User dave matney - Social Sound Design

Canned sounds vs. ones you record yourself

2011-09-26T03:27:30Z

I've been thinking about this for a couple days, now.

On Thursday, David Sonnenschein and Ric Viers had a free webinar -- it was largely a promo for their upcoming online seminars, but it was still good -- and at the end they reviewed a couple people's videos. The first video they viewed was really pretty good, and then Ric asked the designer how much of the sounds were his own work.

After the designer admitted that only 20% of the sounds were sounds he recorded, Ric said something that got my head spinning. "If you show me a reel where you didn't make most of the sounds yourself, all you're showing me is that you're good at pulling sounds from a library."

Now, I realize that Ric is a huge advocate for recording your own sounds -- even though he runs one of the largest SFX library companies active, right nwo --, and we all should be recording our own sounds, but is that an opinion that is pretty prevalent in the industry?

Middleware for Flash / AS3

2011-03-23T18:20:50Z

Almost everything has fmod and Wwise, and many engines have their own (xact, scream, whatever it's called in the udk), but flash is downright awful with audio and it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Right now, to tweak sounds in the games my brother and I are making, I either have to go in and change the code or, even worse, go back to the sequencer and change the WAV.

Is there a better way? Is there an existing audio solution that I can do all my editing outside the code without destructively editing the wav file?

How loud is 0dB, and what is a good dB to mix to?

2010-08-23T01:59:19Z

In Shaun's recent post about the sound design challenge, he mentioned that there was a request for a loudness-limit (-10dB peak, I believe), and I realized that I was most likely the reason for it, if only in part. See, I've been mixing to 0dB average -- because I really know no better -- and I didn't know until now that it was even a wrong thing to be doing.

In none of the books that I've read have they mentioned a general dB to mix to, at least not that I can remember (it's possible it's mentioned, but if it is, it's mentioned only once or twice and not with much weight).

So... how loud IS 0dB? Coming from a guitar background, I assumed 0dB was "unity gain," and that's where we SHOULD be mixing to. Tweakheadz mentions that it's loud, but it doesn't give much more explination beyond that, and anyone that's spent any time in the Studio Central boards knows to not ask "stupid questions" because they'll just ridicule you, often without offering any substantial advice.

And, what dB should I be mixing to, on average? Where should my dialogues sit? Explosions?

In closing, sorry for the harshness of my Dynamic Interference Sound Design Challenge, and for any damages that may have occured because of my inexperience (I did, at least, realize that there was a TON of super loud subbass that was almost inaudible on my monitors, so I high-passed that off...).

Answer by Dave Matney for How many people use recordings from their Zoom or Handheld recorder?

2011-11-16T21:19:44Z

My Zoom is really the best piece of kit I own (I'm poor), but even if it wasn't I'd probably go to it A LOT. Because it's small enough to carry around in a large pocket, and it sounds decent. Finally, it's cheap enough that if it gets broken or stolen, I won't have to sell my car to get a new one.

You know what they say... the best camera you have is the one you have with you, and the same holds true for any recorder.

Critique on my latest project.

2011-10-21T03:01:33Z

My latest short film is now available on YouTube. I did all the music (and won Best Score! :D) and sound design -- 95% original recordings; there are 3 whooshes that aren't mine -- and the final mix. I was also the boom op. Everything you hear up to the moment he walks out of the shower is almost fully designed, with only a few sweeteners from the camera audio.

Take into consideration that all the post production audio was done over a weekend, with only 3 hours of sleep taken from the moment I started to the last possible minute before I had to get the mix back to the editor for rendering and uploading (it was part of a timed film challenge), so I wasn't able to get your feedback before committing. Now the director wants to do a longer cut for non-challenge festivals, so I have time to go back and fix things.

I would absolutely love some tips from people who actually know what I did, instead of "you probably did too much Foley, especially in scenes like the kitchen (where it's almost entirely camera audio)." Gotta love directors. :)

Thanks. :)

Answer by Dave Matney for Getting rid of room sound on a voice recording?

2011-10-21T03:06:38Z

This is probably a bit too late, but I absolutely LOVE Reaper's ReaFir for noise reduction.

What do sound designers need in a DAW?

2011-10-06T03:35:29Z

I was just thinking about this, today -- we talk a lot about what DAW we use, and even why we should use them, but what do we actually NEED as sound designers?

DAWs, today, are largely built for musicians and composers, and we just kind of accept what we're given. Granted, that's like saying we need a Ferrari and we're given a Lamborghini -- we can't really complain, as it's similar enough we can deal with it.

But, if someone were to build a DAW from the ground up with sound design (and all things related to sound design like audio post production), what would have to be in it?

Answer by Dave Matney for Which DAW do you use?

2010-08-19T18:19:28Z

I use Sonar Home Studio, which I occasionally ReWire with Live. The thing that's weird about Sonar is you can't compose AND do sound design in the same project, because tempo changes mess everything else up (it locks the samples to beat and measure, and not real time), but if you can learn to work around that, all is fine.

Also, I have Sony Vegas Movie Studio to downgrade videos for easier import into Sonar. Then I just export an audio file and put it all back together in Vegas.

UPDATE Oct. 2011: I just moved up to Sonar X1 Producer. It's taking some getting used to, but it still feels, largely, like Sonar.

Also, the thing about not being able to compose and design I mentioned above... that was just me not understanding things. I've learned quite a bit since then.

Answer by Dave Matney for What sampler do you use?

2011-10-05T20:20:44Z

I have Kontakt 3, but I admittedly don't know how to use it as anything more than a midi instrument (any links would be awesome).

Answer by Dave Matney for If I made a surround demo, who can actually play it back ?

2011-09-28T14:11:16Z

Assume that your demo will be viewed / listened to on a stereo device, unless they've actually ASKED for your demo. Vimeo does not support 5.1, though, so people that want it can hear it there. (see below)

Also assume that no one is going to ASK for your demo (someone will, don't worry, but assume that no one will). They're going to go to your website and maybe watch the first 30 seconds of it, and make their decision from there. They're not going to download something to burn it to a DVD and play it in their home theater -- if it's not streaming, they're not going to give you even 30 seconds.

So, in my opinion, if you plan on developing a 5.1 demo, make it your only online demo, and make it available somewhere where surround streaming is supported. Make it also compatible with stereo systems. Don't give someone the option of "Surround Sound Demo available on request," just make that the only option.

UPDATE: Official word from Vimeo is that they don't currently support surround sound, and they don't comment on upcoming features. BUT, Flash 11 just dropped, and that does support up to 7.1. (Also, Microsoft Silverlight supports surround) I would expect Vimeo to support surround sound in the near, if not very near, future.

Answer by Dave Matney for Recording sfx during sprinkle (rain)

2011-10-04T15:48:50Z

Put the gear in a garage or under a carport, well outside the rain.

Answer by Dave Matney for How did you get to where you are now?

2011-09-30T23:29:49Z

Where I am is "Lead Sound Editor" on my first short (that wasn't something my friends were already working on, or that I just decided to do because I felt the sound wasn't up to snuff with the music I had written). I got here by not going away, essentially, and being the first to jump when someone said they needed a sound designer.

I've put together a few videos, and one of the shorts I bullied my way onto won We Like Short Shorts in 2010, which gave me just enough leverage to get onto this team without a real demo.

So... if you're going to learn anything from me, learn persistence, and die-hard marketing. ;) The head of EA Salt Lake once told me "You do a really good job of letting everyone know your name, and that you do sound... so when they think of sound, they should be thinking of you."

How to handle a situation

2011-09-30T20:01:45Z

I'm doing all the sound design and music for a short film challenge, right now -- the film has to be uploaded by midnight this coming Monday (the 2nd... technically it's the 3rd, but that's just splitting hairs). Like all film challenges, we're behind where we want to be, and there's a huge press to get things done.

Yesterday, the editor and director spent 7 hours shrinking the film to fit inside the 7:06 time limit. As of this writing, they haven't gotten the final edit to me.

What she has gotten to me is that now she insists that the editor help me with the audio, because he knows what she wants. That, to me, is just not going to work.

The points being: 1) I don't know what audio editor he has, but it's not what I'm used to 2) My rig isn't easily portable 3) Having him at my place isn't an option at all (so says the wife), and I don't work out of a studio 4) the editor and I live 40 miles apart

How do I tell the director that I feel the editor and I can just communicate via Skype?

Answer by Dave Matney for Funky tripod for Handy recorders

2011-09-27T19:02:56Z

I've had the same problem as WillH... my h4n is too heavy for my WalMart brand "Gorillapod," unless I'm spreading the legs insanely wide.

Also, the EyeFi cards don't work with the h4n, or most other handheld recorders.

That's a great article for point-and-shoot camera enthusiasts, but only one product really works for handheld recorders.

The wireless SD card reader looks interesting, though.

Answer by Dave Matney for Does Izotope RX and similar software make the location sound recordist complacent?

2011-09-22T19:02:25Z

I only glanced at the rest of the replies, so it may have already been said, but I think that's a problem with the digital mediums in general (not that I'll ever move away from them); it's made us lazy. We can fix incredibly horrendous things in post that wouldn't have been feasible even ten years ago.

The way I feel is that if you, as a production recordist, provide the cleanest possible recordings for the people doing post, you will gain a reputation for being a good recordist and as someone that they will want to work with again. That means they'll recommend you, and that means more work.

Also, if you provide the cleanest possible recordings, it means that the audio won't be awful when they do a last minute edit and the audio team has almost no time to make it work.

In closing, do it right so you only have to do it once. Never fix something "next time," because you can't always guarantee there will be a next time.

Answer by Dave Matney for Could the secret ingredient or solution be as simple as reverb?

2011-09-21T15:03:26Z

I absolutely love reverb for atmos, though it's either applied like salt or I pour it on like chocolate syrup: very little, or quite a bit more than I probably should.

The best thing I've found for atmos and drones, though, is Paul's Extreme Sound Stretch.

Answer by Dave Matney for in reality, do you believe convolution compression can work?

2011-09-21T14:49:44Z

From what I've read -- days ago, when I was creating my first impulse responses -- you can't technically get a compressor IR to work. Sure, you can get it's coloring, but it will never actually compress -- that's just the science of convolution.

Answer by Dave Matney for logic 9 - max number of tracks

2011-09-19T22:38:28Z

No, it's not the only way, but it's a valid way to go. Bounce down a few tracks based on scenes and start a new project, then import the video and the new tracks -- it will suck for mixing, but you won't lose the old project.

Another solution is to break your current project apart by scene -- it won't require bouncing down, and it will free up any other tracks that are being used by another scene.

If your computer can handle it (and after 255 tracks, I can understand why it might not), consider ReWire options -- I've used both Ableton Live and Cockos Reaper in slave mode with varying levels of success. Some programs, like Sonar, will require at least a stereo track for the i/o from the ReWire slave, which might mean cleaning up a couple tracks from your 255, but then it opens up a lot more.

As for Logic-specific solutions... I'm a PC guy, so, I don't have any. Sorry.

Answer by Dave Matney for Game Audio Culture

2011-09-19T22:33:53Z

If you're lucky enough to be an in-house sound guy -- which is rare; I only know of two or three here in SLC, and they work for Disney and EA -- you'll get standard 40-60 hour work weeks, until it's time for shipping, and then you're pretty much excepted to help in the crunch, which are absolute nightmares (and huge problem with the video game industry as a whole).

If you're freelancing, which is pretty common for anyone doing game audio -- because it's really hard to justify a full-time sound person on staff -- you'll be doing the same thing as any audio guy. Lots of ebb and flow, and a few sleepless nights closer to the deadline.

It's sixes... If you're a decent freelancer, and can keep yourself busy, I'd stick with that. If you're like me and have a hard time budgeting around an unsteady paycheck, an in house job is the way to go... if you can find one.

Answer by Dave Matney for How to give a feeling of distance/position

2011-09-16T20:46:21Z

The quickest and easiest way is a little bit of reverb and volume, adding more reverb the farther the subject is away (but not TOO much, unless they're 100 meters away down a brick hallway). After that, subtle use of a low-pass filter or simply rolling the highs off. Finally, a slight doppler effect can work wonders.

Abstract Sound Design

2011-09-13T23:16:20Z

(I've already looked at the other Abstract question, and it doesn't really cover what I'm about to ask.)

Now, I know how to design literal sounds, and I'm pretty confident I know how to design for fantasy and sci fi (because I've watched A LOT of those types of movies), but I had the realization the other day that I don't have any experience creating sounds for things I've never come across before.

Like this: [youtube]BsekcY04xvQ[/youtube]

Now, that's just an example, and I have some ideas for what I could do, but for most of it it's just a reinterpretation of literal sound.

So, I was wondering if any of you have tips and tricks for that, or even suggestions on where to start.

Answer by Dave Matney for Dated office sounds (1960's)

2011-09-13T13:37:44Z

People writing on paper, and smoking indoors. (Also, incredibly sexist gender roles...)

Answer by Dave Matney for What's the strangest sound you've recorded?

2011-09-12T03:24:24Z

I fisted a silicone vagina. (I feel like that's going to get flagged, but it's the honest truth... I really need to post that sound.)

Here's the question I posted about it (slightly NSFW) http://socialsounddesign.com/questions/7016/weirdest-thing-youve-ever-done-for-sound

Answer by Dave Matney for Strategies for when you've crashed into the wall under deadline

2011-09-11T15:00:30Z

Because you have the time to walk away, do it. Get outside, hit up a library or something, or take a nap.

I've hit that point more than a few times doing 48-hour game jams, and the absolute best thing I can do at that point is walk away for a bit.

At the 2010 Global Game Jam, it meant taking a 2 hour nap in my car, followed by a McDonalds breakfast run; in 2011, it meant trying my hand at the visual art for the game (which wasn't used, but it gave my ears a welcome rest).

If you don't have the time to walk away, bring in a fresh pair of ears. Even if it's not someone who is sound-oriented, just asking them for input helps a lot.

Also, a trip to the restroom can rejuvenate your mind in ways that nothing else can.

Answer by Dave Matney for Fader, mouse or trackball?

2010-08-19T18:26:53Z

I'm a mouse user, but only because I don't have any other option. I use an M-Audio Oxygen keyboard that does have faders and knobs, but it's always seemed like too much hassle to get it to work right, when I could do the same thing with a mouse or an envelope much faster.

UPDATE 9/8/2011: That said, I still prefer consoles. I grew up in the music world, where mixers will always reign supreme. I bought my first one (Behringer 32 track) when I was 18, and I use a smaller mixer as my monitor control and for most of my i/o. The moment I can afford even a Faderport for my automation, it's a done deal.

Answer by Dave Matney for How to condition the audience for crying?

2011-09-05T18:50:01Z

For a novice, this is quite the undertaking -- making people laugh, or be afraid, is easy -- crying is something that is incredibly subjective and even the greatest composers, I would bet, would say they cannot make someone in an audience cry 100% of the time.

Context is everything. This will largely be in the hands of the actors, and how they play it; as a composer and / or sound designer, your job is simply to support it. It's like Inception (the concept in the movie, not the movie themselves)... you can't make someone feel something, you have to convince them that the emotion you want them to feel is the emotion they should be feeling without pushing too hard so that they know you're actively manipulating them.

Research the crap out of this, and not just in an internet forum; find movies and music that make you cry, that make your friends and family cry, and LISTEN to them. Analyze them. Try to emulate them to the best of your ability.

And, before anything else -- and like Markus said -- start with silence.

Kill your plugins

2011-09-02T19:38:52Z

I just came across this article by James Hogg, and it's incredibly intriguing despite being written for musicians. I know, for me, I have way too many plugins, especially considering I tend to rely on the same ones over and over.

Thoughts?

Also, it would be interesting to do a Sound Design Challenge using nothing but raw recordings and a small handful of the same plugins.

Answer by Dave Matney for You might be a sound recordist if...

2011-05-02T19:48:59Z

... you have a long-standing arrangement with all your beer drinking friends to save their bottles because you can never have too many shatter sounds.

... you have about 100 empty beer bottles in your garage just waiting for the moment their lives will come to a gloriously sweetened end.

... you have your friends trained to report all unique sounds they hear to you. eg. someone runs out of the public restroom to find you simply to say "Oh my god, you have to hear the motor on that paper towel dispenser!"

... you read the phrase "They dumped boiling water and oil on the French troops..." and your internal soundtrack fills in the Wilhelm scream.

Romero-like sound design

2011-08-31T14:04:52Z

In Utah, there is a local short-film contest, called the Demon Chaser, that's associated with our larger Salty Horror Film Festival. This contest is pretty similar to the 48HFF in that we're given a style, and a prop, that we have to use in the film. Luckily for me, it's also a lot longer, so post production can actually happen.

My team was given the style of George Romero, and the props of a tattered curtain and a broken door handle. The props aren't going to be a huge problem, but I'm very concerned about the style because Romero is so well known.

So, besides zombies, what do you think of when you think of sound design in Romero's flicks?

(And, yes, I'll be researching this thoroughly.)

Answer by Dave Matney for Upsampling Sounds Prior to Processing

2011-09-01T02:36:19Z

Stavrosound is absolutely correct if all you're doing is upsampling the sounds in your computer. But, if you're running them through offboard gear first, then definitely record them at the higher sample rate. Guitar amps, pedals, and other analog gear doesn't think in terms of sample rate, so the results coming from your offboard processing very well have nuances that the extra headroom and clarity will afford you.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-24T17:55:29Z

+1 on the metal creaks.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-24T16:12:13Z

In addition to iZotope Vinyl, you can try the plastic speaker setting in MDA Combo (from mda.smartelectronix.com). It may be too harsh, but I've found it useful from time to time.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-24T13:14:48Z

To be honest, I'm not sure.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-21T14:10:27Z

Would you believe the creepy violins are actually my acoustic guitar? I was sitting in the very back of the theater during the premiere, and our film was the only film to make people jump. :) For the pitching down, are you suggesting just lowering the drone completely, or pitching it down initially and having it bend back up, or pitching it down over time?

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-21T03:54:01Z

Oh, and the TV futzing was ADR -> a custom TV IR I made -> a little bit of Fokke van Saane's "Domestic/Upstairs 1 floor" IR -> a low pass filter and panned. Obviously, there was some automation, but it was incredibly simple for how good it turned out.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-21T03:49:28Z

That helps a lot, thank you. I'll have to compare your notes to a playback of the video, later, but I think you hit a lot of solid points that I was already aware of. The director insisted the flashback scene was dead silent, not even drones or atmos -- she wanted it to sound out of place (I hated it). The parts where there are obviously no sound, otherwise (like where the guy beats on the door frame) I cut out the camera sound because it was so bad it was unusable -- the actor did the typical "whisper to indicate I'm screaming" thing, and it just came off silly. Again, thank you. :D

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-14T15:52:30Z

That sounds awesome. Any chance you could whip up a tutorial? ;)

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-14T05:27:24Z

Macs tend to be loaded down with less crap, because they're more functional out of the box, but I actually think a fresh install of OS X uses more resources than a fresh install of Windows 7. You are right about Macs being locked to their hardware, though, and that says something about Windows computers. Even so, there's something inherently bad about how AMD processors handle multimedia editing, compared to their Intel counterparts.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-13T13:48:25Z

Look, dude, if you wanna believe that buying a Mac is going to magically make your recordings sound 6% better, then be my guest. But you're not citing anything, you're afraid to use your real name (which makes us believe you're just a troll), and now you're trying to compare IMDB-dick size (again, without a real name). We can go rounds with you all day on how what you're saying is technically inaccurate, but at this point you're not even worth it. IMO, you either need to contribute something worthwhile to this thread (the only thread you're posting on), or just GTFO.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-12T16:27:49Z

... Trash can lids, metal shelving (goo.gl/DtJLJ @ 3:00), vibraphone, glockenspiel, ect...

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-10T13:40:50Z

It's not really about practicality -- this DAW isn't going to be made any time soon, if ever. Also, considering ProTools is the industry standard, I think we're already asking a single DAW to carry the load. Furthermore, it's hardly more efficient to have to shut down one program to fire up another, or move to a different computer all together just to access something on Windows, when it should be capable in the same box you're working in in the first place.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-04T15:45:15Z

Maybe "major studio exec" is "hipster kid across town," "best of the best" is "local bar bands," and "thousands of dollars" is "copy and credit." Magically, the whole post makes sense! (And where's the mention of oxygen-free gold plated cables?)

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-10-04T14:59:07Z

Macs still get viruses, there are just currently less of them. Virus programmers have been writing viruses for Windows machines for 20 years, and only the last 5-10 years have even been worth their time to write them for Macs. If you're not running an anti-virus program, regardless of what OS you're on, you're asking for trouble.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-09-30T23:24:47Z

What I sent to the director and editor: I'm concerned that isn't the best use of what little time we have left. [Editor] has quite a bit more sound experience than I do, to be honest -- if you and he could list out the specific stuff that needs to sound the way you want it to, perhaps he could work on that and I can work on everything else, and the music. That way, we're both working with software and gear we both know, and the "second set of ears" can be used to work on half the sound design. And, while we're doing that, we can FTP our mixes back and forth and discuss the mix via Skype/IM.

Comment by Dave Matney

2011-09-29T18:31:39Z

I can't find any documentation on it, to be honest, but there are a few videos that Vimeo didn't change the Dolby speaker routing. If anyone supports it, though, it'll be Vimeo. I'll send a message to tech support to see if I can get an official word on it.