Removing background noise in videos can be a bit of a hassle, but it’s crucial for creating professional-quality content. I’ve had my fair share of dealing with noisy footage, and it’s never fun trying to clean up audio that’s been marred by unwanted sounds. Whether it’s the hum of an air conditioner or power generator, the buzz of traffic, or the murmur of a crowd, background noise can distract from the message and reduce the overall quality of a video.

How to Remove Background Noise in Premiere Pro

Thankfully, Adobe Premiere Pro comes equipped with tools specifically designed to help with noise reduction. I’ve found that their DeNoise effect is pretty straightforward to use. It might not work miracles on a severely compromised track, but it does an excellent job of tidying up common, less intrusive background sounds. If you’re like me, striving for crisp and clear audio, learning how to effectively use this tool can make a world of difference in your post-production process.

The Premiere Pro Audio Workspace

When I fire up Adobe Premiere Pro and dive into editing, I know that getting my audio right is crucial. Thankfully, the audio workspace in Premiere Pro is designed to make this process intuitive. I think of it as my one-stop shop for all things audio, where I can control, fine-tune, and enhance the sound of my project.

To start, I make sure I’m in the right workspace. I head over to the top of the screen, click on “Window,” and then select “Workspaces.” From there, I choose “Audio.” This workspace rearranges my layout, bringing all the audio tools and panels to the foreground.

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In the Audio workspace, here’s what I work with:

  • Timeline: This is where I lay out my audio tracks, adjust timing, and sync audio with video. I can expand each track to see the waveform, which is super helpful for precise edits.
  • Audio Track Mixer: This panel is crucial. It allows me to mix my project’s audio in real-time, adjust levels, and add effects to individual tracks.
  • Effect Controls: When I click on an audio clip, this panel shows up with options to tweak my sound further, such as volume and panning.
  • Essential Sound Panel: For me, this is the game-changer. It categorizes audio into ‘Dialogue,’ ‘Music,’ ‘SFX,’ and ‘Ambience,’ which I find massively streamlines the process.

I haven’t forgotten the good old Effects panel, either. When it’s time to remove background noise, I can locate the ‘DeNoise’ effect here. Dragging and dropping it onto my audio clips refines their clarity.

All in all, I view the Premiere Pro’s audio workspace as my personal mixing board. It’s where I transform raw audio files into crisp, clear sound that complements my visual storytelling.

The Essential Sound Panel Workflow

When I’m working on an audio track in Premiere Pro and background noise is a problem, I head straight to the Essential Sound panel. This is my go-to for cleaning up my audio clips efficiently.

Firstly, I make sure that the clip I want to work on is selected in the timeline. Then, I open the Essential Sound panel by going to Window > Essential Sound. Within this panel, I categorize my audio by assigning it as Dialogue, Music, SFX, or Ambience. This helps Premiere Pro apply the appropriate audio clean-up features.

For noise issues, the Repair section is super handy. If there is hiss, hum, or background chatter, I check the Reduce Noise option. For sound like an air conditioner hum or a refrigerator buzz that slipped into my dialogue recording, I play with the Reduce Noise slider until it sounds just right.

Sometimes there’s reverb that makes the audio echo as if I’ve recorded in a cavern. A quick fix for this is the Reduce Reverb slider which I adjust accordingly to dampen that echo-y sound.

Another feature I find useful for Dialogue is the Enhance Speech option. When the recording is a bit muddy, using Enhance Speech can bring the speaker’s voice to the forefront, making it crisper and more intelligible.

Additionally, if I need finer control, I may use the Audio Track Mixer. To access it, I just click on Window > Audio Track Mixer. From here, I can adjust levels and apply effects to the entire track.

Remember though, subtlety is key. Too much noise reduction can lead to an artificial sound, so I always take care to maintain a natural quality to the audio.

How to Remove Background Noise in Premiere Pro Using the Essential Sound Panel

Step 1: Open up the Essential Sound Panel

Select essential sound - remove background noise in Premiere Pro

First, you will want to enable the Essential Sound Panel in Premiere Pro. To do this, simply navigate to Window > Essential Sound, and the Essential Sound Panel will pop up ready for you to use. 

Step 2: Designate your clip as dialogue.

Choose the audio clip or clips you wish to work within your timeline. Then select Dialogue in the Essential Sound Panel.

background noise in premiere pro | Designate your clip as dialogue

Step 3: Open up the Repair Tab in Essential Sound Panel

Repair tab to remove background noise Premiere Pro

Click and open the tab that says Repair or Edit in the Essential Sound Panel for the above panel to pop up with the suggestions.

We will cover the following options presented to help you reduce the background noise in Premiere Pro: 

  • Reduce noise
  • Reduce rumble
  • DeHum
  • DeEss
  • Reduce reverb

Step 4: Adjust the amount of noise reduction

Reduce Noise

Reduce the noise by checking the noise box and deciding the amount you wish to apply by using the slider.

This helps to isolate low ambient noises and takes away any background noise interfering with the core sound. Remember a little background noise isn’t a bad thing, so try not to remove everything as it can leave your footage sounding off.

The more you apply the less natural the person speaking will sound as well.

I recommend slowly adjusting the slider and listening to it by playing back the audio and altering it in small increments – this way you’ll not distort any key sounds and be able to remove the background noise in Premiere Pro subtly. 

Step 5: Reduce sounds caused by wind or movement

Reduce rumble - remove background noise in Premiere Pro

This is where “Reduce rumble” comes into play. If you have a knock to the microphone or any unnecessary scratching noises, “Reduce rumble” will be a must. 

Noise from the wind can also be edited using this too. 

Select the check box and apply it by using the slider. As mentioned above, move it slightly and playback the sound until you have a clear removal. Try and eliminate as much of the noise as you can without distorting the main audio source.

Step 6: Use DeHum to remove low frequency noises

Reduce noise using DeHum - remove background noise in Premiere Pro

If you select the DeHum checkbox you can use the slider to remove low-frequency background noises in Premiere Pro. These noises are usually caused by pieces of equipment in the background, for example, a low fridge humming noise that sneaks into the audio will be removed correctly by using the DeHum feature in Premiere Pro.

Step 7: DeEss reduces sibilance

Reduce the DeEss - remove background noise in Premiere Pro

This will help you remove harsh “S” sounds that are caused by sensitivity within the audio. Use the DeEss to eliminate these.

Step 8: Reduce reverb – reducing echo

Reduce the reverb - remove background noise in Premiere Pro

When you record audio without sound-absorbing panels you’ll have a lot more reverb in your audio. Even if you got the best microphone in the market, you’ll still suffer from reverb.

However, no need to worry. You can use the Reverse reverb checkbox and eliminate additional reverb in your recording. It helps to remove echo as well, the perfect solution to remove background noise in Premiere Pro.

By utilizing these specific tools, my audio comes out clean, making the overall project more polished and professional.

Advanced Noise Reduction Techniques

When it comes to polishing audio in Premiere Pro, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Let’s dive into some advanced noise reduction techniques that can help clear up that pesky background noise.

Utilizing the Denoise Effect

First up, Adobe Premiere Pro has a built-in effect called DeNoise. Here’s how I do it: I find the Denoise effect in the Effects panel, and then I drag it onto the audio clip in the Timeline. A neat trick is to fine-tune the noise reduction amount. Often, I’ll start with a small increment, then increase it listening closely for the sweet spot where noise vanishes but the audio quality remains intact.

How to Remove Background Noise in Premiere Pro Using the DeNoise Effect

Step 1

Firstly, open up Adobe Premiere Pro. Select the footage you wish to remove any additional static noise from.

premiere pro remove background noise

After selecting the clip go to Window > Effects > Obsolete Audio Effects > DeNoiser (Obsolete). It will then ask you whether or not you want to use the newer version of the DeNoiser. Select no and continue with the DeNoiser (Obsolete).

Step 2:

DeNoiser Effect Premiere Pro

Select the DeNoiser effect and then drag and drop it onto the clip you wish to remove the static noise from. Once you have dropped the DeNoiser effect onto the clip go to Effect Controls > DeNoiser > Reduce Noise By.

Step 3:

Use the sliders on here to reduce the static noise, you usually find it differs from clip to clip in terms of the decibel range to remove it from. We find around -5 to -10 is usually the range you’ll be able to reduce to an unnoticeable level.

Removing the static from your audio clip

I use the DeNoiser effect, even though it is outdated.

The reason is it still does a much better job than most effects and it’s simple and easy to use. We recommend it over other add ons as you can hear a huge difference once you’ve added it to your audio.

Working with Adobe Audition

Sometimes, I need to bring out the big guns, and that’s where Adobe Audition comes into play. I send my audio from Premiere Pro to Audition and use the powerful Noise Reduction feature. For a detailed touch, the Spectral Frequency Display lets me pinpoint and eliminate unwanted sounds. With keyframes, I can even vary the level of noise reduction over time if the noise in the clip isn’t consistent.

Applying Audio Effects for Repair

Lastly, Premiere Pro’s arsenal of audio effects is perfect for repair. In the Repair tab, I can use DeHum to eliminate electrical hum sounds or DeEss for reducing harsh sibilance. I also sometimes use the Reduce Rumble effect to remove low-frequency noise. And if my clip’s audio is too low, I tweak the Audio Gain to make sure my repaired sound is loud and clear.

Fine-Tuning for Optimal Sound

When I’m in Premiere Pro, achieving the best sound quality starts with nailing the basics first. I make sure my audio levels aren’t peaking to avoid distortion. If things start to sound wonky, I’ll look at my levels and adjust the volume sliders as needed to keep everything crisp. Keeping it in the green is key, and I aim for the audio to peak around -6 to -3 dB for the best balance.

Now, for the intensity of audio effects, the Denoise effect is my go-to tool. I found that the amount slider in the effect controls is super handy for fine-tuning. If the background noise is like a pesky fly on a summer day, I’ll just crank up the Denoise a tad until that noise takes a hike. But, if I push it too far, the audio can get weirdly muffled. So, I adjust until my ears are happy with the clarity.

For a little more precision, I play with the gain. I tweak it just enough so my audio punches through without shaking the room. It’s all about finding that sweet spot.

And speaking of sweet spots, the intensity of how the Denoise works its magic can often be controlled with an amount slider within the effect settings. Start as low as you can and incrementally increase the amount until the noise disappears but your audio still sounds natural.

  • Quick tips for sliders and settings:
    • Volume Sliders: Keep the peaks between -6 to -3 dB.
    • Gain: Adjust it little by little to maintain audio clarity.
    • Amount Slider: Begin low and increase gradually for noise reduction without overdoing it.

I’ll sometimes try out different presets too because, hey, sometimes a preset knows best. It’s all about making small moves for the biggest impact without losing the natural vibe of the original audio.

I also have a quick video with my simple steps to remove background noise in Premiere Pro, check it out.

I hope this article on removing background noise in Adobe Premiere Pro has helped you, please share this if you found it useful!

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