Whenever we add some sort of lo-fi effect to a sound we usually get two things, the removal of some details of the sound and the addition of artifacts. This can be a bunch of different things, like aliasing and quantization error in the case of bit crushing, distortion, speaker emulation, or the more complex artifacts created by data compression (mp3, aac etc.). I'm interested … [Read more...]
Useful Lo-Fi Effects
Lo-fi , or low fidelity, is a degraded reproduction of the original source. For the purposes of this article, we will- not surprisingly- focus on only the audio aspect of low fidelity. The reason it is used in audio so frequently is that it has the ability to simulate and mimic recording techniques and mediums, such as tape and early digital audio. Many audio engineers choose … [Read more...]
EQ as a Sound Design Tool
Ah EQ. The first type of DSP you learned how to use in school to make your sounds clean, bright, warm, etc. EQ is so much more interesting and powerful than just changing tonal balance though and I want to really focus on some of the crazy sound design we can do with an EQ, some by exploiting the DSP going on under the hood that makes an EQ work. I'll be going through some of … [Read more...]
The 30-Day SFX Challenge
Sound effects libraries are the essential toolkit of every sound designer: they are convenient and practical. Furthermore, in a time where deadlines seem to get shorter and shorter, why would one bother to hike their way into field recording when we have all the tools we need within a click from our reach? As with every overindulgence, relying on sound effects libraries for too … [Read more...]
Instamic Pro — First Impressions
This time around I decided to do something different: instead of an article, I’ve created a video to better demonstrate a few of my experiences with the Instamic Pro so far. While there will be a full review of it, I thought it would be noteworthy to talk to you about some observations. … [Read more...]
Macros for Audio Production – Automating Your Workflow
This article was born out of an idea for a GDC audio talk proposal. Another one of my proposals was selected so I thought I’d turn the core idea of this one into a DS post in case it’s of use to the community. Do you use macros in your music/sound production? If the answer is yes, then this article isn’t for you. Given January's theme is all about time management, I feel … [Read more...]
Video Interview with Ryan Billia
The folks over at Pro Sound Effects have put together a video interview with Ryan Billia of Rumble Audio. This is the first in what will be a series of "Sound Design Spotlight" videos on the Pro Sound Effects blog. Keep an eye on their feed for future videos. … [Read more...]