A white sphere wears headphones. Asbjoern Andersen


Here’s a new roundup to answer your questions and introduce you to some wonderful musicians.

Ian Shepherd and Jon Tidey discuss the ever-controversial question, “What is the ultimate DAW?”; René Coronado talks about his new Rode NT5-O omni capsules; Barney and Derek prepare for a crazy week at GDC; Sam talks to Kris Maddigan about his delicious soundtrack for Cuphead (a game with equally delicious sound design created by Sam and everyone at Sweet Justice); Emily Reese speaks with Kenny Young about his wide-ranging composition styles in WonderWorlds; and finally Darcy Jeavons features the exceptional skills of Jessica Williamson, Hayley Hersh, Dinah Thorpe, and Clara Hembree from Maheekats.



 

The Mastering Show – Ep. 47: What’s the best DAW for mastering?:

Episode outline: ‘It’s a question we get asked regularly, and our answer may surprise you. To answer the question, we put together a “shopping list” for the ultimate DAW, and then discuss which of the applications is the best fit, and why.

Topics include:
* Which DAW sounds best ?
* What does that mean ?
* Do all digital EQs sound the same ?
* What’s a DDP file ?
* Pro mastering applications
* Workflow versus features’

Hear the episode:
 

Tonebenders Podcast – Ep. 72: New Omni Mics

Episode outline: ‘René picked up some Rode NT5-O omni capsules for his (dormant) pair of NT5s recently, and produced a pretty deep dive into the recordings he’s made while exploring them recently.’

Hear the episode:
 

Soundbytes Podcast – Ep. 16: Pree Gee Dee Cee

Episode outline: ‘Hello! Welcome back to episode sixteen of our monthly podcast about games and game audio. This month we talk; our recent library releases, the fast approaching GDC, Udemy, Nagra, and then we delve into the topic of maintaining motivation for work, and touch a little on imposter syndrome.

Hosted by:
Derek Brown – @subwoofersub
Barney Oram – @BarneyOram1
Follow Soundbytes on Twitter: @soundbytes_p

Links to things we mentioned:
Granular by Barney Oram
Bleeps, Sweeps and Creeps by Derek Brown
The Unreal Engine Developer Course – Learn C++ & Make Games on Udemy
Nagra IV-S
GDC Audio Track

Hear the episode:

Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Tired of those same old door knobs and hinge squeaks that you hear in every single game, film and TV show? Well, Gateway aims to remedy that issue while providing you with a brand new palette of sounds.

    Gateway comes packed with doors, doors and more doors! Low end, high end, slow horror creaks and squeaks, huge slams and impacts, tiny compartment doors.

    The Gateway family now includes the just-released Gateway Part 3, with more than 1400 new sounds.

    Doors, gates, overhead rollups, cabinets, closets, drawers, garage doors, fireplaces, sheds, you name it!

    Latches and knobs, wrought iron and chain link! Metal, wood, glass and MORE! All of these doors were acoustically captured in the real world. You won’t find anything synthesized here!

    Did we mention doors? Yeah, Gateway has those too.

    Gateway Part 1 features 675 files, 1200+ sounds

    Gateway Part 2 features 365 files, 600+ sounds

    Gateway Part 3 features 772 files, 1400+ sounds

    The Gateway 1-3 Bundle features 1812 files, 3200+ sounds

    Special offer:Do you already have Gateway Part 1 or 2? Send a message here for a special upgrade offer for part 3.

    Choose your preferred version below – or land some great savings by getting all three in one handy package!

  • Foley Sound Effects World of Secrets Play Track 149-1718+ sounds included From: $50

    World Of Secrets is a collection inspired by those mysterious and beautiful objects and furniture, meticulously designed by 15th to 19th century’s craftsmen. Those geniuses used their art to protect what had to remain confidential or secret.

    One of the mentors of that art was Leonardo Da Vinci, master of inventions, designing incredible mechanisms for his machines. After much research, and a large photo review session, Red Libraries has designed this collection of modules to assemble as you wish.
    A bookcase, a desk, a sarcophagus, a hidden door, a statuette, a cane with a retractable blade, a poison ring, an old grimoire.. each of them will reveal its secret mechanism, from the delicate parts assembled by the jeweler, to the smooth slides of hinges designed by the cabinetmaker.

    Three versions are available
    + a complete bundle:

    Objects and furnitures designed: Features the designed sounds of furniture and objects – many hiding secret features and functions – such as:
    A Bookcase, Cabinet, Case, Chair, Chest, Coffer, Cupboard, Desk, Enigma Decoding Machine, Safe, Secret keys and locks, Statue, Sarcophagus, Telescopic Cane, Water Lock – and a number of wooden and metallic mechanisms


    Gear & specs: 744T + EAA Micromix • Schoeps MS Couple • KM 82i Neuman • 2 KM 184 Neuman • DPA 4060 • Barcus berry contact mic • 96 kHz/24bits, 149 .WAV, stereo and mono files (243 MB)

    Objects toolbox: A wide range of elements to create your own objects, mechanisms, or secret furniture ; we’re offering toolboxes which leave you infinite possibilities of combinations, from the more simple towards the more complex, wherever your imagination leads you.


    Gear & specs: 744T + EAA Micromix • Schoeps MS Couple • KM 82i Neuman • 2 KM 184 Neuman • DPA 4060 • Barcus berry contact mic • 96 kHz/24bits, 488 .WAV, stereo and mono files (494 MB)

    Furniture Toolbox: Sound design elements for you to design your own intricate furniture – features mechanical, wooden and delicate sounds for you to unleash your creativity on.


    Gear & specs: 744T + EAA Micromix • Schoeps MS Couple • KM 82i Neuman • 2 KM 184 Neuman • DPA 4060 • Barcus berry contact mic • 96 kHz/24bits, 1081 .WAV, stereo and mono files (2.4 GB)

    Complete bundle: Features everything above, for a fantastic selection of interesting sounds, at a great price.


    Gear & specs: 744T + EAA Micromix • Schoeps MS Couple • KM 82i Neuman • 2 KM 184 Neuman • DPA 4060 • Barcus berry contact mic • 96 kHz/24bits, 1718 .WAV, stereo and mono files (3.47 GB)

  • Foley Sound Effects Real Outdoor Footsteps Play Track 13500 sounds included, 184 mins total From: $59

    REAL OUTDOOR FOOTSTEPS is part of our successful “Foleyart Collection” series. With an additional 13,500 externally recorded footsteps, this library offers unprecedented content!

    Sometimes there are problems with mixing when the Foleystage is too present. Outdoor recordings are difficult, so we have recorded at up to 2500m altitude in very quiet places of the Sierra Nevada in Spain and the Swiss Alps.

    These samples are also available as expansion for Edward Ultimate SUITE  and Edward Foleyart Instrument. In this case you need a full version of the instrument to use the expansion. Choose your desired package below!

    Key Features:
    • 13 500 outside recorded Foley sounds @ 24Bit, 96 kHZ
    • 25 combinations of shoes and surfaces
    • Different walking speeds and behaviors
    • WAV files are Meta ready (not included in EUS and EFI Expansion)

    Includes the following surfaces:
    Asphalt • Dirt • Deep Dirt • Grass Long • Grass Mud Mix • Grass Dry • Gravel Mix • Gravel Wet • Leaves • Rocks • Wood Mix • Wood Dry

    Includes the following shoes:
    Sneakers • Boots  • Sandals

    Performances:
    Extremely Slow Walk • Medium Slow Walk • Walk • Jog • Run • Stairs Slow • Stairs Fast • Stomp • Land • Scuff • Scrape 1 • Scrape 2 • Scrape 3

    Recording Equipment:
    Sennheiser MKH 416
    Neumann KMR 81i
    Sounddevices
    Rycote Windshield

  • Get a huge variety of simple or complex lockdown mechanism sounds with a wide array of different latches and impacts with Lockdown, a performable Kontakt instrument and sound effects library.

    We brought in dozens of props big and small to generate a massive array of source material recorded at 24 bit 192kHz. These included cameras, carabiners, wrenches, rack cases, knives, can openers, tongs, crimpers, solder suckers, file cabinet doors, vehicle doors and servos and much more – all with multiple unique performances per set.

    Great care was taken to record each performance with the highest sonic quality and detail. We chose a pair of MKH50s in XY as our primary setup, creating a big, clean stereo image on every sound.

    Lockdown is divided into two parts –
    elements and designed:

    The elements collection has all of the source recordings in their unaltered states. Each sound is edited, cleaned, volume matched and carefully metadata tagged.


    The designed collection uses samples based on the elements recordings that have been transformed into entirely new and different sounds using heavy processing and layering. It was created to produce interesting design and transition sounds quickly and easily. Lockdown includes over 500 fully lockdowns of all sizes and scales.

    Lockdown highlights

    • more than 1700 elements files
    • 192 kHz source recordings
    • 500 heavily designed sounds
    • 96kHz designed collection
    • 2 full kontakt instruments (full version of Kontakt 5.5 required)
    • soundminer and bwav metadata

    Note: Can be used without Kontakt too!
    All Kontakt instrument libraries include fully unlocked and accessible metadata tagged .wav files. You don't need any version of Kontakt to use these files as a standalone sample library.

Latest releases:

  • Hum, Buzz & Glitch Sound Effects Raw Buffers Play Track 14 sounds included, 23 mins total $25

    RAW BUFFERS – a Discman glitch library.
    Abrasive glitch clicks, scrambles, tones and bursts.



    RAW BUFFERS – a Discman glitch library


    Harvesting the glitches from short-circuiting the “electronic skip protection” chip on a late 90’s Discman player.
    Connecting the legs of this chip mangles and scrambles the buffer data, resulting in abrasive digital clicks, stutters, tones and bursts.

    23 minutes (1.6GB) of 192kHz/24 bit recordings
    UCS compliant and with relevant metadata.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.

  • Enhance your projects with our 196 Carefully Recorded and Designed Fabric Sound Effects. This diverse collection of high-quality fabric sounds is perfect for adding realism and dynamic movement to your characters and environments. From the rustling of clothing to the swishing of fabrics in motion, each sound has been meticulously recorded and designed to bring your scenes to life. Ideal for game developers, filmmakers, and sound designers, these fabric sound effects will add depth and authenticity to every wardrobe, interaction, and environmental detail. Whether you’re working on character animations, environmental design, or immersive storytelling, these sounds provide the perfect touch to elevate your work.

    Features:

    •  Body Armor Mesh – 70 SFX
    •  Clothing / Textile Drops – 61 SFX
    •  Fabrics – 57 SFX
    • Zips – 8 SFX
  • City Life Sound Effects City & Suburbs Ambiences Play Track 135+ sounds included, 340 mins total $22

    City ambiences, downtown ambiences, suburbs, residential area, harbor, industrial area.. traffic, people in background, urban birds, nocturnal-quiet ambiences etc.

    Check the sound list for additional info.
    High quality recordings recorded in MS, XY, AB; NOS, etc., mostly with Sennheiser MKH microphones and Sound Devices recorder/mixer. Files are without any dynamic manipulation (compression) with max. peak around -5dBFS.
    19 %
    OFF
  • Bird Sound Effects Birds Ambiences Play Track 7 sounds included, 22 mins total $8

    Immerse yourself in the serene and captivating sounds of nature with Birds in Various Ambiences – Field Recordings Collection. This compilation features a rich assortment of bird sounds captured in diverse environments.

    Each recording transports you to a different setting, featuring a wide array of bird species communicating in their natural habitats.

    Perfect for sound designers, filmmakers, meditation enthusiasts, or anyone seeking to enhance their space with natural ambiance, this collection offers a diverse range of audio clips for relaxation, creativity, and inspiration.

    Whether you’re creating a calming atmosphere, enriching your audio projects, or simply appreciating the beauty of birdsong, this collection brings the natural world to your ears with unmatched authenticity.

Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


The Sound Architect UK – Interview with Cuphead Composer, Kris Maddigan

Episode outline: ‘Sam Hughes speaks with percussionist and composer, Kris Maddigan about writing the music for the incredibly unique game, Cuphead! They discuss his career so far as well as all the challenges of writing a big band tunes for his first ever game soundtrack!

Full article and more here.

Hear the episode:
 

Level with Emily Reese – Level 90: Kenny Young (WonderWorlds):

Episode outline: ‘Kenny Young‘s music for WonderWorlds is fabulous. Don’t be fooled by the first track, though; there are a handful of worlds in which you can build your games. WonderWorlds has thousands of user-created levels, it’s an iOS game, it’s adorable, free-to-play, etc.

But we’re here to talk about the music, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The acoustic vibe you get from the first track, “WonderWorlds,” is pretty different from the new wave synth you’ll hear by the fourth track, “Sparksville, NJ.”

“Somethin’ In My Eye” is a straight-up song, and it quickly ascended the list of my favorite Kenny Young tracks. It’s him singing, and he plays about a trillion instruments over the course of the score. You’ll get to hear a lot of lovely details in this track, little flurries of synth instruments. And the groove is nice 🙂

Thanks for being awesome, Kenny!‘

Hear the episode:
 

Sound Design Live – 5 Pro Drummers Explain How to Make a Drum Kit Quieter on Stage:

Episode outline: ‘In this episode of Sound Design Live, I speak with five professional drummers: Go-Go Ray, Jason Willer, Jonathan Ulman, Russ Gold, and Zil. We talk about how live sound engineers and drummers can work together to control the sound level of shows in small rooms and a lot of psychological and technical hacks to make a drum kit quieter on stage.’

Hear the episode:
 

Female Mixing Engineers – FME Show #7:

Episode outline: ‘FME Show #7: Come listen to the exceptional mixing, recording, and production skills of Jessica Williamson, Hayley Hersh, Dinah Thorpe, and Clara Hembree (Maheekats). Also, let’s talk how focus and “emotional timelines” can be helpful with your mixing workflow :)

Female Mixing Engineers Music Podcast. 4 Songs. 4 Ladies. 4 Home Studios. For YOU! Jessica…’

Hear the episode:

 

 

Please share this:


 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Shine and Glitter brings shiny, elegant sounds to your local sound library. Find the true sound of it with Vadi Sound Library.

    About Shine and Glitter SFX Pack

    From glittering transitions and fairy dust to tonal sparkle sounds in 150+ stereo 24bit/96kHz .WAV files.

    This pack has designed transitions, resonance, shining, synth, particles, tonal sparkles and doppler of magical shine and glitter elements; crunchy, noisy, glassy.

    The texture of the sounds is realistic and flexible for customization. Great for film, video, game, advertisements, and suitable further as sweeteners outside of the magic genre as well.

    Here’s a studio-grade pack for all your projects and games with the usual Vadi Sound craft and attention to detail.

    Keywords, Elements, Mood and Style
    Shine, magic, effect, glitter, star, dust, doppler, transition, spell, angelic, supernatural, synth, tonal, sparkles, long, double, LPF, HPF, movement, reverse, underwater, chime, crunchy, crackle, particles, noisy, free, reed, glassy, envelope, classic, shining, motion, coin, purse, tabletop, alarm, precious, stone, pitch, oil, can, resonance, drop, downward.

    What else you may need
    You may also want to check out our Cinematic Whooshes & Transitions for 294 files of organic and processed sounds of transitions and whooshes, including swipes, futuristic sci-fi sounds, tonal, pass by, power ups/ downs, movement, machine, and more. Essential Magic SFX Pack may also help with 182 files of the dark side of essential 4 elements of fire, water, earth, air as well as electricity, cyber-magic, magicka, hits, buffing, whooshes, squeaks, sparkling, explosions, bubbles, chimes and selective green magic sounds.

    25 %
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    Ends 1747778400
  • AudioHero’s Cartoon collection Volume 5 features 100 professionally produced sound effects, ready for use in your productions. This library includes everything you need to turn your production into a cartoon masterpiece! These sounds are all hand-picked from the Sound Ideas Cartoon Express, General HD and Digiffects Complete libraries.

  • AudioHero’s Cartoon collection Volume 4 features 200 professionally produced sound effects, ready for use in your productions.  This library includes everything you need to turn your production into a cartoon masterpiece!  These sounds are all hand-picked from the Sound Ideas Cartoon Express and Hollywood Edge Cartoon Trax 1 and 2 sound effects libraries.  Included are musical accents, bells, boings, hits, skids, honks, squeaks, bounces, crashes and more.

Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Hum, Buzz & Glitch Sound Effects Raw Buffers Play Track 14 sounds included, 23 mins total $25

    RAW BUFFERS – a Discman glitch library.
    Abrasive glitch clicks, scrambles, tones and bursts.



    RAW BUFFERS – a Discman glitch library


    Harvesting the glitches from short-circuiting the “electronic skip protection” chip on a late 90’s Discman player.
    Connecting the legs of this chip mangles and scrambles the buffer data, resulting in abrasive digital clicks, stutters, tones and bursts.

    23 minutes (1.6GB) of 192kHz/24 bit recordings
    UCS compliant and with relevant metadata.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.

  • Enhance your projects with our 196 Carefully Recorded and Designed Fabric Sound Effects. This diverse collection of high-quality fabric sounds is perfect for adding realism and dynamic movement to your characters and environments. From the rustling of clothing to the swishing of fabrics in motion, each sound has been meticulously recorded and designed to bring your scenes to life. Ideal for game developers, filmmakers, and sound designers, these fabric sound effects will add depth and authenticity to every wardrobe, interaction, and environmental detail. Whether you’re working on character animations, environmental design, or immersive storytelling, these sounds provide the perfect touch to elevate your work.

    Features:

    •  Body Armor Mesh – 70 SFX
    •  Clothing / Textile Drops – 61 SFX
    •  Fabrics – 57 SFX
    • Zips – 8 SFX
  • City Life Sound Effects City & Suburbs Ambiences Play Track 135+ sounds included, 340 mins total $22

    City ambiences, downtown ambiences, suburbs, residential area, harbor, industrial area.. traffic, people in background, urban birds, nocturnal-quiet ambiences etc.

    Check the sound list for additional info.
    High quality recordings recorded in MS, XY, AB; NOS, etc., mostly with Sennheiser MKH microphones and Sound Devices recorder/mixer. Files are without any dynamic manipulation (compression) with max. peak around -5dBFS.
    19 %
    OFF
  • Bird Sound Effects Birds Ambiences Play Track 7 sounds included, 22 mins total $8

    Immerse yourself in the serene and captivating sounds of nature with Birds in Various Ambiences – Field Recordings Collection. This compilation features a rich assortment of bird sounds captured in diverse environments.

    Each recording transports you to a different setting, featuring a wide array of bird species communicating in their natural habitats.

    Perfect for sound designers, filmmakers, meditation enthusiasts, or anyone seeking to enhance their space with natural ambiance, this collection offers a diverse range of audio clips for relaxation, creativity, and inspiration.

    Whether you’re creating a calming atmosphere, enriching your audio projects, or simply appreciating the beauty of birdsong, this collection brings the natural world to your ears with unmatched authenticity.


   

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