Games and other interactive media put us in faraway worlds with unique characters, let us touch them, and delight us by showing us they know we’re there. In addition to visuals, sound effects, and gameplay, we have the unique opportunity to let people interact with the music. In this five-part, weekly tutorial series, we'll go step by step through the process of making an … [Read more...]
“On Thin Ice”: A Sampling Session Retrospective
Guest Contribution by Chris Burgess There are two points to this article. The first is, if you see something you want to do, get out there and make it happen. The second, being that when an opportunity presents itself to you, be aware enough of your surroundings to scoop it up (and then record some awesome sounds). What follows is an account of my attempt to record dry ice … [Read more...]
Designing Musical Sounds
Guest Contribution by Brendan Hogan Making music from a single household item is hardly an original idea at this point, but if you’re a sound designer or an electronic musician and you haven’t taken a shot at it, I would highly recommend the exercise. I’m a huge fan of limitations. Not only will the challenge of making an entire piece with one “non-musical” item push you … [Read more...]
Review: S-Layer, The New Sampling Creature of Twisted Tools
After several fantastic effects, sequencers and sound manglers, the crazy minds at Twisted Tools have released a new sampler called S-Layer. It's basically a sampler for Reaktor focused on the interaction and control between sound layers, allowing you to rapidly create all kinds of sonic combinations. S-Layer allows to add up to eight layers of sound and manipulate the way … [Read more...]
Jim Stout Special: Making Mechanical Sound Effects
Jim Stout recording and processing mechanical sounds. … [Read more...]