Guest Contribution from Steven Smith Introduction In some ways it seems quite strange to find myself authoring a post on synthesis that has as its main topic: “Not everyone needs to be a synthesist”. But from another angle of practicality, it makes a great deal of sense. Many of us already have found ourselves naturally diving into certain areas of synthesis from within the … [Read more...]
Sound Design Inspiration from Outer Space
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmWeZHsQzs[/youtube] A few months ago I came across a Twitter post made by Stephan Schütze (a recent Designing Sound contributor) that continues to resonate with me (no pun intended) and I wanted to share it with anyone in the sound design community that has yet to hear these sounds. As a side note, Stephan's tweet was unrelated … [Read more...]
Practical Exercises for Critical Listening
Sound designers by nature have an inherent curiosity towards sound. We explore the way sounds work every time we approach a project. With each new opportunity to design a sound, we ask ourselves questions such as: What object/event produced the sound(s)? Where is the sound source located in relation to the listener, and just as importantly, how does (or how will) the sound … [Read more...]
Planes, Trains and Automobiles …and tanks and bikes and boats and…
Guest Contribution by Stephan Schütze Why I am not going to tell you which microphone to use The simple answer to this statement is, because we don’t have time. The exact choice of which microphone to use for each situation of recording a vehicle is a detailed exercise and would take more pages than we have space for. Even then, there is a major flaw associated with the … [Read more...]
Listen Up, Tony (Awards)!: Petitioning for Reinstatement
First, some confessions: I am a sound designer, I have never worked on a Broadway production, and therefore, never expected to win a Tony Award (let alone be a part of a discussion of this nature). I may not be an “insider” of the theatre world, but the decision earlier this month to stop presenting Tony Awards for sound design (of a play and also of a musical) deems a … [Read more...]
Review: Sound Librarian Sound Recording Workshop
As Designing Sound’s month devoted to Silence comes to an end, what better time to take a look at a remarkable video course that delves into the vast and interesting world of effective sound recording. The Sound Recording Workshop (video/audio series) comes to us from Sound Librarian and presenter Stephan Schütze. … [Read more...]
Effective Workflow Tactics for Remote Clients and Collaborators
Guest Contribution by Michael Schiciano Introduction The process of working on a collaborative process can be riddled with logistical headaches. Miscommunications, lack of clarity in project goals, last minute revisions, and just bad luck/circumstances can lead any project down a path of frustration. These problems become more apparent when the element of … [Read more...]