanently.
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Open your audio file in the Waveform Editor.
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Select the audio region you want to gate. To gate the entire file, press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all.
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Go to Effects in the top menu → Amplitude and Compression → Dynamics Processing.
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In the Dynamics Processing dialog, The gate is built into graph.
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Set your threshold, attack, release, and hold values
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Use the preview playback to audition the result before committing.
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Click Apply to process the audio permanently.
In the Multitrack Editor (Non-Destructive / Effects Rack)
Use this path when you are working inside a Multitrack session and want to keep your edit fully editable or removable at any point.
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Open your Multitrack session and click the track or clip you want to gate.
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Open the Effects Rack panel. If it is not visible, go to Window → Effects Rack.
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Click an empty slot in the Effects Rack → Amplitude and Compression → Dynamics Processing.
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The Dynamics Processing plugin window opens
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The effect is applied in real time and remains fully editable—you can change values or remove the effect entirely at any time.
Note: Waveform Editor = permanent change to the audio file. Multitrack Effects Rack = non-destructive; you can adjust or remove it any time without affecting the original clip.
Understanding and Setting the Noise Gate Parameters
Once the Gate tab is open, you will see four main controls. Here is what each one does and where to start for typical voice or podcast audio.
|
Parameter |
What It Does |
Suggested Starting Value (Voice) |
|---|---|---|
|
Threshold |
Audio below this dB level is muted by the gate |
–40 dB to –50 dB |
|
Attack |
How quickly the gate opens when sound rises above the threshold |
5–10 ms |
|
Release |
How quickly the gate closes after sound drops below the threshold |
100–200 ms |
|
Hold |
Minimum time the gate stays open after the signal drops below threshold |
50–100 ms |
Threshold is the most critical setting and the right place to start. Play back a quiet section of your recording to identify where your ambient noise sits on the meter, then set the threshold just above that level—typically somewhere between –40 dB and –50 dB for a reasonably quiet room.
Release is the next most impactful control. If you set it too short, the gate will snap shut too quickly at the end of words and syllables, creating an unnatural clipped sound. A release of 100–200 ms gives speech room to decay naturally before the gate closes.
Attack generally needs only a small adjustment for voice work. Values between 5 and 10 ms open fast enough to catch the beginning of words cleanly. If you notice the gate is clipping the start of syllables, lower the threshold first—that is usually the real cause—before reducing attack time further.
Once you have dialed in your settings, always play back a representative section of the full recording before applying or committing, especially in the Waveform Editor.
Noise Gate vs. Noise Reduction in Adobe Audition
These are two separate tools that solve two different problems, and many users benefit from using both.
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Noise Gate silences audio that falls below a set volume threshold. It is most effective at cleaning up the gaps between words and sentences—pauses where room noise would otherwise be audible.
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Noise Reduction (found under Effects → Noise Reduction/Restoration → Noise Reduction) samples a noise “fingerprint” from your recording and continuously subtracts it across the entire file. It is the right tool for constant background hum, tape hiss, or electrical buzz that bleeds under your speech as well as through the silences.
For most voice recordings, the best workflow is to run Noise Reduction first to reduce persistent noise under speech, then apply the Noise Gate to clean up any remaining noise in the silent gaps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the noise gate in Adobe Audition?
Adobe Audition does not have a standalone “Noise Gate” effect. The gate is located inside Effects → Amplitude and Compression → Dynamics Processing, under the Gate tab. Check the Enable Gate checkbox to activate it. It is easy to miss because it is nested inside a broader dynamics plugin rather than listed separately.
Q: Why is my noise gate cutting off the beginning of words?
Your Threshold is likely set too high, or your Attack time is too slow. Start by lowering the threshold by 3–5 dB so the gate opens more easily. If clipping persists, reduce the attack time so the gate opens faster when your voice comes in.
Q: Can I use a noise gate in Multitrack without permanently changing my audio?
Yes. Apply Dynamics Processing through the Effects Rack in the Multitrack Editor. The effect runs in real time and is completely non-destructive—you can tweak settings, bypass the effect, or remove it entirely without altering the original audio clip.
Q: Should I use noise gate or noise reduction for background hum?
Use Noise Reduction (Effects → Noise Reduction/Restoration) for constant background hum that persists even while you are speaking. Use the Noise Gate to eliminate room noise during the silences between speech. For best results, apply both: Noise Reduction first, then the Noise Gate as a finishing pass.
Next Steps
The process comes down to two steps: navigate to Effects → Amplitude and Compression → Dynamics Processing, click the Gate tab, and start with the threshold. Once that is set correctly, refine your release and hold times until transitions sound natural. Remember that the gate is a finishing tool—it works best on recordings that are already reasonably clean. For persistent hum or hiss that bleeds under your speech, pair it with Adobe Audition’s Noise Reduction tool to cover both problem areas.
