by 
Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Add the voice clip to your timeline
Place the clip you want to transform on your timeline. This works best on a clean voice recording, so if your dialogue already has a lot of background noise, fix that first. In the tutorial the video clip sits on V1 and its voice lives on the A1 audio track, which is the one we are going to treat.
Click the audio clip to select it. All the settings below apply to the audio only, so your picture is not affected.
Step 2: Find the Multiband Compressor
Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects) and type multiband into the search box. The effect you want is Multiband Compressor, which you will find under Audio Effects > Amplitude and Compression.
Drag it onto the audio clip on the timeline, or double-click it while the clip is selected.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Multiband Compressor and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 3: Open the custom setup
With the audio clip still selected, open the Effect Controls panel. Under Multiband Compressor you will see a row called Custom Setup with an Edit... button. Click it to open the Clip Fx Editor, a larger window with the frequency display and four compressor bands.
If you cannot see Effect Controls, take a look at our guide on fixing missing Effect Controls in Premiere Pro.
Step 4: Choose the Walkie Talkie preset
At the top of the Clip Fx Editor, open the Presets drop-down. Premiere ships with a long list of presets for this effect, including Broadcast, Drums, Internet Delivery and Toy. Scroll to the bottom and pick Walkie Talkie.
The preset changes the compressor bands for you. In the video the second band is the one that does most of the work, with its threshold at around -30 dB, a gain boost of around 18 dB and a ratio of 4:1, and the other bands are left flat. That focuses the sound in the middle frequencies, which is exactly the narrow, radio-like tone you want.
Step 5: Listen and compare
Press the space bar and play the clip. You should hear the voice sound compressed and tinny, as if it were transmitted. To check the difference, click the small power button next to Presets. It bypasses the effect, so you can switch between the original and the radio version.
Close the Clip Fx Editor when you are happy. The effect stays on the clip, and you can reopen it any time from Effect Controls.
Tips
- Keep the audio level in check. The preset boosts the middle band, so watch the audio meters and lower the clip volume if it peaks into the red.
- Add radio details. A short click or burst of static at the start and end of each line sells the effect even more. Only add them where a speaker actually starts or stops talking.
- Apply it to just one speaker. Put each person on their own audio track, then apply the effect to only the voice that is supposed to be on the radio.
FAQ
Does the walkie talkie effect work on any audio clip?
Yes. Clear speech gives the best result, because the effect shapes the tone of the voice. Music or noisy recordings will sound distorted rather than like a radio transmission.
Can I use this effect on several clips at once?
Yes. Select all the audio clips, then paste the effect onto them, or copy the clip with the effect applied and use Paste Attributes on the others.
How do I remove the walkie talkie effect?
Select the clip, open Effect Controls, click Multiband Compressor and press Delete. To keep the effect but hear the original, tick Bypass instead.
Want the full radio feel? Pair the voice effect with ready-made sounds from the Sound Effects Pack Mini.
