Hey,
I found this guide on creating all kinds of SFX. Pretty interesting stuff and thought it would be helpful.
http://www.epicsound.com/sfx/
1
Creating SFX
Started by nsmadsen, Feb 04 2009 02:35 AM
12 replies to this topic
Sponsor:
#5 Members - Reputation: 100
Posted 27 February 2012 - 06:25 PM
Thank you, this is very useful! Although I've been working on music and sound design for years, the one element Im never completely confident on is creating SFX, its a whole other world. If anyones worked with foley artist, you know how crazy they're jobs are, and how detailed their work is(i.e. filename: Stiletto_on_gravel_Left_V1, Stiletto_on_gravel_RightV7)
Brady Hearn
www.bradyhearn.com
Brady Hearn
www.bradyhearn.com
#6 Members - Reputation: 322
Posted 26 June 2012 - 10:07 AM
Hi,
I have just a little bit of experience creating sound effects from developing The Trouble With Robots, here are my tips for beginners:
1. Minimize background noise. Turn of unnecessary equipment, close windows, and avoid recording when something noisy is happening nearby. Put the microphone as far away from your computer as you can. It's easy to see the difference these things make by recording silence in different conditions and comparing the levels of fuzz you get - and this is much cheaper than sound proofing!
2. Try to make your sounds as loud as possible without 'clipping' (which is where the sound waveform goes above the top or below the bottom level that can be recorded, resulting in a crackling sound). This is preferable to recording a quiet sound and amplifying it a lot, because that will also amplify the noise.
3. Record lots of variations of each effect. This way you can choose your favourite, and potentially introduce alternatives if the sound is played frequently.
4. Experiment with speeding up and slowing down recordings. As a rule, speeding up a sound makes it sound like it came from something smaller, whereas slowing it down makes it sound like it came from something larger. The latter is particularly useful if you're recording household objects which are typically smaller than the game objects you want to represent.
5. Be patient. Often you won't get the sound you want on your first attempt, so try different things until you have something that sounds good. If a particular effect is troubling you then don't give up, but put it down and come back another day with fresh ideas.
- Geoffrey White
http://www.digitalchestnut.com
http://www.facebook.com/thetroublewithrobots
I have just a little bit of experience creating sound effects from developing The Trouble With Robots, here are my tips for beginners:
1. Minimize background noise. Turn of unnecessary equipment, close windows, and avoid recording when something noisy is happening nearby. Put the microphone as far away from your computer as you can. It's easy to see the difference these things make by recording silence in different conditions and comparing the levels of fuzz you get - and this is much cheaper than sound proofing!
2. Try to make your sounds as loud as possible without 'clipping' (which is where the sound waveform goes above the top or below the bottom level that can be recorded, resulting in a crackling sound). This is preferable to recording a quiet sound and amplifying it a lot, because that will also amplify the noise.
3. Record lots of variations of each effect. This way you can choose your favourite, and potentially introduce alternatives if the sound is played frequently.
4. Experiment with speeding up and slowing down recordings. As a rule, speeding up a sound makes it sound like it came from something smaller, whereas slowing it down makes it sound like it came from something larger. The latter is particularly useful if you're recording household objects which are typically smaller than the game objects you want to represent.
5. Be patient. Often you won't get the sound you want on your first attempt, so try different things until you have something that sounds good. If a particular effect is troubling you then don't give up, but put it down and come back another day with fresh ideas.
- Geoffrey White
http://www.digitalchestnut.com
http://www.facebook.com/thetroublewithrobots
Edited by Geoffrey, 26 June 2012 - 10:23 AM.
The Trouble With Robots - www.digitalchestnut.com/trouble
#8 Moderators - Reputation: 2750
#9 Members - Reputation: 156
Posted 16 January 2013 - 12:15 AM
Pretty nice article and info here
I am just starting to get into SFX at the moment and wondered what kind of microphone is best as an "all rounder" to use in a home studio for SFX/voiceover recording?
It pretty much depends on your budget, man. The Rode NT1A is a pretty good option to start with. It has a ridiculously low noise floor (which is a must when recording foley or sound effects), it's very affordable (around $270) and is built like a rock. If you have a bigger budget, Earthworks has some incredible studio microphones (especially the QTC50).
#10 Members - Reputation: 239
Posted 18 February 2013 - 11:20 AM
Awesome thread! This made me laugh -
Bones crunching and breaking
I personally like putting things in (cooked) whole chickens and then beating the chicken with a sledge hammer or other bludgeoning device.
My sound design: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLTslEN8h8Q
My music: https://soundcloud.com/echo-gecko
Contact: olliepm@googlemail.com
#12 Members - Reputation: 166
Posted 21 May 2013 - 02:45 AM
Wow, thanks! I'm as green as green gets when it comes to SFX, so this will work as an encyclopaedia for me at the moment.
I also have a question and please excuse my poor level of knowledge in this area: Are there microphones specially designed for SFX? I'm thinking of doing some voice recording as well, does that mean I have to buy 2 mics? One for SFX and one for voice? Or does one good quality mic suffice for both SFX and voice?
Rune Hansen
Developer
10ahead Games
www.10aheadgames.com
#13 Members - Reputation: 164
Posted 23 May 2013 - 11:24 PM
Think of microphones like camera lenses.
Answer is yes and depends on the level and quality of your production and your audio skills.
Good general microphone that isn't too expensive second hand could be something like a Sennheiser MkH-416 which can be found for $450 - $600 - they are fairly directional so good for focusing on directly what is in front of the mic cutting out side noise like a telephoto lens. We've used this particular mic for doing a lot of voice over where the room changes where you're recording. They usually require recording equipment or a external sound card that can provide power.
Microphones can be grouped into large and small diaphragm (size of pickup on the microphone) - larger usually are used for Voice as they capture all the tones and harmonics of a voice up close.
You can research what other people have bought when starting out recording their own sounds. Building a microphone kit takes time and practice. It's sometimes cheaper to rent one for a specific task rather than own a whole lot of them.
Most people start off with a portable recorder like a Zoom H4n or a Sony PCM-D50 with a wind shield and hand held pistol grip / windjammer kit (like the ones sold by Rycote). Usually require a quiet room, or some sort of noise blocking setup as they are general use. I've recorded sfx in a closet padded with a feather duvet and pillows to create a quiet space. I've recorded voice over for games this way too.
Answer is yes and depends on the level and quality of your production and your audio skills.
Good general microphone that isn't too expensive second hand could be something like a Sennheiser MkH-416 which can be found for $450 - $600 - they are fairly directional so good for focusing on directly what is in front of the mic cutting out side noise like a telephoto lens. We've used this particular mic for doing a lot of voice over where the room changes where you're recording. They usually require recording equipment or a external sound card that can provide power.
Microphones can be grouped into large and small diaphragm (size of pickup on the microphone) - larger usually are used for Voice as they capture all the tones and harmonics of a voice up close.
You can research what other people have bought when starting out recording their own sounds. Building a microphone kit takes time and practice. It's sometimes cheaper to rent one for a specific task rather than own a whole lot of them.
Most people start off with a portable recorder like a Zoom H4n or a Sony PCM-D50 with a wind shield and hand held pistol grip / windjammer kit (like the ones sold by Rycote). Usually require a quiet room, or some sort of noise blocking setup as they are general use. I've recorded sfx in a closet padded with a feather duvet and pillows to create a quiet space. I've recorded voice over for games this way too.
Edited by GroovyOne, 23 May 2013 - 11:54 PM.
Game Audio Professional
www.GroovyAudio.com
www.GroovyAudio.com
