Apparatus, method and computer program for manipulating an audio signal comprising a transient event

An apparatus for manipulating an audio signal comprising a transient event comprises a transient signal replacer configured to replace a transient signal portion, comprising the transient event of the audio signal, with a replacement signal portion adapted to signal energy characteristics of one or more non-transient signal portions of the audio signal, or to signal energy characteristics of the transient signal portion, to obtain a transient-reduced audio signal. The apparatus also comprises a signal processor configured to process the transient-reduced audio signal to obtain a processed version of the transient-reduced audio signal.; The apparatus also comprises a transient-signal-re-inserter configured to combine the processed version of the transient-reduced audio signal with a transient signal representing, in an original or processed form, a transient content of the transient signal portion.