I was born in England in 1988. Some of my earliest memories involve old BBC and Mac computers. I grew up listening to CDs, MiniDisks, playing "Duck Hunt" on my sister's NES. The dial-up modem sounds are imprinted on my memory. I recall my father ordering books from Amazon.com back when that's all Amazon sold. In my teen years I assembled my own computer to save money and grew … [Read more...]
Dynamics In Education – Interview With Michael Sweet, Professor of Game Audio at Berklee College of Music
As the Artistic Director of Video Game Scoring at Berklee College of Music, Michael Sweet leads the development of the game scoring curriculum. Michael is an accomplished video game composer and has been the audio director of more than 100 award winning video games. His work can be heard on the X-Box 360 logo and on award winning games from Cartoon Network, … [Read more...]
Synthesis Tips for the Non-Synthesist
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...]
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...]
Field Recording and Music
Guest Contribution by Dan Lyth The story of the 'bedroom producer' recording music at home has been told often and I myself have happily been that character for many years. But recently, a love of field recording (and my day job as a sound designer) tempted me towards doing something a bit different. What would it be like to leave the studio and record an entire album … [Read more...]
Tunes and Tones: A Writer/Director’s Perspective on Sound
Guest Contribution by Pierce O'Toole Writer/Director Pierce O'Toole shares his thoughts on music and sound design, and how they play into his creative process. As a writer and director, my biggest concern on any project is the story. Every project has a story that you are trying to tell. When I approach sound, the lens I view it through - or the speaker I hear it through, I … [Read more...]
Noise, Storytelling with Sound, and Visuals on the Radio with Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad
I recently had the chance to chat with Jad Abumrad, creator and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab. Each episode of Radiolab explores ideas in science, technology, and the universe at large through a seamless blend of expert interviews, sound design, and music. Together with co-host Robert Krulwich, the show has covered topics such as sleep, colors, cities, and loops, just to name a … [Read more...]