Today’s sound world is dominated by the digital audio workstation, and within that domain, the plugin is king. Modern workstations and DSP offer an unmatched level of power and flexibility compared to what was available using physical audio processing hardware. However, a quick look at the burgeoning modular scene shows that there is a renewed interest in hardware for sonic … [Read more...]
Lessons of a Reckless Freelancer, or How I Learned to Love the Paperwork
When I first started up as a freelance sound designer and re-recording mixer, I had never been responsible for running a business. Working for myself seemed to be the ultimate job; I could set my hours, pick my projects, and do things how I wanted to do them. Beyond this freedom, what else was there? As it turns out, I completely glossed over that whole “how to run my own … [Read more...]
DESTROY! …with Caution
I love building things. I spent a great deal of my childhood building all kinds of creations out of LEGO and K’NEX (and I still do). Of course, one of my favorite parts of the building process was the necessary destruction of the older things to make the new. Working with sound, especially taking apart the normal, everyday sounds to build new and interesting sounds, has always … [Read more...]
Hard Patching: Modular Synths
The first time I saw a modular synth, I was taken aback by the massive nest of patching cables, seemingly flying off in all directions and connecting various devices with countless knobs and flashing lights, somehow creating all kinds of strange sounds. Coming up in a mostly digital world, such a mass of wiring was somewhat foreign to me. Sure, I had put together studios … [Read more...]
“Hearing Lips and Seeing Voices” – The McGurk Effect
Want to see something that’ll mess with your head? [youtube]http://youtu.be/73LE1vKGfy4[/youtube] Now, you may not have noticed anything all that strange watching the video, but mute the sound and watch it again. After that, close your eyes and listen to just the audio. Notice anything strange now? You’ve just witnessed one of the more interesting perceptual illusions, … [Read more...]
Join Designing Sound at the AES 137 Conference in Los Angeles!
After the rousing success of our meetup at last year's show in New York (seriously, it was great!), we've decided to do it again this year! So, come join us for food and drinks at Tom's Urban on Thursday, October 9th, at 8:30 PM. Both Shaun and I will be there and we look forward to meeting all of you! More info and how to RSVP after the jump. … [Read more...]
Just Listen
Back around the time I was first starting out, I remember opening up a demo of Cubase VST (on my trusty PowerMac 6400) and taking a look through the various menus. Everything seemed pretty standard, but something in particular caught my eye, a menu item labeled “Ears Only”. Curious, I clicked on it, only to have my monitor go completely blank. After a few seconds of panic … [Read more...]