TechRadar Verdict
CyberLink AudioDirector goes from strength to strength using powerful AI tools to separate elements giving even total novices to recording control over their material. The manual/auto option should endear this to both experienced and inexperienced users. But some of the functions can be hit and miss, and you may find yourself having to fall back on manual controls.
Pros
- +
Integrates with creative apps in CyberLink's Director Suite
- +
Powerful AI tools make separation of sounds automatic once isolated
- +
Free online audio editor works on updated Macs
Cons
- -
PC only
- -
Learning curve can feel steep
- -
More tutorial-style instructions would be welcome
- -
Harder to remove intermittent incidental noises than to alter whole ambience
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Cyberlink AudioDirector is a pro audio editor that delivers a raft of tools and features for recording, mixing, editing, and cleaning up sound files.
In the latest version, the Adobe Audition alternative introduces improved AI, smarter tools, and even free online audio editor, AudioDirector Online. Working in your browser, the web version includes many of the same tools including Vocal Remover, Audio Trimmer, Voice Changer, and Wind Removal.
Cyberlink AudioDirector. Pricing & plans
- A lot of bang for the buck
Cyberlink AudioDirector is available as a standalone product - either via a monthly or annual subscription or with a one-off lifetime license. Monthly subs costs $20 / £18; annual subscriptions are $70 / £60. The one-time-buy lifetime license runs to $130 / £100.
You can also pick up the audio tool as part of the Director 365 bundle. This packs in PowerDirector - one of the best video editing software - ColorDirector, and PhotoDirector for $130 / £100 a year or $39 / $25 a month.
Depending on your chosen package, AudioDirector plans can prove a little more cost-effective compared to a rival subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
This might make AudioDirector attractive to podcasting professionals, creatives working to a specific budget, or small teams looking to boost their audio output.
- Pricing & plans: 4/5
Cyberlink AudioDirector: Features
- A whole toy box of AI tools
The audio editor is equipped with several smart learning tools. Notably, the new EQ Match tool allows you to store your average EQ values to be applied to clips recorded with different mics. You can then effectively regularize audio to make it sound like one recording. Elsewhere, Spectral Recovery maximizes quality, especially on altered content and older recordings,
Another useful tool for recording artists is the plosive sounds editor. Even with a pop shield and the best enunciation, sometimes plosives - those sharp bursts of air we make when pronouncing words that start with ‘P’ or ‘B’ - find their way onto a recording. AudioDirector makes it really easy to remove these, creating a more professional and pleasant audio.
Punch and Roll Recording allows re-recording of sections of audio without affecting the rest of a take. This is essentially a ‘record from here’ command that allows issues to be fixed without having to re-record, for a much faster workflow.
There’s even an auto speech enhancement function that cleverly clarifies speech using AI algorithms. Auto-Level Single clips, meanwhile, allows you to regularize uneven levels across a project - a constant bugbear that’s all too noticeable if not achieved.
- Features: 4.5/5
Cyberlink AudioDirector: Noise repair
- Tricky editing jobs still require human learning
If you’re new to sound editing, or just new to AudioDirector, you’ll find floating information windows to instruct you to ‘select an area’. However, a few more of these with more information about the various adjustments would help newcomers even more.
The AI functionality is pretty great for dealing with ambient noise - for example, removing the rushing wind from an exterior recording.
However, as anyone who has ever performed location sound recording knows, it’s just as likely to be a single noise that just drowns out a few words or a sentence. And, in these circumstances, the algorithmic tools struggle, with the fine-tuning needed not so easy to find.
Once noise reduction was loaded, which took some time, the instruction was to apply it “if you can isolate a part with only that noise”. That’s not to say other apps can fix difficult problems with one click, but the method of doing so here could be improved with better sign-posting for the user.
- Noise repair: 3/5
Cyberlink AudioDirector: Workflows & integration
- Cross-program content creation made easy
Seamless integration between apps isn’t just a nice-to-have for today’s content creators. When you’re working within the same stable of tools, it’s a necessity.
Thankfully, we found AudioDIrector is designed to maximize your output and your workflow. For example, if you are working in PowerDirector - one of our top picks for best video editing software for beginners - you can effortlessly (and non-destructively) slip to AudioDirector to edit the audio, and then revisit the video. Here, the adjusted audio clip will be a copy, leaving the origins file unchanged.
Another neat touch is that once you’ve applied an effect, you can click on ‘produce’ to output all the adjustments into a new file. We like anything that makes storage and delivery easier especially for those starting out who may be surprised how time-consuming audio editing can be.
- Workflows & integrations: 4/5
CyberLink AudioDirector: Scorecard
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Pricing & plans | Good value subscriptions, bundles, and lifetime licenses | 4 |
| Features | Feature-rich and AI-powered | 4.5 |
| Noise repair | Great for certain tasks, but may require manual fine-tuning | 3 |
| Workflows & integration | Integrates well with other CyberLink tools in the Director Suite | 4 |
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