Absentia DX, from the command line.
Run your favorite tools and presets from the Terminal, process whole folders in one go, and let your AI assistant drive Absentia DX for you.
Already on your computer.
The CLI comes with Absentia DX, so there's nothing extra to install. On Mac, open the Terminal and type absentia-cli.
It uses the same engine, the same tools, and the same presets as the app. It skips the interface, so it starts in a moment and goes straight to work.
Your Absentia DX activation covers it too.
cd "C:\Program Files\Absentia DX", or add the folder to the system PATH variable to call absentia-cli from any location.What you can do.
Process whole folders
Point it at a folder, and it processes every audio file inside, subfolders included. The output keeps the same folder structure.
Use your saved presets
Every configuration preset you saved in the app works here by name: its tools, frequency range, channels and options, all in one word.
Build your own chain
Pick tools one by one, each with its own preset, and set the frequency range and the channels to process.
Keep a record
Add every run to a JSON history file: what was processed, with which tools, and how long it took.
Let your AI assistant run it.
The CLI was built so AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT can drive Absentia DX for you. Ask in plain words, and the assistant writes and runs the command.
Its built-in documentation (absentia-cli --help) gives the assistant everything it needs to get started. You can also use it to build a skill for your own workflow, so the assistant remembers how you like your dialogue cleaned.
“Clean all the WAV files in my Day 12 folder with my Dialog Cleanup preset, and put the results in a folder called Clean.”
“Run Hum Remover and Tick Remover on channels 1 and 2 of these takes, and add the results to my history file.”
“Show me which files would be processed before you start.”
Quick start.
1See what's available
2Run a preset on a folder
The results go to an ABDX_PROC folder next to your files, just like in the app.
3Or build your own chain
Tools run in the same order as in the app. tick:2 means Tick Remover with its second preset.
More examples.
Options reference.
Tools
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| -t, --tool <tool>[:<preset>] | Adds a tool. Use its name, the beginning of its name, or its number (hum, tick, 1). Add :<preset> to choose one of its presets by name or number. Repeat for several tools. |
| -P, --preset <name> | Uses a configuration preset saved in the app. Other options can adjust or extend it. |
Processing
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| -r, --range <low>-<high> | Frequency range in Hz (default: full range) |
| -c, --channels <list> | Channels to process, for example 1,2 or 1-4,7 (default: all) |
| --skip-processed | Skips tools already applied to a file (the app's Prevent Double Processing) |
| -j, --threads <n> | How many files to process at the same time |
Output
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| -o, --output <folder> | Output folder (default: ABDX_PROC next to each input) |
| -p, --prefix <text> | Text added before the file names |
| -s, --suffix <text> | Text added after the file names. In the prefix and suffix, $tools, $range and $channels become the processing details. |
| -w, --overwrite | Replaces the original files |
| --copy-reports | Copies the other files in your folders, such as sound reports, to the output (the app's Copy Sound Reports) |
| --history <file> | Adds the run to a JSON history file |
Information
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| -l, --list | Lists the tools and their presets |
| --list-presets | Lists your configuration presets from the app |
| -n, --dry-run | Shows the files to be processed, then stops |
| -q, --quiet | Shows only errors and the final summary |
| -v, --verbose | Also shows the progress of each file |
| -h, --help | Shows the full help |
| --version | Shows the version |
The app and the CLI together.
The CLI covers the processing tools. Transcribe, ALTs and Pro Tools Scripts work inside the app, where you can see and select your clips.
Exit codes, for scripts and AI assistants that check the result: 0 success, 1 some files failed, 2 invalid options, 3 not activated, 130 stopped.