Sound Design Quiz 2

Steps in Planning a Sound Design (slides)

1) The Script: familiarize yourself with the script, understand the tone of the content, 2) Define the Environment: where does it take place, who is speaking, what is the energy?, 3) Analyze the Arc of the Scene: what emotions should be felt, transitioning between them, 4) Early Sound Effects plan: what ambient sounds make up the scene, what sound effects need to be heard in the scene?, 5) Sound Map: document with the script that details when additional sounds will be used, 6) Record Script: record the spoken audio for the scene, 7) Create or Design Sound Elements (find record, or create), 8) Create an Audio Mix: create submixes, for music, dialogue, and other sounds, 9) Mastering: final touches, listen to mixes at different outputs ot fully understand what it sounds like.

Diegetic Audio

The sound that exists as part of the scene and can be heard by the characters, non-diegetic audio exists outside of the scene and cannot be heard by the characters.

Non-Diegetic Audio

Heard by the audience, but not in the scene. Ex: theme music, narration voiceover, rimshot, etc.

Automation

A set of instructions for manipulating audio during playback. It can be written with pencil tool, or by setting an automation mode and adjusting faders and knobs during playback. Many different parameters of a track can be automated at the same time. Plug-in parameters can also be addded to a track’s automation.

Steps for Track Signal Flow in Pro Tools

1) Input: the routing of captured sound energy to a track in Pro Tools (found in the I/O section of a track), typically inputs consist of microphones or hardware racks, 2) Inserts: paths in signal flow where the audio is passed to a specific tool to modify the audio before returning it to the track (ex: plug-ins like reverb, denoisers, equilizers), 3) Pre-fader Sends: makes a copy of the audio signal from the track to SEND to another location. Pre-fader sends include in the input and the inserts as the signal being sent, 4)Volume(Fader): volume is displayed as a fader in pro tools, controls only affects the output of the recorded audio signal, it will not adjust the volume of input during a recording, 5) Post-fader Sends: these sends function like the pre-fader sends, the difference is they also contain the volume information from the signal, 6) Pan: used to control the location of audio in multi channel signals, the most ommon application of this is moving the audio signal to the left or right side of the output, 7)Output: the final step of signal flow is output, signal output can go to two different places- 1) an interface output (like speakers), or 2) a bus.

Bus

A type of signal path that can route audio from multiple tracks together. Buses are used in the process of creating submixes in a session. Submixes are valuable in a session because they allow for multiple tracks of audio to receieve the same moxing or effect instructions at the same time. Submixes are often sent to an Aux track to add effects since Aux tracks cannot hold audio files.

Dry Signal

When audio has no effects attached to it

Wet Signal

When audio has effects attached to it

Signal Flow

The concept of how sound is routed from input to final output. When working with signal flow, it is important to make sure that inputs and outputs are properly routed.

Three types of sound effects: Hard effects

Actual Sounds- keyboard typing, tv playing, cooking noises, etc. Any actual sound that would be heard in real life because of an action. Created by recording the actual sound.

Three types of sound effects: Soft effects

Artificial sounds that help tell the story but would not be present in real life. Often created by synthesis. Ex: whooshes and beeps.

Three types of sound effects: Foley effects

Actual sounds created by artifical means. Ex: horse galloping by hitting coconut shells against wood or sand, etc.

Basic Folder Tracks in Pro Tools

Can hold other tracks to help organize a session

Routing Folder Tracks

Function like Basic Folders, but also work like an aux track, and create a bus named after the folder.