Sound Design Stack Exchange
Sound Design Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
19
votes
13 answers

Iconic Sounds: How have they affected the way you work?

For composers, it may have been John Williams' unforgettable two-note motif from Jaws that got them into the business. What are the cinematic moments in sound design that drove you to pursue it as a career or lifelong passion, and how do they…
Jay Jennings
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Is there a significant difference in sound quality between 1/4" jacks and XLR inputs for microphones?

I have a mixer that has 4 microphone channels. Each one has both a 1/4" jack input, and a three pronged input (XLR). I can choose one or the other for connecting my microphone. I am about to buy cords for my microphones, and I wondered if there was…
Questioner
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32 answers

How do you lessen mouth noise in VO recordings?

Okay. Pardon me if I sound ranty. I promised myself I would not ask this question, but frankly, I am fed up with it. I record narration as a main part of my job in sound. I have recorded possibly over 3,000 hours (final product, edited down) of…
Utopia
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19
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9 answers

An open source sound editor, but not Audacity?

I am looking for open source/free software for casual sound editing. I've tried audacity, I know it's capable tool but really I dont like the interface. Tried snd, can't get it to work. I am looking for audacity alternative that has good sound…
mhd
19
votes
28 answers

Awesome things to record that you would not normally think about

I think it would be cool to hear about some foley sessions that people have done that involved recording very odd things to get a desired sounds. For example, I did a foley session with a friend of mine a few years ago when I was working on sound…
Benjie Freund
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7 answers

Futuristic cars

I’m working on an anticipation movie set in Paris, maybe around 2030. Visually, it will be a blend of real shots of Paris as it is now (Haussmanian architecture, old balconies) and futuristic giant screens, with maybe some hi-tech zeppelins (via CGI…
user7762
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2 answers

Silence a small section of just one channel in a stereo recording (Audacity)

I need to erase (silence) about 2 seconds of just one channel of a 2-channel stereo recording. I can use Audacity (or Ardour). I'm running Ubuntu 12.04.
MountainX
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18
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6 answers

Should I use compression in live settings?

I am running sound on a very limited budget and am wondering if adding some compression to our vocals and/or guitars will help our sound much. I am thinking I would only need 8 channels of compression and this might be a big improvement over our…
lfoust
18
votes
10 answers

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.
yves schläpfer
18
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2 answers

What is Mastering?

Can anyone explain mastering? What is it for and why should anyone care? Should I have all of my recordings mastered?
Donn Felker
18
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12 answers

Cheap DIY solutions, like using egg cartons

I record and produce as a hobby, so funds are limited. What are some nice do it yourself solutions people have found. As an example, you can line the walls with egg cartons instead of paying for expensive soundboards.
brian_d
18
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11 answers

Processing ADR to match interiors and exteriors

Hi, I have done some research into this but am still looking for some more techniques to each my students. What I basically want are some cut and dry approaches to matching ADR to a scene so that it will sound like it is in the same space within the…
oinkaudio
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20 answers

REBOOT: What makes you think YOU'RE a sound designer?

It has been 2 years since the last answer/comment on this thread. Time to restart the conversation and get some more answers to this VALID ON-TOPIC question… Although this thread has touched upon the topic, I would like to explore it…
Jay Jennings
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17
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4 answers

So I dropped my recorder in a wheelbarrow full of water…

(I should get a gold medal just for the title alone!) So anyway, I'm out recording the deluge of rain we're getting in Los Angeles last night and I tripped over something and half-submerged my Tascam DR-680 in a wheelbarrow full of muddy water. Not…
Jay Jennings
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17
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13 answers

Examples Of The Anempathetic Effect

Last night I watched We Need To Talk About Kevin and was really impressed with the use of sound. British sound designer, Paul Davies, did an excellent job of helping the story evolve and, in particular, evoking an emotional reaction in the audience.…
Colin Hunter
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