Orinj: A Beginner’s Guide to the Audio Editor

How to Edit Podcasts Fast with Orinj — Step-by-Step

Editing podcasts quickly in Orinj is about using a repeatable workflow, keyboard shortcuts, and a few built-in tools effectively. This guide assumes you have Orinj installed and a recorded audio file ready. Follow these steps to go from raw recording to a polished episode in the least time.

1. Prepare your project

1. Create a new project: File > New.
2. Import audio: File > Import > Audio and add your raw recording(s).
3. Set sample rate: Confirm project sample rate matches your recording (usually 44.1 kHz).

2. Rough trim and arrange (5–10 minutes)

1. Listen through quickly: Play at 1.25–1.5x speed to identify problem sections.
2. Split clips: Place the playhead and press Split to cut around unwanted sections (pauses, digressions).
3. Delete or mute: Remove large mistakes or long silences. Use mute for sections you may later restore.
4. Arrange segments: Drag clips on the timeline to reorder segments or move intros/outros into place.

3. Normalize and level (3–5 minutes)

1. Normalize clips: Select each clip or the whole session and apply Normalize (Effects menu) to bring peaks to a consistent level.
2. Adjust clip gain: Use the clip gain handles to balance speakers or segments quickly.

4. Noise reduction and cleanup (5–12 minutes)

1. Noise gate: Apply a Noise Gate with a conservative threshold to remove low-level room noise between speech.
2. Click/pop removal: Use the DeClicker or manually zoom and delete transient clicks.
3. Broad noise reduction: If needed, use Orinj’s noise reduction effect (capture a noise profile if available) and apply gently to avoid artifacts.

5. Equalization (3–6 minutes)

1. High-pass filter: Apply a high-pass filter around 60–100 Hz to remove rumble.
2. Voice EQ: Slight boost between 2–6 kHz for presence and a gentle cut around 300–500 Hz if muddiness exists. Use broadband, subtle adjustments.

6. Compression (3–6 minutes)

1. Light compression: Apply a compressor with moderate ratio (2:1–4:1), medium attack, and medium release to even out levels.
2. Use make-up gain: Raise output so the overall level is comparable to pre-compression peaks.

7. De-essing (2–4 minutes)

1. Apply de-esser: Reduce harsh sibilance (S, T sounds). Target 5–8 kHz and use moderate reduction to preserve clarity.

8. Final level check and loudness (3–5 minutes)

1. Measure loudness: Target -16 LUFS for stereo podcast or -14 LUFS for US broadcast-style loudness (choose one based on your distribution).
2. Limiter/peak control: Add a brickwall limiter at the master track to prevent clipping and set ceiling to -0.5 dB.

9. Add music, intros, and metadata (3–8 minutes)

1. Import music beds/bumps: Place under voice tracks at lower volume (-18 to -25 dB relative).
2. Fade music: Use automated fades (fade-in/out) to avoid abrupt cuts.
3. Add metadata: File > Export > Metadata (if available) or use your hosting provider to set episode title and description.

10. Export and quality check (2–4 minutes)

1. Export: File > Export > Mixdown. Choose MP3 (128–192 kbps) or AAC for delivery.
2. Quick listen: Play exported file to ensure no glitches, levels OK, and transitions smooth.

Speed tips and shortcuts

• Use keyboard shortcuts: Learn Split, Play/Pause, Zoom in/out for faster edits.
• Work in passes: Do rough editing first, then process in passes (cleanup → EQ → compression).
• Templates: Save a session template with preferred tracks, effects chains, and routing.
• Batch processing: Apply normalization and other effects to multiple clips at once.
• Use markers: Mark problem spots during the first quick listen to jump back easily.

Example minimal timeline (time estimates)

• Import & setup: 2–3 min
• Rough trim: 5–10 min
• Cleanup & noise reduction: 5–12 min
• EQ/Compression/De-ess: 8–12 min
• Music, final mixdown: 5–10 min
  Total: ~25–45 minutes for a 30–60 minute episode with this streamlined workflow.

Follow this workflow consistently and customize effect presets to shave more time off future edits.