User shaun farley - Social Sound Design

Answer by Shaun Farley for BIG wave rise and crash sound

2013-05-22T11:42:34Z

James has given you a good point on dynamics. There's also the issue of creating detail and individual moments. The problem you may be having is that the sound is too uniform. If there's no change in character (a simple volume swell isn't really much of a change), then there's nothing "dynamic" about the sound. It will end up just feeling flat. Try layering smaller waves together and adjusting the balance between them. Little "crashes" in the build-up may give you the sound you're looking for.

Another trick I've found useful making broadband sounds appear "larger" is to layer in some filtered pink noise underneath; using it to fill out the spectrum. It might work well with an automated EQ to give your wave a bit more life.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Pre Dub mix question.

2013-05-18T10:54:42Z

My workflow may be different from others, as I'm primarily a one man band, but I don't see the point of "baking" the pre-dubs anymore. With the flexibility of non-linear DAWs and (relatively) low cost of storage space, my finished "pre-dubs" are simply Pro Tools sessions that I compile into one larger session. It may be necessary to bounce multiple tracks together if there's a shortage of voices, of course, but I do my utmost to compact in such a way that I am not locked into a decision. When I get into the full mix session.

Following on from that, I do a lot of work at the pre-dub/pre-mix phase. I'll do leveling, relatively precise panning, basic noise reduction, EQ for matching between takes, transient compression and enhancement wherever necessary, etc. I do the bulk of my processing as inserts on tracks, and will revise as necessary once I hear everything in context. That usually means I'm pushing a bit of processing a little harder, not backing off. For me, the point of the pre-dub is to simplify the work left during the mix; strip away the low-level sound decisions and focus on specific moments. When I pull all of the pre-dub sessions into the master mix session, everything should behave similar to how I feel the rough mix needs to sound. Then we can spend time evaluating what works and what needs to be amended. Using sessions instead of traditional pre-dub files leaves a ton of flexibility for that process.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Films with "POV" Audio

2013-05-07T11:50:18Z

I've done a couple of post on DS about this subject. Just put up one yesterday, and covered a few other films in a two part article: part 1, part 2

Answer by Shaun Farley for DVD Mix Specifications

2013-05-02T19:31:58Z

There aren't really any specs for the straight to video market that I'm aware of. I typically go for a film style/non-spec mix with a smidge less dynamic range; since it's primary viewing location is a living room, not a theater. I'm interested to hear what other people do. So, thanks for bringing this topic up.

Answer by Shaun Farley for SFX General Libraries

2013-04-25T11:41:08Z

I haven't worked with the Soundstorm library, but I can comment on Sonopedia/Blastdrive. Sonopedia is a great overall library, but I do sometimes find that it lacks in terms of variations/multiple cuts. I've always been surprised that Ric didn't include more variations in some of his sound files. The library will cover most of your basic needs though, and there are a ton of "designed" effects or constructed sequences...plenty of production elements/stingers too.

You may want to look into the Hyrbid Library that Pro Sound Effects offers (it's about the same cost). I did a review of it for DS, and the other libraries included fill out the few deficiencies in the Sonopedia/Blastdrive that occasionally drive me nuts. You or Steve can always e-mail me if you want any additional impressions of either library.

Not so much sound related, but an etiquette request...

2012-12-11T12:55:30Z

Hey folks. I see this happen every once in a while on the site here. A whole string of questions that were asked ages ago suddenly get bumped to the top of the list by the site's coding, burying recent questions that are still active.

My request? If you're one of the people who asked a question that just reappeared, go in and select an "answer" if a good one was provided, or close the question if you no longer care. Naturally, leave it alone if you're still waiting for one (maybe edit the question itself with an update).

Let's keep this site productive and relevant!

UPDATE: Well, we seem to be getting nowhere with people policing their own posts. Won't you join me in voting to close those posts that get automatically cycled back to the top? We need 5 votes to actually close a question. You can find the "close" link directly beneath the subject tags.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Tips on analysing sound design on films?

2013-04-19T11:52:22Z

I'm going to come at this from a different angle. Since that's your list of potential films, I think you're severely limiting yourself as far as potential learning opportunities. Granted, there's a lot of interesting sound design in the modern blockbusters/action films you've compiled (Snow White being the only exception)...but there's a much larger world out there that you should give yourself exposure to. The "art" in sound design comes from the why, not the how.

I think you should re-evaluate what kinds of pairings will give you a strong opportunity to compare approaches. Maybe you pick an animated and a live action film that have the same sound designer (Randy Thom on "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Cast Away" would be a good example). Perhaps you compare approaches to animated films between two different cultures; something like a Studio Ghibli film vs. Disney...or maybe something more independent like "Triplets of Bellville". Pick a foreign Director/Sound Editor pair that have worked on multiple films together...Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Gerard Hardy immediately come to mind. They did some very interesting things in "Amélie" and "Micmacs."

My point is this...

First, expand your view a bit. Then, think about the possible links between films that will provide opportunities for comparison. It will prepare you to think a bit more critically about the use of sound, and is more likely to lead you down the road of creative sound use...which, in my opinion, is more important than sound generation.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Tips on field recording set up

2013-04-17T15:44:36Z

Monitor audio from the camera, not the mixer. All too often, people set perfectly usable levels on the mixer and screw it up at the camera. Monitoring from the final device in the chain will help ensure that you get good audio. Make sure you use a reference tone when setting your headphone levels as well.

The Best of Simple Ideas

2012-10-15T15:39:11Z

Have you ever had one of those moments discussing workflow, processing, or what have you...where someone mentions something that's such a painfully simple concept, you wonder why you never thought of it before? Maybe you've simply had a "Eureka!" moment on your own. Let's create a little archive of these hidden common sense gems.

Here are two examples:

A favorite eureka moment of mine many years ago...just because you're using a compressor, doesn't mean you have to add make-up gain.

Another that I have to give René Coronado massive credit for...You can do easier fast automation moves, if you write automation while in half-playback speeds.

What have you got?! Make me face-palm.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Mixing surround sound via optical cable

2013-03-11T16:03:19Z

The monitoring probably won't work. The optical connection on computers is S/PDIF, not Lightpipe/ADAT. That means it will only carry two channels of audio. If you have an encoder plug-in that you can put in line between your discrete DAW tracks and the computer output, you might be able to pull it off.

Answer by Shaun Farley for What do you use for video file conversion?

2013-03-01T17:15:48Z

I use MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5. It's free, and it transcodes just about everything out there.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Light flicker sound

2013-02-27T22:19:18Z

I'd suggest looking for very light, thin, but slightly resonant metallic clicks and building it out of those.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Decibel levels of animals

2013-02-27T03:51:00Z

That's probably going to be tough to find. The only things I've spotted recently were articles discussing the loudest insects (which are some of the loudest creatures on the planet), and I could only say those were in the last year...specific articles, sources and dates are completely lost to me. That might be a place to restart your google search though.

Edit: Here's a good start point: NatGeo article

Answer by Shaun Farley for Which sounds in history would you like to have been able to record?

2013-02-24T17:24:17Z

Besides the obvious answer of extinct animals. My first priority would probably be to record ambiences without the presence of human civilization. No cars and traffic, no aircraft, no electrical interference from cellular and radio...just pristine nature.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Regarding Showreels/Demo's/Etc on SSD

2013-02-19T19:09:23Z

I don't think it's necessarily out of form. If someone is posting here in hopes of gaining attention or exposure within the sound community, they're wasting their time. If, however, they're looking for honest and constructive criticism, they've got a good chance of finding it.

To be honest, I tend to ignore reel posts. I just don't have the time to sit down, view/audition and formulate a critique. I do know that there are other people who have the time to respond and do. Even if it's just students/young professionals talking amongst themselves, discussion is an important element in professional growth. Not everyone comes here seeking to expand the discussion within the sound industry. Many come simply to learn. Let them have the opportunity to discuss the lower level topics, and one day they'll be contributing to the higher level ones.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Pro Tools 10 bouncing regions/cips with fades?

2013-02-13T23:57:57Z

You could do an internal bounce (route through a bus and record to another audio track). That would lock in all the processing, fades, etc. without the hassle of dealing with the Bounce to Disk window. You can even create interleaved or mono files as necessary by making that change in the Session Setup window.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Unveil, what are your experiences?

2013-02-13T12:56:25Z

I've toyed around with the demo quite a bit, and it's on my "to purchase" list. There are just a couple of higher priority items ahead of it at the moment. It's an impressive piece of software. Like RX2, I always describe it as a "reduction" tool, not a "removal tool. While it's got a bit of learning curve before you start getting the best results, those results can be impressive. It's far more effective than any expansion or multi-band expansion tricks I've used in the past, and those were always the ones I turned to.

Colin is working on a review which we hope to have up on Designing Sound sometime soon. In the meantime, why don't you try out the demo. Just make sure you read through the (short) manual. It's not a plug-in you can really make sense of just by looking at.

Strategies for when you've crashed into the wall under deadline

2011-09-09T19:41:40Z

So I hit the wall today. Sooner or later, everyone comes to a point where they realize they are doing more harm than good. It's that point where you realize that everything you're doing is sub-par and will just have to be redone later. I'm in a good spot for it, because I'm ahead of schedule on my current project. I can afford to walk away from it. I've only an hour left in my actual work day, and it's Friday. Plenty of time to recharge over the weekend (despite the fact that I have different freelance work to do).

It got me thinking though, "What if I wasn't in a good spot?" Say you're under a tight deadline, and you hit this point. What would you do to recover? I haven't encountered that situation before...a hard deadline and fear can be great motivators ;)...but can only assume that someday, sooner or later, if even only once, it could happen.

Anyone have any strategies for working through the wall?

Edit: I'm referring more to a lack of energy and focus in this question than I am to aesthetic choices. It's less of an artistic viewpoint and more of a critical faculties issue.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Mid/Side with cardioid & omni

2013-02-07T01:06:52Z

I don't believe that will work...not for the typical "stereo" effect anyways. The purpose of the figure-8 is to provide opposing polarities in one signal, allowing there to be a difference when each it is summed and inverse summed with the center channel. You'd also run into an imaging issue in the front/rear plane, as the omni would not provide rejection to the rear as a figure-8 does.

The viable methods of M/S always involve a figure-8. A cardioid/figure-8 pair is the optimum in combination, in my opinion. Hyper-carioid can work, but there's a small bit of rear pickup that can affect imaging. Shotguns can create strange null points, depending on the fall off patterns of the supercardioid and figure-8 patterns, and has a more pronounced rear pickup than a hyper does (there's that imaging issue again). I personally don't like using omnis in an M/S setup. Coloration tends to be an issue, and nasty phase issues can happen if the decoded M/S signal is summed down to mono. That's not to say that none of those combinations can work. They just take careful testing and mic matching. Cardioid is safe, predictable and gives very nice imaging.

But I guess the actual point is that you need a figure-8; otherwise, it's not M/S.

Answer by Shaun Farley for mix room alignment -32dbfs/85 db spl or -20dbfs/85 dbspl

2013-01-30T12:46:51Z

The most common standards are -20 and -18, there are some people who use -22 though. It's an issue of how much head room you want while you're mixing. You can mix to whatever reference you like, just know that it will affect your mix decisions. For example, if you mix to a -22 reference your mix will likely be quieter than if you mixed it at a -18 reference.

Setting your digital/electrical reference level to match a specific SPL is also partially dictated by the volume (meaning size...you know, length X width x height) of the room you're mixing in:

Greater than 20,000 cubic feet (566 cubic meters) - 85dB-SPL
10,000 to 19,000 cubic feet (283 to 565 cubic meters) - 82dB-SPL
5,000 to 9,999 cubic feet (142 to 282 cubic meters) - 80dB-SPL
1,500 to 4,999 cubic feet (42 to 141 cubic meters) - 78dB-SPL
Less than 1,499 cubic feet (41 or less cubic meters) - 76dB-SPL

Answer by Shaun Farley for normalizing dialogue, what approach

2013-01-30T19:27:02Z

"with dynamic between -18 and -6" doesn't mean anything. Dynamic what? Dynamic range?

Maybe your peaks would hit between -18 and -6, but an RMS or LeqA (which is what -27 is referring to) should not be getting anywhere near that. If you think that sounds too quiet, then it's likely you need to properly calibrate your system: http://www.dynamicinterference.com/blog/2010/09/quick-and-dirty-monitor-calibration/

Answer by Shaun Farley for using soundminer on an AUX BUS for monitoring.

2013-01-26T12:55:07Z

It's a "rewire" plug-in in the "instruments" category...if I'm remembering correctly. It's automatic for me. It's called SM Engine, or SM Eng...again, autmoatic for me.

Answer by Shaun Farley for PT 8 - pt 10 hardware

2013-01-15T12:35:51Z

You can still use the 002 Rack with Pro Tools 10. I do.

You'll need to download the updated drivers though. They can be found here, under the "Firewire Device Drivers" heading. Install those before updating to 10.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Internal drive on pc formatted for hfs

2013-01-15T12:30:30Z

...and your PC can read that Mac formatted drive?

Sounds like your computer already has a version of Mac Drive installed. Do you have an older version of Pro Tools that installed HFS+ support? If so, that's an older version of Mac Drive, and you should be fine.

Just a heads up, Avid is no longer paying for the right to distribute HFS+ support with Pro Tools. If you upgrade to 10, it gets uninstalled. You'll need to purchase Mac Drive at that point, or else your PC will no longer be able to read Mac formatted drives. I've heard that some people have been able to preserve the HFS+ support by uninstalling the old version of Pro Tools (preserving HFS+ support), then installing 10. I've never spoken to anyone who has done this though, and it might be conjecture on the part of the people who have mentioned it.

Best Sound in Horror/Thriller Films?

2013-01-14T00:19:12Z

It's been a while since I've had the urge to sit down and watch a good horror or thriller flick. I was wondering what people think are the films with the best sound. I'm not just referring to the sound design either. If you think the mix is stellar in a particular film, I'd like to hear that too.

Answer by Shaun Farley for The 'Sonic' Planck

2013-01-14T13:52:44Z

Hmmm....there's potential. I don't know about in a daisy-chain configuration, but maybe it would work in a [source > distributed network > summed signal] configuration. I will confess to having no direct experience with what I'm about to descrie; it's only something I've read about.

Because of the random quality of Brownian Noise, a signal that gets split, fed to matching electronics, and subsequently summed can have an increase in signal to noise ratio (from a purely electronics standpoint that is...I'll touch on that in next paragraph). A pair of signals from the same source that are summed, after nominal gain in each set of electronics, achieves a 6dB increase in level...while the noise floor from the electronics only receives a 3dB increase in gain. That means you've gained 3dB in the signal-to-noise ratio (note, this is only "self noise"). This was a trick that was used occasionally in analog recording. To my knowledge, this will not work in the digital domain, because there is a finite number of variations that can be present in a digitally encoded system. This will affect exactly how Brownian in nature the system noise is. The higher your bit and sample rate, the farther you might be able to go. But there will be a point of diminishing returns, and that point will be far earlier than the point that is capable with an analog signal.

Any sound not generated by the electronics is, in this case, signal; whether it's something you wanted to capture or not. Noise, as I was using it in the previous paragraph, refers only to that which is inherent to the electrical ciruits. I think the possibility of recording those commonly "imperceptible" sounds would be reliant on three factors:

Can the transducer actually react to those sounds?
What is the signal-to-noise ratio in the recording environment?
The number and quality of the components within the analog circuit.

If the transducer cannot react to those vibrations or [compressions + rarefactions], the sound cannot be recorded. If it can...then even if the sound is in the system's noise floor (remembering that many devices are still technically reacting to "signal," even if it is in the noise floor) then it is theoretically possible to get some information using that method mentioned above.

Of course, this would be a pointless exercise if any other sound in the environment is going to mask those commonly imperceptible sounds. There's a point of sound level separation where spectrum proximity is irrelevant to masking. If something is loud enough, it will mask the quieter sound (even if they occupy radically different locations within the sound spectrum). We won't be able to hear that target sound on reproduction...even though it is being recorded.

As to the number and quality of components...well...no real-world passive or active component operates at "ideal" potential. This would affect just how close to the ideal Brownian Noise the system comes...which would in turn affect your ability to achieve that ideal 3dB gain in signal-to-noise ratio.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Micro Peli Case

2013-01-13T22:41:35Z

We have a couple of the smaller Pelican waterproof cases at work. One holds a small collection of lavalier microphones, and several others are used to hold 400 series Lectrosonics wireless systems. The cases we have will hold either one receiver, or two transmitters. They're aweseome little cases, and not TOO bulky. Good for keeping small items organized and protected.

As for the Rycote systems...yeah, we use Pelicans at work for those as well. I've been meaning to check these out to: http://www.alfacase.com/Softi-Case.html

First noticed them on Tim Prebble's blog. I wonder if they'll work for the full windshield systems. Their "Combo Case" is pretty interesting as well.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Moving from mac to pc for post

2013-01-13T18:03:55Z

I made the switch to PC for my home system over two years ago now. I haven't had any issues, and I occassionally move projects between my system at home and at work (where I use a Mac). Most of the time, I use flash based media or data DVDs to transfer files. You'll only have trouble reading from flash based media if you format it on a Mac (no issue if you leave it the same format as you purchased it).

If you do make the switch to PC, you may want to purchase a copy of MacDrive by Media Four ($50 for the basic version). It will allow your computer to format and read Mac formatted (HFS/HFS+) drives. You can even keep an internal drive on your system formatted that way. The only caveat with that is that I would suggest keeping all files for any given project restricted to a single drive format (all on NTFS drives, or all on HFS+ drives). Reading files from the multiple formats within one session can cause problems...not always, but why give yourself the potential headache?

Answer by Shaun Farley for Schoeps CMC6-u Mk41 or Schoeps CMIT 5u for FX recording

2013-01-08T20:19:04Z

I'll start by saying, "+1 to Chuck's comments." Shotguns are great (the CMIT in particular...off-axis coloration is non-existent), but not the best polar pattern for versatility.

Shotguns are designed for use over a distance. Close miking tends to be the best way to capture clean recordings (high source to ambient ratios), but it's typically a bad idea with shotguns. If there's any possibility that your sound source is going to move, you need to pull a shotgun back a little to make sure you don't get unwanted attenuation of the source should it begin to exit the pickup angle. That means you're allowing more "space" for noise/unwanted ambient sounds to get into your recording (lowering the source to ambient ratio). A cardioid or hyper-cardioid can be placed closer to the source with less fear.

I know people who use omni-directional mics, ridiculously close to a sound source, to great effect. It's all in the placement.

Answer by Shaun Farley for Euphonix/Avid Artist Control V2: Is it as good as it looks?

2013-01-07T13:01:04Z

I have an Avid branded Artist Control (the all black version). Overall, I love it and would recommend it to other people.

To answer you concerns about screen flickers and faders...I've never had any issues with the screen. The fader noise issue you mentioned had something to do with one of the previous firmware versions. The faders would basically oscillate over a very tiny range when they weren't in receiving commands to track (note: never experienced this myself...this is what I've heard from other people). This was fixed in one of the more recent firmware updates, which came before I purchased mine. The faders have been smooth the entire time I've owned it.

Other Notes:

-This won't eliminate the speed you get from keyboard hotkeys for editing. You CAN do all of your editing using the interface, but navigating through the pages to get to the specific function you need is going to be slower than the keyboard. You can put your most common commands on the first page though, so that will make things easier.

-Where this device really shines is the programming of macro commands (very similar to QuickKeys). Make sure any commands that you create as "repeating" (while you hold down a soft button) don't repeat more than 3 (maybe 4) times per second though. Things can go a little crazy otherwise.

-The built in jog wheel is mediocre. Decent for changing zoom levels or shuttle, but absolute crap for scrub. It's a "stepped" controller. You'll feel every detent that's built into it, and it feels janky. I've heard marvelous things about the Transport controller, and I'm thinking of picking one of those up in the future.

-Although I haven't used it as much as I'd like to so far, the touch screen panner is awesome.

Hope that helps your decision making. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I'll answer them as best I can.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-05-17T12:43:44Z

+1. I do pretty much the same thing.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-05-07T11:49:42Z

that's a great film, and an excellent example.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-18T14:36:37Z

are these films your selections, or was the selection list specified by your instructor?

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-17T20:52:16Z

@Airs - most professional cameras have built in tone generators. you can use that to adjust the level of your headphones and give yourself a point of reference for recording levels.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-16T17:21:13Z

regarding your point about "transferring rights"...you should be careful with your wording in this paragraph, as most libraries do not allow you to re-sell sounds or derivative works. "Work For Hire" would fall under that clause, as you are selling "ownership" of the sounds. using the sounds as part of a project you've been hired on to is an entirely different scenario than "work for hire." there are some people who might misinterpret your argument.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-12T23:46:20Z

it's too early to call this "awesome". it's definitely a unique approach, and i'm interested, but i'll need a lot more data before even a modest amount of gear lust kicks in.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-10T11:41:23Z

I think you can still have multiple videos, Tim...just not multiple video TRACKS.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-09T01:18:59Z

session caching and VCAs are part of the CPTK that will be disappearing. there's a lot of under the hood stuff that gets lost.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-04-08T20:51:57Z

exactly what I was going to recommend.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-03-14T12:18:45Z

@JScholten - Neyrinck has a bunch of encoder plug-ins, as does Minnetonka (minnetonkaaudio.com). You would have to make sure you get one that will encode to a format your receiver can decode. Be warned though, these tools are not cheap.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-03-05T12:35:34Z

@SqeakyFish - you should post that link as its own response in the thread here. As it is right now, it's just buried in the comment. I doubt many people will see it.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-02-26T12:30:57Z

@SqueakyFish - sounds like it's time you contact Avid support.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-02-25T02:37:15Z

i've heard about that too. only over here they reference cold weather in the northern midwest as possibly creating the unique accent (if you're cold, you tend to tense up facial muscles more frequently...emulating those tight jaw muscles can easily make you sound like you're from that region).

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-02-19T21:39:02Z

good points, but it hasn't been a big issue here thus far. the community here has also been very diligent about self-policing (this thread might be an example). hopefully we can continue that.

Comment by Shaun Farley

2013-02-13T16:17:44Z

Unveil is more robust than DeVerb in my opinion, and gives you much finer controls over the DSP.