Adobe Audition 3.0

Import a bitmap image as audio

In Edit View, you can import bitmap image (BMP) files created by any application. For the most predictable sonic results, import images of spectral graphs you saved from Adobe Audition and modified in an image-editing application. For sonic experimentation, import photographs, logos, and other visually-oriented files.

When importing a saved spectral graph, make sure the related phase file is in the same folder. For more information about saving spectral graphs, see Spectral Bitmap Image (.bmp).
Bitmap image imported into spectral frequency selection

  1. (Optional) Open an audio file you want to incorporate an image into. Then, in Spectral Frequency Display , select a time or frequency range.
  2. Choose File > Import Bitmap.
  3. Select an image file in BMP format, and click Open.
  4. Select one of the following import options:
    Carve/Modulate Into Selection
    Applies the imported image as a mask, which filters existing spectral data.

    Direct Paste Into Selection
    Completely replaces existing spectral data with the imported image.

    Overlap Paste Into Selection
    Adds the imported image to existing spectral data, producing results similar to the Mix Paste command. (See Mix audio data when pasting.)

    Full Import To New Waveform
    Creates a new audio file from the imported image. When you click OK, this option displays the New Waveform dialog box, where you specify sample rate, channels, and bit resolution. For more information about these options, see Create a new, blank audio file.

  5. In the Advanced Options section, adjust the following settings if needed, and then click OK.
    Note: Some options below are available only when specific import options are selected above.
    White, Black
    Determine the decibel values that the brightest highlights and darkest shadows correspond to. Specify a small range to produce compressed audio or a large range to produce more dynamic audio.

    Gamma
    Adjusts the midtone point, determining the relative amount of highlights and shadows. The standard gamma for Windows is 2.2. If the imported image was created in Mac OS, however, specify the standard gamma for that platform, 1.8. Or, specify more extreme gamma settings to produce experimental results.
    If you set Black to a high amplitude value (such as -20 dB) and White to a low one (such as -100 dB), invert the gamma for better results. For example, instead of 2.0, use 0.5.

    Frequency Spacing
    Available only with the Direct Paste and Overlap Paste options above, this setting determines how colors are distributed across the frequency spectrum. Lower values space colors more densely but require longer processing. Higher values provide quicker processing but reduce image detail. The default setting is 100 Hz for linear frequency display mode, or 100 Cents for logarithmic display mode. With cents, large values (50 or more) provide more musical results, particularly in Pure Tones mode.

    Pure Tones
    Produces spectral lines at specific frequencies that vary in amplitude based on the image data. In logarithmic mode, harmonic results are easily achieved. In linear frequency display mode, results are very robotic and buzzy.

    Random Noise Bands
    Adds a random frequency to each spectral line, smoothing out the harshness of pure tones. Solid color patches play as smoother noise, hiss, or rumble.

    Track Spectral Features
    Achieves higher detail with fewer spectral lines. The results are less buzzy than with Pure Tones mode, with the ability to simulate noise cleanly as well. Individual lines in the source image are translated to individual frequency harmonics that follow the contour of the original image. Grass, whiskers, branches, and other features with lines are reproduced as spectral lines, providing a pen-and-ink or woodblock-print effect. Subtle patterns in the image are also preserved and audible. (By contrast, the two other modes above lose pattern detail.)

    Log Amplitude or Linear Transfer
    Converts brightness values into audio amplitude either logarithmically (interpreting color data as decibels) or linearly (interpreting color data as amplitude percentages).

    High Resolution
    Available only when Carve/Modulate or Full Import is selected above, this option increases image detail, requiring longer processing. High resolution is recommended if the bitmap image is an exported spectral graph that you modified in an image-editing application such as Adobe Photoshop.

    Reset
    Returns all settings to the defaults, which are best for importing to a new file.