An Exclusive Behind The Scenes On Designing Sound – With Jack Menhorn

Designing Sound editor-in-chief Jack Menhorn

Hi Jack, please give a brief overview of what Designing Sound is all about

“Designing Sound is a resource dedicated to the art and technique of sound design, with the aim of sharing information and knowledge for free.”

We do news, reviews, interviews and in-depth articles about sound design for film, games, TV, and anywhere else creative use of sound can be found. We currently have 11 Contributing & News Editors and we are constantly sourcing articles and posts from members of the film, TV and video game industries which gives us a broad coverage of topics and discussion.
 

How did you get involved with DS, and what’s your role?

I was posting news and articles on Creating Sound for a little while before I was approached by Designing Sound’s founder – Miguel Isaza – about taking over the Editor-in-Chief role on DS.

I humbly accepted and have been trying to keep my head above water ever since. While Miguel was running things, he did everything and did it all very well!

Since my arrival the role has been democratized out so that we are more of a hive mind than a hierarchy.

We all try to contribute as much as we can when we can and some have specialized roles and talents or interests above that. For example: Varun Nair is our Wordpress and webhosting master in addition to being an overall audio programming master. Shaun Farley has done a great job hosting webinars and wrangling interviews with huge names in the film sound industry.

I try to still have the “editor” hat on and keep us all organized and moving, in addition to being the point of contact for emails and questions/suggestions.
 

What’s your vision for DS, and how do you and the team set the direction for the site?

There is no *one* vision for DS. I am 1 of 11 equal and important voices that make up the decision process on Designing Sound.

We try to follow “quality over quantity” and focus in on great topics and discussions, even if they take some time to put together. We aren’t doing this for page views or click-thrus. We take pride in helping enrich the audio community as best we can.

DS has monthly topics which we try to plan out months in advance. That process is just throwing ideas out and see if anyone likes them and if there’s enough meat on the bone for multiple articles.

From there everyone is free to write or find someone to write articles on the subject. Additionally, we aren’t limited to that month’s topic and take/make articles, interviews, reviews as they come.
 

What’s been your best moment being involved with DS?

Mine personally is a tie:

– Interviewing Capcom Audio Director Tomoya Kishi was a delight. It took a little while to put it all together but I think it was worth it. I am a huge fan of many Japanese games and especially their interesting aesthetics visually and aurally.

I feel a dialogue between East and West sound design communities would be a great benefit to both sides of the ocean. I think – for whatever reason – Japanese sound design is overlooked in the West when it comes to awards or recognition.

I hope I was able to contribute slightly to raising the visibility of some great talent and work.

– Going to GDC 2013 and meeting Designing Sound readers! It was truly amazing to introduce myself and see people get super excited and talk about how much they love Designing Sound!

I live in the middle of nowhere so it’s difficult to get to many meetups and engage the corporeal sound community.

While we have analytics that show us how many readers we have; it’s totally another wonderful and humbling thing to meet people who read and learn from words we posted from a home office while petting a cat.
 

Do you see any emerging trends within the sound design community?

There is definitely more of a positive online presence to our community. Blogs (like the one you’re reading right now), Creating Sound, Designing Sound, in addition to things like Social Sound Design and Tonebenders Podcast, have increased the amount of information and interaction dramatically.

This free exchange of ideas is empowering and gratifying to be a part of.

Also, the indie sound library scene has also exploded in the last few years and I don’t see that really slowing down.

We might reach a critical mass of the number of sfx producers the industry can sustain – but when people like Frank Bry, Tim Prebble and many others keep putting out such great content, we’ll keep buying it!

This has a side effect of lowering the barrier of entry for aspiring sound designers to pick and choose source sounds they need for a project only when they need them, as opposed to throwing down thousands of dollars up from for a behemoth library.

If these cheaper alternatives hadn’t popped up a few years ago like they did, I might not have been able to break into sound design!

Trending right now:

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  Game Audio Packs Sword Magic – Magical Melee Combat Attacks Play Track 102 sounds included $36

  Introducing our Sword Magic pack, a perfect complement to our flagship offerings like Sword and Savage Steel. This pack was crafted with the intention of infusing a touch of magical charm into your finishing moves! Included in this package are Power Ready sounds, designed to notify you when your special magic attack is primed and ready. To wield its power, simply initiate one of our Swings followed by a Magic Blade Slash to unleash a formidable magical melee attack.

   

  While some of our sounds feature subtle distinctions, they are crucial for creating a lifelike experience and preventing noticeable repetition in fast-paced combat scenarios.

  Add to cart
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  Cold Weapon Sound Effects Sword – Medieval Swords Play Track 138 sounds included $36

  Introducing the ultimate sword-themed sound effects pack, perfect for game developers and enthusiasts looking to take their melee combat scenes to the next level. With 138 high-quality sounds, this pack is a must-have for anyone looking to add realistic and immersive sword sound effects to their games.

  • What sets this pack apart is the inclusion of hard-to-find sword-stabbing sounds, in addition to the classic slashing sounds. Each sound is recorded in high quality and expertly separated into swinging and impact sounds, with unique materials such as wood, flesh, and plate, providing maximum flexibility for any combat scene.

  Whether you’re creating a medieval battle scene or a fantasy RPG, this sound pack will help bring your game to life. With its vast array of sounds, you can create unique and dynamic combat sequences that are sure to captivate your audience. Multiple variations of each sound effect will ensure the best possible results for those looking for great realism.

  Listen to it on SoundCloud

  Files List

  Add to cart
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  Ambisonic Sound Effects Medieval Towns and Villages Ambience Kit Play Track 935 sounds included, 197 mins total $20

  A comprehensive sound library from the enchanting world of the Middle Ages featuring meticulously recorded elements that come together harmoniously to create a realm of realism that transports your audience back in time, including isolated elements, acoustic impulse responses, noiseprints, and ambience loops.

  
  Add to cart
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  User Interface (UI) Sound Effects Cinemaphone: Ringtones & Notifications Play Track 1600+ sounds included, 73 mins total $25 $17.50

  Ringtones and notifications for movies, games or TV production are tricky things.

  You just can’t use stock ringtones from smartphone manufacturers because of copyrights.

  Ringtones with strong harmony can clash with background music.

  Many ringtones from SFX libraries are just overused.

  There is a way out!

  This library consists of 423 files (1600+ sounds), which are divided into categories, such as: ringtones, alarms, notifications, UI,  lock-unlock and etc.

  You’ll also find Foley folder, which contains vibrations, mechanical buttons, tone dials and etc, recorded with four smartphones of different age.

  But that’s not all: every sound was re-recorded using stereo microphones from three different smartphones, ranging from vintage to modern, for instant worldizing and authentic cinematic feel.

  

  This library will strengthen up your sonic arsenal like heavy duty smartphone tempered glass!

  Main features:

  • 423 files/1600+ sounds
  • Copyright free
  • 96khz/24bit stereo
  • Handy smartphone (or any electronic phone) toolkit, consists of several categories, such as Ringtones, Alarms, UI, Notifications, Camera and etc.
  • Completely worldized (re-recorded in real world using stereo mics) with 3 different smartphones, ranging from vintage to modern
  • Foley folder with vibrations, mechanical buttons and etc
  • Extensive Soundminer and BWF metadata for search engines
  • Universal Category System (UCS) compliant

  Equipment used:  Sennheiser MKH8040/MKH30, Sound Devices MixPre 6, Samsung s5830, Motorola MotoG 1st gen, Xiaomi MiMix2, Xiaomi Mi4

  30 %

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  Ends 1725919200
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Latest releases:

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  Foley Sound Effects Massive Air Play Track 3793 sounds included, 182 mins total $29.99 $18.99

  MASSIVE AIR – is an extensive sound library containing 3793 unique files of various types of air, real and imagined. From gentle Blowing, violent Bursts and searing Hisses to strong Suction and everything Miscellaneous. All of our libraries comply with the Universal Category System naming convention standard, allowing for accurate and easy granular searches.
  
  ‘Massive’ Libraries – is our take at recreating sound effects through the use of state-of-the-art resynthesis, this approach generates semi-accurate recreations and mimics the target sound effect, however this method also produces novel and unexpected results. These are our otherwise more “Experimental” libraries.

  37 %

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  Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Cello Textures II Play Track 115 sounds included $30

  Cello Textures II  is an eclectic collection of dark and ominous Cello sound effects, showcasing various experimental playing techniques such as harmonic trills and slides, dramatic glissandos, ricochets, swells and heavy pizzicatos. This versatile library gives you everything you need to create intense and unsettling soundtracks, and is perfect for use in genres such as horror, thriller, mystery and psychological.

  You can use the sounds in this library to create full original soundscapes, or simply drag and drop in sounds as “one-shots” or “sweeteners” to enhance your film/game music.

  All sounds in this library are at 96kHz 24 Bit  to allow for further manipulation and design, and have been tagged with extensive UCS metadata to fit smoothly into your production workflow.

  Add to cart
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  Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Cello Textures I Play Track 66 sounds included $30

  Cello Textures I  is the first volume in our “Textures” series, where we bring you sound effects from orchestral instruments played in unconventional and interesting ways.

  This unique collection features various textural effects performed by the Cello,  including open and natural harmonics, bow overpressure, bowing with wood, circular bowings and delicate flautandos.

  The sounds in this product are dark, intense and foreboding, and are perfect for use in genres such as horror, thriller, mystery and psychological.

  You can use the sounds in this library to create full original soundscapes, or simply drag and drop in sounds as “one-shots” or “sweeteners” to enhance your film/game music.

  All sounds in this library are at 96kHz 24 Bit  to allow for further manipulation and design, and have been tagged with detailed UCS metadata to fit smoothly into your production workflow.

  Add to cart
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  Foley Sound Effects Club Car Precedent 2004 electric golf cart Play Track 33 sounds included, 10 mins total $55

  All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with Shure KSM 137, 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.
  Add to cart
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  Car Sound Effects 1957 Jeep Hotchkiss M201 Sound Pack Play Track 432 sounds included, 132 mins total $110 $90

  The original 1957 Jeep model Hotchkiss from the French army was used during the Algeria conflict during the 50’s/60’s.

  It was meticulously recorded in 96 khz 24 bits for high quality. This collection includes more than 2 hours of recordings in 432 audio files. The audio files are in stereo and UCS compatible.

  The sound pack contains engine and exhaust recordings, rev, idle, acceleration, deceleration, constant rpm loops on onload and offload, passby, brake, handbrake, horn, hood closing and opening, belt movements, fuel injection button press, gas tank opening and much more.

  The original IL4 cylinders engine produces a very unique sound. That will be a perfect fit for any old school military jeep in your project.

  The collection includes mixed and raw files for more flexibility.

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How can people help and support your work on DS?

Contribute! If you want to support us please contact Shaun or myself if you want to write an article.

Comment on posts or just start a discussion somewhere/anywhere!

Also: Keep reading, commenting and retweeting so more people can learn from and engage with this wonderful and unique sound community we have.
 

What’s next for DS?

We might be in early planning stages of building a robot octopus to attack anyone who uses the Wilhelm Scream.

January is Dialog Month and then February is Animal Recording/Design Month. I am excited about both of these topics and we hope to have a good about of great articles and discussions.

I will also hopefully be at GDC 2014 with some other DS people, so come and find us!
 

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About Jack Menhorn

Jack Menhorn is a sound designer and occasional composer for video games. He lives in North Carolina and really likes cats. You can check out his website here.