The #1 mistake people make when removing hissing noise

Let’s talk about one of the most common mistakes I see beginners make when removing hissing noise from their audio.

They crank the noise reduction value all the way up until the hiss disappears completely.

On the surface, it looks great. The hiss is gone, the meters show silence, and beginners feel satisfied.

But here’s the truth: that’s actually a sign you don’t fully understand the basics of audio editing yet.

Because when you push noise reduction too aggressively, it destroys the tone of the voice.

Your audio becomes thinner, harsher, and lifeless.

And here’s the kicker—if you’re checking your before-and-after clips on laptop speakers or cheap headphones, you might not even notice the damage right away.

But anyone listening on a decent pair of headphones will instantly hear that your audio has lost its natural body.

So what’s the right way to deal with the hissing noise?

Step 1: Find the source.
Most hiss doesn’t come from your mic—it comes from laptop fans, AC units, loose cables, or interference. Fix as much as you can at the source.

Step 2: Use the best effect in your software.

• In Audacity, your main option is the Noise Reduction effect.

• In Adobe Audition, you’ve got several noise reduction tools—try them, and you’ll notice one often works better on your recording than others.

Step 3: Explore 3rd-party plugins.
Many modern plugins (iZotope RX, Waves Clarity, Supertone Clear) are designed for this exact job—and most of them offer free trials, so you can test them on your audio without risk.

Here’s the bigger picture:
Fixing hiss is just the start.

Real advanced cleanup means knowing how to handle all the issues that make recordings sound amateur—breaths, plosives, mouth clicks, echo, EQ balance, compression, loudness standards, and more.

That’s why I created the 30-Day Advanced Audio Enhancement & Cleanup Course.

It’s an email-delivered course:

• You’ll receive 30 emails in 30 days

• Each day covers one focused lesson (what to learn + why it matters)

• Each email includes practice materials so you can apply the lesson immediately in Audacity or Adobe Audition

• You will get access to join the community

• You can ask questions in the community or observe what other people are talking about

• I will actively answer your questions in the community so that everyone benefits

• And of course, you will have email support from me to ask any questions

By the end, you’ll have the full advanced toolkit to make your audio sound broadcast-ready.

The cohort begins Friday, Aug 29 at 9:00 AM PT, and enrollment closes as soon as the first course email goes out. No late sign-ups will be accepted.

👉 Click here to join the 30-Day cohort now

Talk soon,
Akhtar
Master Editor

P.S. Enrollment closes Friday, Aug 29 at 9:00 AM PT (12 PM ET, 5 PM UK). After that, the doors are shut. Don’t wait until the last minute.

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