Questions tagged [sound-effects]
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365
questions
34
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10answers
3k views
As a sound designer, how often and when do you decide “that doesn't need a sound”?
This is a question about personal observation of designer aesthetics and taste.
As someone who is hired to design sounds for all types of moving pictures, animations, graphics and scenes, I find ...
22
votes
47answers
3k views
You might be a sound recordist if
You are recording yourself typing right now.
You've just destroyed an expensive piece of equipment during a session, but you're OK with that because it sounded cool.
You accidentally dropped a ...
17
votes
10answers
2k views
Where can I find free sound effects?
Free sound effects sites. One per answer.
Please make sure that you are not posting a duplicate. If you see duplicates, please vote them down and comment to let the author know.
13
votes
4answers
608 views
SoundSwap - trading sound effects
This isn't really so much of a question as it is a heads up. I've added a new forum to my website called SoundSwap. All it's for is trading sound effects and nothing else.
I started thinking about it ...
12
votes
4answers
1k views
Foley artist leather toolkit!
Good morning from Greece guys! I was surfing the internet today and i found something very interesting indeed! A toolkit created for foley artists dedicated for making the classic Swoosh, thud, bash, ...
11
votes
12answers
2k views
What are the small bits in your field recording bag?
Yes, yes, we've all got preamps and recorders and mics and cables and hoary marmots in our field recording sound bags. But what else is in your bag? What are the little bits and bobs you really ...
10
votes
7answers
99k views
How to create the muffled sound effect like hearing through walls?
I don't know what's the correct technical audio term for it. How do you create the sound effect to simulate hearing a sound source from far away through thick walls? Kinda like you would hear standing ...
9
votes
23answers
2k views
What sound bursts your bubble?
When enjoying media for entertainment purposes, what specific sounds shatter your suspension of disbelief?
For me, it is the call of a loon. I grew up in Muskoka, which is a cottage district in ...
9
votes
3answers
688 views
What is expected from a sound effects editor?
What are the exact tasks that a sound effects editor is expected to fulfill? Apart from choosing the effect and editing it, are we expected to also mix, place the SFX in a space, EQ to context, etc.? ...
9
votes
3answers
14k views
Filtering sounds to make it appear underwater
Is there a commonly accepted filtering process to make sounds appear as if they are recorded underwater
It could be a generic low-pass/band-pass filter?
What cutoff frecuencies could I use?
8
votes
6answers
670 views
What's your favorite, personally-stashed 'money' sound?
Hey fellow SSDers! I've been doing some library cataloging today, digging through some recent shows to finish some much-overdue mastering (who am I kidding though, I'm nowhere close to finished hah). ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
“13 Ghosts” voice effect
I just want to find out if anyone knows how to create the "ghostly dialogue" in 13 Ghosts. What effects are used and how did they mix it together?
8
votes
3answers
479 views
Why Are Professional Sound Libraries So Noisy?
I just started field recording about a year ago. I initially took a tech course on GameAudio, that's what initially sparked my interest. While in the class we were encourage to listen to and study ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
How should you mix / master when producing music for Video Games?
Should anything be done differently when mixing and/or mastering for Video Game music, considering it will play along with various other game SFX?
Should a certain range of frequencies (or multiple ...
7
votes
16answers
11k views
How to make nice whooshes??
Hi! I'd like to start thread to share some secrets on how to create nice whooshes, everyone has their own technics and methods so how do you make fresh, new whoshes???
7
votes
10answers
16k views
How do you create the deadliest sounding gunshots?
I have been experimenting with different layers to create a perfect gunshot but they all fail and sound like toy guns. What do I have to layer in order to create a deadly sounding gunshot?
7
votes
9answers
8k views
Tips on Car Recording?
I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on recording car engines/cars in general?
I'm thinking of hiring a Marantz PMD671 to record with, and as for mics, I was going to hire a few different ...
7
votes
4answers
551 views
Making a “Gears turning” Effect, and then grinding to a halt
What would be a way to acquire this sound without actually building or finding metal gears that turn?
7
votes
3answers
3k views
How do I prepare my sound files professionally to share with others?
Hello. I have a question about embedding the correct sort of metadata and general professional preparation for my sound files so I can pass to others and it'll be appropriate for their professional ...
6
votes
10answers
5k views
Jurassic Park - Classic Roar
Curious. Do any of you know exactly what went into that sound? I've heard a variety of things, namely elephants, lions and washing machines; I imagine it might be a combination of all three.
~Cheers
...
6
votes
5answers
473 views
Recording Glass Shatters
I'm planning on a short indoor recording session of shattering long fluorescent tubes. Who has done this and has sage advice to share? Mic choices? Best way to contain debris while not coloring the ...
6
votes
6answers
560 views
What “Boutique” SFX collections would you like to see made available?
A bit topic of the past few weeks has been smaller "prosumer" sfx collections. Chuck made one, Tim has two out, I'm working on a few, and I know others are two. Earlier today Nathan called them "...
6
votes
8answers
1k views
How would one “morph” human vocals with a bat scream?
I am producing sounds for an old time vampire game. I have recorded human vocals in Latin that I would like to combine with a bat scream. It's (obviously) for a section in the game where the vampire ...
6
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1answer
3k views
How to loop an engine sound so that it doesn't sound looped?
I have this audio clip here.
It's of a car revving up through the gears.
I'm making a game and the sound for each gear of the car is all stripped from this one audio file.
Although, I need to make ...
6
votes
6answers
766 views
Recording experiments at 192kHz: what to record?
In the near future I'll be renting out a Sound Devices 702 in order to experiment with recording various sounds at 192kHz - and I'd like some suggestions on what will yield the most interesting and ...
6
votes
2answers
243 views
How to Add Soft Roundness (Prettiness) To Sound FX?
I have a question that’s been boggling my mind for a long time. How do people create those puffy, soft, airy elegant sounds in mobile games?
I’m not sure how else to explain them, but it’s almost ...
5
votes
8answers
815 views
5
votes
9answers
2k views
Parachute Sound?
How would one go about creating a parachute sound?
I've tried flapping clothes in front of a microphone and processing them.
5
votes
7answers
254 views
What records well to tape?
I never had the privilege of cutting tape and splicing tape.
However, the studio I work at owns a couple great tape machines.
What sound effects do you think would sound great on tape?
I know Horns ...
5
votes
6answers
1k views
8bit old school nintendo sound FX
Does anyone know where to buy these things in library form legally?
5
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I create, or where can I find a decent neck breaking sound?
So I am currently busy doing the sound design on a student film which has a character snapping another character's neck with her hands. Thus far I have cut in a sound effect that I found of someone ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
What's Your Preferred Method of Pitch-Shifting?
A question in multiple parts:
First off, we're all recording at the highest bit and sample rates possible (right?) in order to extend the use of the sounds we capture. The opportunity to make bigger, ...
5
votes
3answers
377 views
How long do you usually take on a effect/on a track?
I've always wondered how long it took other sound designers to finish a single sound effect. Sure there are those 2 min wonders, but I know sometimes a sound effect can be so frustratingly obscure (I ...
5
votes
5answers
435 views
Tips for recording/designing ball kicks
I need a bunch of sounds of rugby balls being kicked. I need big, I need small, and everything in between. In the movie, the kicks always happen on the field outdoors.
I have an idea as to how I ...
5
votes
3answers
577 views
Sound Librarian (The Job-Title, Not The Software)
What is the modern definition of a Sound Librarian? Do studios / houses still hire Sound Librarians, or have the responsibilities simply fallen to the sound effects editing team as a whole?
In my ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Favorite plug-ins for building creature vocals
Besides the obvious like pitch shift, I have a few favorites such as Prosoniq's Morph and PiWarp, iZotope Spectron, and GRM tools as well as some of the Pluggo suite. What are your favorite plug-ins ...
5
votes
2answers
404 views
Do you know other wave equations?
I know that if we run these formulas on some software like MatLab, we can obtain the waveforms of some effects:
- Ping wave:
f(t) = sin(2*pi*t*f) * exp(-t*4)
f(t) = sin(2*pi*t*f) * exp(-t*4) * (1 - ...
5
votes
7answers
526 views
SFX recorded or library
Do you use SFX libraries (like Sound Ideas, Hollywood Edge ...) or do you record your own SFX?
5
votes
2answers
288 views
Happy accidents/unexpected discoveries in SFX recording
Sometimes what you set out to record ends up being much less impressive than that random "sound of opportunity" you happened to stumble across on the journey. I believe Ben Burtt was looking for ...
5
votes
2answers
224 views
REQUEST: Playful elephants
I am cutting a nature doc about deforestation and I have hit a brick wall on a certain scene.
In this scene, we are in an elephant habitat and there are about 6 adult elephants that are bathing in ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Any documentary films on Sound Design in Film?
I've a bit of free time at the moment so I've been watching some films and documentaries. I've watched some docs on the topics of film v digital (side by side) and other docs on video special effects. ...
4
votes
10answers
648 views
Use of library sounds vs recording from scratch?
Hi all
Was just wondering how much of your work consists of library sounds (bought or licensed) for generic / hard effects like doors, vehicles, footsteps, etc, etc....
Are there certain scenarios ...
4
votes
10answers
942 views
Sound Libraries Index
This platform is getting bigger everyday as there are industry professionals&amateurs among us spending their valuable time to help people. I think in the near future, Social Sound Design is going ...
4
votes
12answers
1k views
Sound Design - Stun Grenade
Hi guys,
I'm making a war film and I'm stuck designing the ringing sound you get after being stunned by a Stun Grenade. it's the sort of sound you get from a tuning fork but louder... any ideas?
4
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the workflow for audio post for TV?
Hi
I am a university student currently writing my dissertation on the audio post production process for television ( and specifically drama). I was just wondering if anyone answer any of the ...
4
votes
7answers
784 views
Recording Sound Effects in Urban Environments
So, I'm a sound effects recordist that lives in downtown Orlando. Now, for a huge city, Orlando isn't terribly noisy (compared to NYC or LA at least), but I do often find it difficult to capture ...
4
votes
4answers
461 views
How to widen a sound effects dynamics? Uncompression?
Hey guys,
I have done a lot of sound design using some punches, body falls, kicks, etc. that were mashed and mastered and normalized and compressed and every-which-way processed.
Does anyone have a ...
4
votes
4answers
315 views
Video game music setup
I'm a musician/programmer and I'm looking to begin creating video games. In terms of sound production I'm lost. I want to make sounds reminiscent of SNES mario games/zelda Closer to the super meat boy ...
4
votes
3answers
313 views
Electronic Sparking/Arcing Sounds
Has anyone got any tips on creating/recording electronic spark/arcing sounds? Is there anyway to create these without an arc welder or a tesla coil?
4
votes
4answers
450 views
SPL During Mix Sessions on a Stage
Ok, this is kind of a tandem question to Davide's question yesterday, but I felt it needed a separate question.
What are "standard" levels for a mix down on a big stage? (the stage I'm on is a Dolby ...
