Anybody know where I can start to make a big stomping sound. I need it for a T-Rex, so its gotta be huge!
9 Answers
The classic thing I keep seeing in BTS videos is dropping a huge trunk or piece of timber onto the appropriate surface. Definitely par for the course for the Ethan Van Der Ryn's and Dave Whiteheads of the world - pays off well when seen in films like Lord of the Rings and King Kong.
What if you can't afford a crane, a bunch of recordists, and a multi-ton dead tree? I'd say first, match the visual surface (concrete, grass, dirt, etc.) Start with finely-articulated, not-huge layers to really sense the contact with the ground. Then do try to get something relatively heavy and drop that as well to get some variety (bags of kitty litter, phone books, or rocks pushed off a ladder, maybe?). Gather a small collection, mix 'em together with some pitch shifting on one layer. Then layer in some low-frequency effects for whomp and low-end meatiness.
Just my two cents, though, plenty of other ways to skin this cat. What else, folks?
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One of your layers could use down-pitched bass drum/floor tom with no time-correction to stretch and smooth out the transient a little, to make it sound big... you know: big is slow. Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 20:24
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Oh, heck yes, @justin-huss: Great suggestion. The 40Hz sine wave kick drum is a much-used layer here at Noise Jockey World Headquarters (tm). Good call! Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 20:26
A little trick I often use is to add the sound of air rushing out just before the impact. The sound of air moving makes the impact feel bigger.
answered Jul 21, 2010 at 12:38
Try incorporating normal footsteps with plenty of EQ and pitching. Make sure you get that heel to toe action to sell the attributes of the feet. The low end should be easy to do but make it clean and accent the second half of the footstep with it more.
If it's distance footsteps and there are objects around the area (a shed, trees, cars), make them shake with the footsteps and incorporate the environment.
I've used timpani and kodo drums to do footsteps. Just some EQ and pitch change. Get some recording of debrise like rocks and so to layer with it.
answered Jul 21, 2010 at 15:19
The pitchshifter is your best friend here. Combined with a lot of compression for a big tail...
Use a kick drum and apply a low pass filter. The same can be done with a five string bass.
When I have pitch shifted, eq´ed, layered sounds, I insert my DBX120A on the aux, and things usually gets enormous:) It just adds so much bottom its unbelievable.
Best wishes, Mikkel
answered Jul 21, 2010 at 19:44
Instead of the 40hz sine wave, I use a synth that generates noise, then with a LPF 12db or even 24db I cut down to 200hz with a little resonance and with the filter envelope I make it "bounce" (no attack, a little decay, no sustain and no release); then with the amp envelope I give it an immediate attack, a slow decay and a good release to achieve that huge sound. Since the pink noise has more harmonic content, works better than drums or sine waves most of the times. Layered with the right floor and hits, you got a terrifying Godzilla.
Also you'll need some reverb. Big sounds need reverb/echo. I recorded fireworks two days ago, I can give you the raw stuff if ever you wanted it...
answered Jul 20, 2010 at 20:32
