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...]
Our Favorite Sounds Of 2013
The year 2013 has been one of changes, additions, and collaboration here at Designing Sound and we want to thank all of our readers for their attention, suggestions, contributions, and overwhelming support. There have been so many great films, shows, games and events this year that we thought we would share some of our favorites for you to go back and check in case you missed … [Read more...]
Separating Your Signal from the Noise: The Intersection Between Bit Depth and Branding
As a sound designer, there are many different thoughts that come to mind when considering a topic such as noise. Everything from using tone generated noise, like white noise in the designing of sound effects, to a technical discussion on different types of dither algorithms, but when I kept thinking about noise, one slightly different viewpoint of the word "noise" kept coming … [Read more...]
A Little Overdue Thank You
I've been a bit remiss in my duty lately, and there are several people who need to be thanked for their contributions on the site. To begin, let me thank two gentlemen who contributed in May: Randy Thom - for his thoughts on "Time" as both an element in sound design, and a work-flow issue Jeremy Peirson - for taking the time to discuss his work on the film Looper … [Read more...]
Please Thank our March Contributors
March was kind of a banner month for us wasn't it?! There was a lot of enthusiasm about exploring the intersection of sound design and music. So please check out all of the excellent contributions from the community, and leave a comment to thank those people who donated their time to the subject. Karen Collins - who kicked the month off by taking us straight into the gray … [Read more...]
Sonic Centaurs: An Exploration of the Common Grounds Between Music and Sound Design
Guest Contribution by Carlos Alberto Manrique Clavijo "The vocation of the sound film is to redeem us from the chaos of shapeless noise by accepting it as expression, as significance, as meaning. . . ."[0A] "(…) When does sound become music? Above all, in the supreme states of pleasure and displeasure experienced by the will, as a will which rejoices or a will … [Read more...]
Sound Design and Music: Diluting the Distinctions, Strengthening the Art Form
Guest Contribution by Doron Reizes Traditionally, the concepts of music composition and sound design have been viewed as distinctly separate creative audio disciplines. Karen Collins points out in her article, “The Sound of Music, or the Music of Sound?” that, "What is often referred to as “non-musical sound”, or sound effects (including percussion) wasn’t used in Western … [Read more...]