DIY sounddesign...?

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2002 1:40 pm

hi there, because there are no sound f/x which i can afford or i'm satisfied with, is it possible to make some of my own?
means, what do i need to make them (synths, books, software etc.). i want primarily make my own sounds for a sci-fi-movie. thx.kind regards.

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2002 2:37 pm

speaking as a sound designer, I've often been in the same situation: can't get the sfx or sound I want, and I am stuck w/ sfx I can't really use convincingly either...what to do?well, if you are into synths/samplers, these can be useful. I have one main synth/workstation I use nowadays that can already do some freaky stuff...if I need to, I can freak it out even further and it works quite well, depending on the situation. I also like to use Cool Edit Pro for heavy duty sfx processing...Nuendo is pretty good too. if you decide to use software to manipulate your sfx, you also may want to get some good plug-ins that are more sound design oriented, etc. not so much compressors/limters, but flanges/echos/filter type stuff. hope that helps.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2002 4:59 pm

Yes, it's not only possible to make your own SFX, it's great fun as well. And the sounds you end up with will almost always have a better fit with the film than what you could pull out of a library. What you need most is some imagination, which means that you can create compelling SFX on virtually any budget.

I'd suggest that you start the process by sitting down with the film and making some fairly comprehensive notes about where and what you need for sound. Really try to get a clear sense in your head of how the film is going to sound. Then you can come up with an effective plan for creating all of the elements you'll need.

As for tools - synths, samplers and software tools can all be good options for SFX design, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, but don't rule out the more basic tool sets. A microphone or two and a DAT machine will let you capture sounds that you can then use as is, or load into your sampler or computer software as elements that can be morphed in any number of directions.

I have a squeaky oven door in my house that has a wonderful metallic reverberant tail to its sound when opened. Pitched down about two octaves with just a touch of flanging, it is an other-worldly chamber door being forced open.

And you don't need computer-based tools to do this stuff. Maybe you or a friend have a multi-speed taped player - reel-to-reel is even better. You can pitch stuff up and down, play things backwards, make tape loops from various elements. An inexpensive reverb unit, some guitar stomp boxes... Well, you get my point. There are all kinds of ways to manipulate sound in interesting ways without spending a whole lot of money.

Hope this helps get you thinking in some new directions. Good luck with your film. And above all, have fun!

Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2002 10:28 am

Check Sonic Foundry Acoustic Mirror! I was blown away with my first ``test modelling`` , my own cellar. It actually works!

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