most recent 30 from http://socialsounddesign.com 2012-02-05T03:55:07Z http://socialsounddesign.com/feeds/user/253 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/12408/boxing-fight-sound-design/12416#12416 Roger Middenway 2012-01-29T20:34:37Z 2012-01-29T20:34:37Z

<p>I've heard, from someone who's tried it, that bashing around a raw chicken filled with peanuts (in the shell) is a pretty good layer for body/face hits.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/9746/getting-into-business-after-25/12395#12395 Roger Middenway 2012-01-27T04:31:00Z 2012-01-27T04:31:00Z

<p>The remaining 40ish years of your working life is a long time to be wishing you'd taken that other fork in the road. </p> <p>My boss got into sound post something like 10 years ago, after 30ish years in the music industry. </p> <p>My dad was a photographer for more than 30 years before getting into web design. </p> <p>My girlfriend is, in her late 20s, embarking on a degree in psychology.</p> <p>At the school where i did my MA in sound design, 2 out of the 4 screen composition students were over 35. </p> <p>I'd go so far as saying that, in this industry, maturity is definitely a bonus. And, as i'm sure you saw in other comments, just mentioning your background in robotics will make you the life of the soundparty and get you bonus points in an interview.</p> <p>I studied with some awesome people, and they are great contacts to have, but that's because i worked with them. When you work with people, and they see that you're dead keen on sound, you'll have the same thing before too long.</p> <p>Keep us updated!</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/12240/strange-sounds-heard-worldwide-any-ssd-comments/12250#12250 Roger Middenway 2012-01-18T14:29:38Z 2012-01-18T15:42:21Z

<p>Is this the first hoax to employ social media like facebook? Not bad, although it seems that the commenters on the youtube video are picking up on (as well as the birds) the "Hollywood-ness" of the groaning metal sound. If it was me, i would have gone with a less easily recognisable sound.</p> <p>Can creating an Unidentified Aural Object be the next Sound Design Challenge?</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/12095/voiceover-editing-procedure-tips-please/12102#12102 Roger Middenway 2012-01-06T12:36:01Z 2012-01-06T12:36:01Z

<p>In addition to what Shaun said, be careful with expansion. If you're using a plain old digi Expander/Gate, anything more (or rather less) than a -6dB range will be a bit too heavy, and could result in pumping. A multiband expander like Waves C4 (with the "4 Band Noise Reducer" setting) will be much better if you have don't have the quietest recording set up.</p> <p>Your set up sounds fine, although i second Shaun's recommendation of using aux tracks as submasters. Personally, i never use Master tracks in Pro Tools because i prefer to use an Aux track (that i use as a master) to a record track (rather than the old "Bounce to disk").</p> <p>I also like to put a brick wall limiter like Waves L1 on the master track so i can adjust dynamics easily. If your mix is destined for web-only use, you may want to play around with the dynamics and max peak so your work sits well against all that other randomly-leveled web content out there. </p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11998/what-was-the-job-you-were-most-proud-of-doing-in-2011/12017#12017 Roger Middenway 2012-01-01T03:43:49Z 2012-01-01T03:43:49Z

<p>I finished up sound post on my first feature this year. We had an excellent dialogue editor/ADR recordist, who i was very thankful to have, because i pretty much did the rest. A year of late nights and weekends, trial and error, guerilla foley in vo booths/the producer's basement, and by the time we were done, i still felt like i had 1000 more things i wanted to tweak. </p> <p>I watched it through the other day when i was recording out DME stems, and i'm pretty satisfied with it.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11895/what-is-the-sound-equivalent-of-mise-en-scene/11896#11896 Roger Middenway 2011-12-18T19:40:59Z 2011-12-18T19:40:59Z

<p>I think mise en scene relates to all aspects of film production, including sound. </p> <p>Because it means "putting on stage" or something like that, i think it can be interpreted as pertaining to anything that has been put into the world of the film. Things like the blocking of the actors, or the way a set is dressed; but also the inclusion of a loud highway outside, or neighbours having loud sex on the other side of the wall. </p> <p>It's kind of an ambiguous term for me, but that's my basic take on it. </p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11802/looking-for-a-sound-designer/11803#11803 Roger Middenway 2011-12-09T23:41:46Z 2011-12-09T23:41:46Z

<p>Try mandy.com as well as craigslist. Also, make sure you offer, at very least, a token compensation. There are so many ads on craigslist offering "credit and copy" (which should be a part of any working relationship anyway). I can imagine that a lot of the ads calling for volunteers would be flagged by people tired of seeing them. Even just $100 - whatever you can spare - would go a long way towards attracting someone who's serious about the role.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11695/imdb-etiquette-can-you-just-claim-your-role/11698#11698 Roger Middenway 2011-12-04T06:02:14Z 2011-12-04T06:02:14Z

<p>I just go in and list myself on imdb. I don't think that's bad etiquette if you did work on it, and i imagine that everyone does the same. One of my imdb credits is even listed as "uncredited", despite the fact that the post supervisor asked me 2 or 3 times for the spelling of my name for the credits.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11686/un-easy-frequencies-used-in-film-to-create-tension/11688#11688 Roger Middenway 2011-12-04T00:31:44Z 2011-12-04T00:31:44Z

<p>Good question; i know this occurs to a lot of sound designers at one time or another. A lot of examples of cinematic tinnitus are around (Children of Men, Saving Private Ryan, Noise, etc.). In those films it's more of a psychological diegesis than a non diegetic effect, though (which is what i think you're talking about).</p> <p>A couple of potential problems for this approach are: </p> <ul> <li><p>Playback system frequency response; if you're trying to use a very high (or low) tone to induce discomfort, it may not even come through on some playback systems. Not to mention the fact that an older person might not even hear a higher frequency tone, while it won't be subtle at all for a teenager. </p></li> <li><p>Habituation; Constant sounds that don't change are pushed to the back of our psychoacoustic perception. I can't say whether or not this will negate any subliminal effects, though. An interesting idea that this brings up is that an audience member may notice when such a tone stops, while not being aware of what exactly has changed. I think raising a question (however small) for the audience can be very effective in the right place.</p></li> </ul> <p>IMHO, using a single tone in an attempt to subliminally affect the audience is a bit of a clumsy technique by itself. The idea behind it can be a good starting point for creating effects more specific to your film's needs, though. Like the tinnitus/ear ringing thing, or low thunder/synth rumbles.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11672/bleeding-waveform/11674#11674 Roger Middenway 2011-12-02T23:20:12Z 2011-12-02T23:20:12Z

<p>+1 to Rene, the audience won't be looking at your waveform.</p> <p>Does anyone know what causes this, though? I've had some waveforms that look like their centre axis is well below where it should be. It doesn't bother me, as long as it sounds fine, but i wonder what causes it.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11538/how-do-you-maintain-consistency-between-various-locations/11543#11543 Roger Middenway 2011-11-23T18:48:53Z 2011-11-23T20:43:36Z

<p>If you keep your radio mic in a similar area all the time (which can be difficult with wardrobe changes, but that's part of the challenge!), that should be consistent and not contain too much noise. A big thing to watch out for though, is clothing rustle.</p> <p>Booming is a trickier proposition. You want push that thing so far into frame that the camera op starts gesturing wildly at you, then slowly back out until he/she stops. During the rehearsal, of course. And make sure to tell them that you're getting your position, otherwise you might piss them off.</p> <p>Always lav and boom; having 2 tracks is very useful for post production. Even if you can't get in as close as you'd like with the boom, record it anyway.</p> <p>It's a big, long learning curve, but a good location recordist is priceless.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11478/approaching-dialogue-recovery-with-clipped-audio-what-to-do-first-documentary/11481#11481 Roger Middenway 2011-11-20T19:28:01Z 2011-11-20T19:28:01Z

<p>Looks like Shaun and Olle have covered everything, but just about Izotope DeClipper: It has a threshold setting, and i'm pretty sure that only audio above the threshold is extrapolated. So if you put your threshold right at the point where the audio is clipped, you should be fine.</p> <p>Also, you haven't mentioned it, but if you have a camera mic track, you can use that (with some eq treatment) to paste over very short clips.</p> <p>Good luck!</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11397/audio-hats-that-have-the-most-pressure/11409#11409 Roger Middenway 2011-11-15T18:19:13Z 2011-11-15T18:19:13Z

<p>I used to work as an audio assistant on a live to air morning news/variety show, and i have massive respect for the audio directors there. They have to deal with: </p> <ul> <li>a rolling schedule that stops for nobody </li> <li>various audio sources (satellite feeds, hybrid boxes, studio mics, tape playback) - all of which can, and do, drop out at the worst possible moment </li> <li>a 5:00 am start and a 9:00am finish - during which they can maybe get away for a single 2 minute toilet break </li> <li>a noisy control room where you have to yell to be heard</li> <li>on air talent who aren't really sure how to work their IFB receivers</li> <li>directors who ask for random music tracks with no advance notice</li> </ul> <p>It's not as high stakes as the Grammys button press, it's more like a marathon of pressure. </p> <p>Hats off to TV audio directors!</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11217/first-time-recording-in-forests/11230#11230 Roger Middenway 2011-11-05T18:53:02Z 2011-11-05T18:53:02Z

<p>I'm not really familiar with the west side of australia, but there's a good chance you'll be able to get a lot of cicada recordings. In fact, you might wish those little things would just shut up for a second, depending on the weather and area. Like Stavro said, some generic tree forest movement tracks would be fantastic. I always find myself wanting recordings of branches creaking/rubbing, and close perspective leaves rustling. </p> <p>As far as weather, i think WA is generally pretty dry, but don't quote me on that. Your gear should be good, as long as you don't let it overheat. Try to keep it shaded. And i don't think ticks will be attracted to your dead wombat, as they go for body heat. Always check yourself for ticks after you've been walking through bushes and whatnot, though. Also, general safety tips: take more water than you think you'll need, and be careful around long grass, as you might disturb a snake.</p> <p>Good luck and happy recording! And enjoy NZ film school; there are a lot of brilliant sound post folk down in that corner of the world.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11142/doppler-sfx-on-voice/11153#11153 Roger Middenway 2011-11-01T15:56:37Z 2011-11-01T15:56:37Z

<p>Off the top of my head, i'd say use a very mild doppler pass at the end, in the key-word pass-by. Doppler plug ins affect pitch, which is fine for cars and whatnot, but the effect of a pitch change on a human voice will stick out like a sore thumb, and potentially sound silly.</p> <p>If you're after the effect of the voice coming closer and closer, and then whooshing by, you could use eq/panning/reverb/performance to create this effect, and bolster the effect of your slight doppler shift at the end.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11107/a-hypothetical-stereo-mixing-question/11116#11116 Roger Middenway 2011-10-29T21:05:15Z 2011-10-29T21:05:15Z

<p>I agree with Fred here. I think cinema sound has a set of conventions which don't necessarily reflect reality. When you break those conventions for no other reason than to reflect reality, it tends to stick out as a "mistake" to an average viewer. Film is a collaborative medium though, so a realistic sound treatment can work very well if it's supported by another area, such as cinematography, editing or acting.</p> <p>I was actually thinking about this exact phenomenon last night, walking home. Fireworks to the west sounded exactly like they were coming from the east whenever i was between buildings. It's a cool psychoacoustic effect.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/79/best-use-of-silence-in-a-film/7025#7025 Roger Middenway 2011-04-02T05:06:48Z 2011-10-28T14:41:08Z

<p>There are 2 films from the same director, Kyoshi Kurosawa, that use silence in an interesting way. Not just designed silence, but an absolutely (or, if not, very close to) dead soundtrack.</p> <p>Cure (1997) has a scene where the antagonist (to use the term loosely) hypnotises a doctor. I can't remember the exact details but, as he speaks to her (doing the whole hypnotist soothing voice thing) the image cuts to some water, spilled from a glass, trickling along the floor. It's accompanied by the sound of water oozing over the floor, then fades to nothing briefly. Very eerie, and creates a strange effect.</p> <p>Tokyo Sonata (2008) has a scene in which a mother sees off her rebellious teenage son, who's leaving to join the army. As the bus he's in pulls off, there's a tight POV (from the mother's perspective) of her son's face in the window, which is accompanied by a brief dead spot in the soundtrack. The scene was already quite emotional but, somehow, the dip to silence gave me a lump in my throat.</p> <p>Madeo (2009): i don't know what it is with Japanese/Korean sound design, but this one also has a fantastic use of dead silence in the final shot of the film.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10718/hey-new-yorkers-whos-recording-occupy-wallstreet/11021#11021 Roger Middenway 2011-10-21T23:12:49Z 2011-10-21T23:12:49Z

<p>I got out to Occupy Times Square and grabbed some stuff. Here's a link to one of the better recordings, all of which come from my little Zoom H4N.</p> <p> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/rogermiddenway/crowd-protest-banks-got-bailed" rel="nofollow">Crowd Protest Banks Got Bailed Out Times Square</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/rogermiddenway" rel="nofollow">Roger Middenway</a></p> <p>I'm hoping to get them cut and labeled next week. Just give me a shout if you want them.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10758/theory-of-incorporating-bone-conduction-sound-through-solids-in-sound-design/10773#10773 Roger Middenway 2011-10-07T15:02:57Z 2011-10-07T15:02:57Z

<p>I think, unless you have one of your bones in contact with a surface, the effect won't be one of "realism". Wouldn't our fleshy foot-soles do the same thing as the shock mount? Doesn't mean it won't be a cool effect though; just last night i was recording some stuff w/ a hypercardioid+contact mic. Mainly for a surreal effect, though.</p> <p>Sound recordings don't sound like what we really hear because our hearing mechanism is insanely sophisticated. I'm no psychoacoustics expert, but i think a lot of that comes from our brain/ear's ability to localise and focus on specific sounds.</p> <p>I also think that, while these discussions are fun, we can say "could/would/should" all day, but there's no substitute for empirical experimentation. So give it a shot and post results!</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10706/is-there-a-quick-easy-way-to-re-sync-a-sound-edit-for-a-short-film-or-is-just/10710#10710 Roger Middenway 2011-10-05T16:49:35Z 2011-10-05T16:49:35Z

<p>Definitely don't grin and bear it. I think this is where managing clients' expectations comes in. The client needs to understand that reconforming takes up your time, especially when they don't even want to provide an edit change list! If it's an unpaid gig, it might be an idea to tell them that they can only submit one cut to you for work, and can't change the picture afterwards. If there is some pay, make sure they understand that reconforms will cost extra.</p> <p>If you do end up reconforming (because you like the client, or they're willing to pay you) and you don't want to fork out for Virtual Katy or something, i have a quick and dirty method. Get them to lay the last mix you gave them under the picture, and make all their cut changes to your mix as they go. That way, when they give you an omf of the track that had your mix, you'll see all the cut points.</p> <p>Shaun's idea sounds good too, i might try that next time. Also, EDLs do help a lot; but for shorts where there aren't that many cut changes, i find the method i mentioned above to be quick and reliable enough.</p> <p>My sympathy goes out to you for that gig! Only 4 versions though? They didn't want a "For my parents" cut? Or a "director's girlfriend's cut"?</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10602/does-the-use-of-adr-result-in-loss-of-characterisation/10604#10604 Roger Middenway 2011-09-29T19:24:02Z 2011-09-29T19:24:02Z

<p>Interesting idea, nice one!</p> <p>In my personal (but by no means extensive) experience, ADR by actors and directors that aren't extremely familiar with the process tends to produce performances that lack some character and emotion. The little imperfections that happen in the on-set delivery of lines also, i think, add realism. In ADR things can be over-produced to the point of being sterile.</p> <p>On the other hand, some actors insist on ADR. I'm not sure how much material is out there on this topic, but i have heard the Marlon Brando and Russel Crowe deliberately deliver lines that will be unusable, so they can fine tune their performances in ADR. </p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10520/canned-sounds-vs-ones-you-record-yourself/10529#10529 Roger Middenway 2011-09-26T13:03:47Z 2011-09-26T13:03:47Z

<p>I wonder what would have happened, had the sound designer lied and said 75%... </p> <p>I think perception is all the matters in the end. Recording your own fx can let you follow your sound-vision more accurately; but library FX search/selection/placement is an art that's often looked down on. You'd think that people in an often under-appreciated industry like ours would understand the arrogance of looking down on any creative process, but i guess everything is relative.</p> <p>I guess the point of my rant is that where you got your FX is of 0 relevance; only the perception of the end product matters. </p> <p>IMHO</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10499/dialogue-editing-a-scene-without-dialogue/10504#10504 Roger Middenway 2011-09-24T17:08:15Z 2011-09-24T17:08:15Z

<p>It depends what's in your location tracks, and how noisy they are. The imperfections from what was picked up on the day can give your scene life, but not if there was an air conditioner they wouldn't shut off, or the wrong kind of bird outside, etc.</p> <p>It's up to you, but if there's nothing too ugly in there, it would be handy to have a sync fx track to pull from. I'd still recommend ADR for breaths and foley for movements, so you have more freedom in the mix, but having a cleaned up location track may help sell the scene more.</p> <p>Just reread your question, and you should definitely cut in atmos tracks as well. Room tone, external wind, stuff like that. Build up every little sound of the world of the movie.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10371/some-tips-to-soften-wind-noise/10376#10376 Roger Middenway 2011-09-15T20:48:01Z 2011-09-15T20:48:01Z

<p>I think the main thing you'll come up against is the transient nature of the wind noise. Noise reduction doesn't deal so well with that, but def give Utopia's advice a go.</p> <p>Also, it may be too late for this, but the wind won't be as bad if you can see that it's windy. Get the editor to cut in some stock footage of a tree bent over in a hurricane. Well, not really, but there are subtle ways to do it. Failing that, you could fill it out with some library wind to smooth over your noise reduction.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10194/how-necessary-are-professional-quality-music-composition-skills-in-the-sound-de/10216#10216 Roger Middenway 2011-09-09T19:47:20Z 2011-09-09T19:47:20Z

<p>I would say that they're not important at all. On small jobs, the client is happy for the sound designer to compose (or vice versa), but larger jobs call for more specialisation. IMHO, a project benefits from having separate people handling the sound design and the composition. Sound and music, in film, can work very differently. While you can have someone handling both, i find that collaboration makes for a better product. You should also realise that scoring for film is very different to composing standalone music, as you have to take into account story, tension, drama, character, and so many other factors. In most cases, anyway.</p> <p>While a knowledge of music can help with your sound design, it's not necessary. My advice would be to focus on what you're passionate about (which seems like it's sound design). Definitely try to develop your composition skills, if that's what you want, but be aware that it's a whole other craft that will take a lot of practice to master.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10112/computer-sleep-wakeup-click-sound-healthy-for-monitors/10141#10141 Roger Middenway 2011-09-04T19:27:37Z 2011-09-04T19:27:37Z

<p>I think it's just a spike caused by the signal suddenly being cut off. I doubt it'll blow everything up (unless maybe you have your monitors cranked), but it's always a good idea to turn your monitors on last, and off first. Also, i'm not sure if you're using PT at all, but DigiDesign don't recommend letting your computer go to sleep while running their software.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10092/misinterpreting-sounds/10108#10108 Roger Middenway 2011-09-03T07:44:40Z 2011-09-03T07:44:40Z

<p>One day, after a 4am shift, i was having a siesta. Drifting in and out of sleep, i heard what sounded like someone playing a trumpet upstairs. When i woke up, it turned out to be someone talking. It was interesting because it wasn't a case of my dreams trying to incorporate the sound so i don't wake up, i actually felt like i was hearing a trumpet.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/9770/using-a-stereo-bar-for-x-y/9772#9772 Roger Middenway 2011-08-21T22:07:29Z 2011-08-21T22:07:29Z

<p>I've used a stereo bar for X/Y before. Clearly the mics can't both be at the exact same angle of elevation and have coincident capsules; but you can adjust the angles slightly and make the capsules coincide. I do have a slight anti-audiophile bias, but i sincerely doubt that the difference in angle of elevation between the mics will be an audible one.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/9563/production-audio-check-list/9572#9572 Roger Middenway 2011-08-11T19:27:47Z 2011-08-12T12:49:41Z

<p>The number 1 thing i want from a location recordist (apart from good, clean dialogue coverage, of course) is room tone. It's very important that you record this with exactly the same mic set up that you've been using to record the dialogue, and the same mic positions too. A slight change of angle can alter the character of the sound, so try to keep things as close to the original angles as possible. Also, nothing wrecks a fill track like crew who think that "quiet on set" means "slowly set up for the next shot".</p> <p>Also, wild takes of anything that seems unique to the shoot come in handy. If it's a low budget production, try to get wilds of any vehicles that may be involved. Talk to your sound designer beforehand, and see if he/she has a wish list, or any requests for you.</p> <p>And finally, one of my bigger pet peeves: if you're recording wild lines, make sure it's done right. In the past, i've received utterly useless wild lines, where the actor is just reading off the script, and the mic is right in their face. If you're recording wild lines, make sure the actor is still performing, and keep the mic at a reasonable distance. Otherwise, you may as well not record them at all.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/9246/cant-hear-my-vocals/9252#9252 Roger Middenway 2011-07-22T17:00:55Z 2011-07-22T17:00:55Z

<p>There's a knob on the mBox 2 labelled "Mix". If you turn it in one direction, you'll only hear whatever's plugged into your inputs (mics, etc.). If you turn it in the other direction, you'll hear your Pro Tools outputs. I can never remember which direction is which, but it's easy enough to check.</p>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/12427/removing-background-location-music-from-documentary-dialogue/12431#12431 Roger Middenway 2012-01-31T18:00:46Z 2012-01-31T18:00:46Z

Also, i believe this kind of phase cancellation doesn't work. Anything less than an impossibly exact level of exactness will only boost the music.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/12095/voiceover-editing-procedure-tips-please/12102#12102 Roger Middenway 2012-01-06T16:21:52Z 2012-01-06T16:21:52Z

@Pim Using aux tracks as master/sub-masters (and recording your mix to audio tracks in PT) lets you control your signal flow a lot more. It's necessary if you need to record separate stems simultaneously. If you hear that one little thing you want to tweak towards the end of your mix; you can stop, tweak it, and continue recording, rather than start again from the beginning. Also, you can't monitor sound against picture while you're using the bounce function.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11997/how-do-you-tell-people-what-your-profession-is/12005#12005 Roger Middenway 2011-12-31T18:22:31Z 2011-12-31T18:22:31Z

Yes! It seems that every time i try to explain what i do, the conversation ends with &quot;Oh... ok&quot;.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11655/sound-editors-dilemma/11696#11696 Roger Middenway 2011-12-04T05:58:31Z 2011-12-04T05:58:31Z

+1 I've had much better luck when contacting someone i really want to work with when i've been able to say &quot;(mutual contact) recommended that i get in touch with you&quot;

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11686/un-easy-frequencies-used-in-film-to-create-tension/11688#11688 Roger Middenway 2011-12-04T03:47:40Z 2011-12-04T03:47:40Z

Just found this article about the effect of infrasound on an audience: <a href="http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0300whatson/0800events/page.cfm?objectid=12647919&amp;method=full&amp;siteid=50061" rel="nofollow">icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0300whatson/&hellip;</a>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/11672/bleeding-waveform/11674#11674 Roger Middenway 2011-12-03T00:54:24Z 2011-12-03T00:54:24Z

Thanks @Fred! The DC offset clips i mentioned came from a VO artist's home studio, so i'll let him know next time.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10948/first-pair-of-omnis-for-ambient-recordings/10949#10949 Roger Middenway 2011-10-17T13:02:26Z 2011-10-17T13:02:26Z

+1 on DPA4061s. I've been planning on buying these myself. It looks like they don't go for any less than US$440, but definitely worth it for a nice quiet spaced pair.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10494/share-your-audio-jokes/10760#10760 Roger Middenway 2011-10-07T22:18:13Z 2011-10-07T22:18:13Z

Speaking of dubstep: <a href="http://www.explosm.net/comics/2565/" rel="nofollow">explosm.net/comics/2565</a>

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10735/question-fixing-bad-audio-cleaning-up-single-mic-long-dialog-takes-film-sound/10737#10737 Roger Middenway 2011-10-07T17:22:52Z 2011-10-07T17:22:52Z

@Captain_Dan: ADRduous - i like it! Can i steal that term? Also, i've done a film like that... It's an interesting exercise in bringing ADR to life.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10602/does-the-use-of-adr-result-in-loss-of-characterisation/10604#10604 Roger Middenway 2011-09-29T22:29:03Z 2011-09-29T22:29:03Z

Hey, go easy! That's our (Australia's) boy! I don't know though, we watched him in Master and Commander in ADR class, and he does use his voice pretty well. Especially when you compare it to his older films.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10520/canned-sounds-vs-ones-you-record-yourself/10527#10527 Roger Middenway 2011-09-26T16:25:06Z 2011-09-26T16:25:06Z

Or a biiiiig LOTR style foley session. But i agree with @Utopia. Say you have scene where you can see some heavy wind in pine trees needs some aural fleshing out - do you find your nearest pine forest, wait til it's windy, then head out and record it?

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10387/films-with-pov-audio Roger Middenway 2011-09-16T17:58:00Z 2011-09-16T17:58:00Z

Nice question! I'm going to come up with some films later, when work dies down. For the meantime, also consider how all the departments work together to create the POV. Sound can be amazing for creating someone's headspace, but if it's not supported by the way it's shot or cut, it's nowhere near as effective.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10332/pt-question-is-there-a-key-command-for-switching-automation-modes Roger Middenway 2011-09-14T15:03:33Z 2011-09-14T15:03:33Z

Out of curiosity, why do you want to change from read to touch? As long as you don't touch the fader or pot, or any other enabled parameters when writing auto, they behave pretty much the same way.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/10194/how-necessary-are-professional-quality-music-composition-skills-in-the-sound-de/10218#10218 Roger Middenway 2011-09-09T23:11:02Z 2011-09-09T23:11:02Z

It's true, there are a lot of sound designers out there who have at least dabbled in music; in fact, i think that's how a lot of them become interested in sound. But it's my opinion that rhythm/timing, timbre, pitch recognition, etc. are also facets of sound design, and so are also learned through practicing sound design.

http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/9593/pre-film-school-preparation/9594#9594 Roger Middenway 2011-08-13T18:02:16Z 2011-08-13T18:02:16Z

+1 on refurb! Expensive top power Intel i7 dual/quad 3GHz 17 inch etc. Macbooks are for video editors! Sound editors can work smoothly and confidently on boxes that cost half as much. And i'd stay away from Lion for now, or at least until you ensure that it'll still run all your software.