Hi Folks,
Sound design is the opposite of plug and play. There are no rules. That makes it difficult to write or speak about.
I try to think about it as a cross between photographic and music composition. In photography, composition is about foreground, midground and background, what's in the frame and where. What's in focus and what's out of focus.
In music composition, it's about the arrangement of instruments, their individual parts, how they combine and layer. In music production, the addition of reverb and echo can smear and stretch the sound.
So begin thinking about the space in stereo or in surround - this is your two or three dimensional canvas. Also begin thinking about the frequencies of sounds - these are your paints.
And, to a certain extent, you're right; you can't get much while reading about it. It's sort of like glass blowing. You also can't get very far watching someone else do it. You have to play with it.
Think outside the box; taking a sample of sound and slow it down or speed it up until it sounds like something else. Learn to think about what a sound will sound like when sped up or slowed down so you can do it in your head as you compose.
The thought process is this. Does this need sound design? What do I want it to make the viewer feel? e.g. happy, sad, terror, sympathy, you name it. Will a simple, single sound do it? Do I need sounds, music or both?
Layering can be complex, requiring attention to the background, midground and foreground, or just one or two of these.
Placement from left to right also requires attention, depending on on what else is going on with dialog.
How's that?
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader.
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