Books about sound Asbjoern Andersen


Looking for some great books on sound? Swiss sound designer and recordist Julien Matthey has compiled this useful overview of his absolute favorite books on sound - and we've spiced it up with lots of additional recommended reads & resources too.

If you've got any suggestions for must-read books on sound as well, please be sure to leave your recommendations in the comments section!


Written by Julien Matthey
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  • Animal Sound Effects Animal Hyperrealism Vol III Play Track 1711 sounds included $136

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol III is a library containing sounds themed animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 1700 individual sounds in 279 files.

    The sounds were recorded in zoos and wildlife centers. The asset list includes but is not limited to: european red deers, monkeys, reindeers, hornbills camels, crickets, tamarins, boars, frogs, red ruffed lemurs, parrots, and many more.

    The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K plus a Sennheiser 8050 for center image and a couple of Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.
    Part of the cheats section of the library features samples recorded at 384KHz. For these sounds an additional microphone was employed, specifically the CMPA by Avisoft-Bioacoustics which records up to 200 KHz. This microphone was used to record most of the library but the 384KHz format was preserved only where energy was found beyond 96KHz not to occupy unnecessary disk space.
    All files are delivered as stereo bounce of these for mics, though in some instances an additional couple of CO100K was added to the sides.
    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.
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  • – Evolved WATER Sound Library


    This isn’t just another water library, this is a professional’s dream library, and we feel you are all going to love it. Not only from all the source recordings, but also from all the incredible designed sounds. It really is an all around workhorse that will have you covered for everything WATER. With over 1600 files and over 3,000 sounds, this library is absolutely massive. Everything from rain, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and bubbles all the way up to KYMA designed cinematic impacts. We spent over a year recording and designing this collection and are so proud to offer it to you for your toolbox!

    Why make another Water library? Because here at SoundMorph we always want to push the limits and quality of what is out on the current marketplace. Elements like WATER present a huge challenge to make modern and exciting. This is what we aimed for with this collection. Watch the Behind The Scenes video by clicking on the “How’s Made Button” to find out just how much went into making this colossal release. A new standard for any working sound professional!

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  • Introducing “Explosive Symphony,” an electrifying library that puts the spotlight on the sheer power and intensity of explosions. From earth-shaking rock debris blasts to spine-tingling sci-fi detonations, this collection is a testament to the raw force of explosive events. Perfect for adding adrenaline-pumping impact to your projects, “Explosive Symphony” offers a dynamic range of explosion sounds that will leave your audience on the edge of their seats.

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  • THE COMPLETE JUST SOUND EFFECTS COLLECTION
    Introducing the JSE Everything Bundle, your one-stop-shop for all your audio needs. This bundle includes every JUST SOUND EFFECTS sound library ever created by our team of sound designers and field recordists, giving you access to an extensive collection of high-quality sound effects.

    INCLUDED SOUND LIBRARIES

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  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Sorcery Play Track 2196 sounds included, 337 mins total $119.99

    Rock The Speakerbox presents Sorcery, the ultimate sound design toolkit for magic and enchantment.

    Harness the forces of light with white magic. Ignite the night with the unbridled power of fire and flame.Summon the darkest of evil with black magic and necromancy. Release the fury of a million volts by mastering the electron. Lay waste to your foes with the sheer might of water and acid. Conjure the frigid and unleash the frost with the power of ice.

    Recorded on stage and in the field, and designed by award winning sound designers, SORCERY contains 11.7 GB of HD quality content spread across 1992 construction kit sounds and 204 designed sounds. With spells, deflects, casts, blocks, beams and more, SORCERY provides sound designers and media content creators unrivaled wizardry at their fingertips.

    The extraordinary awaits within.

     

    KEYWORDS:

    Magic sounds, Spell sounds, Fantasy effects, Enchantment FX, Magical FX, Sorcery sounds, Fantasy spells, Enchanted sounds, Wizard SFX, Magic aura, Spell casting, Magical elements, Fantasy ambience, Potion sounds, Spellbook FX, Arcane magic, Enchanted FX, Magic toolkit, Fantasy creatures, Fantasy magic, Wizard effects, Magic spells, Sorcery toolkit, Magic swirls, Fantasy sound library, Mystical sounds, Sorcerer FX, Enchantment library, Magical toolkit, Fantasy sounds, Dark magic, Magic dust, Mystical ambience, Sorcery FX, Fantasy environment, Magical vibes, Fantasy aura, Spellbinding sounds, Magic whisper, Potion brewing, Magical world, Enchanted library, Magical creatures, Fantasy realms, Magic waves, Arcane library, Wizard spells, Magical FX library, Fantasy toolkit, Magical effects pack

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Working in the sound industry requires advanced knowledge – and even if you’re going to school for cinema or sound, it’s always useful to keep yourself updated during your career about new techniques, gear, and plug-ins. Knowing tips and tricks from the pros is also a plus. Everything evolves very quickly and even if your knowledge is already vast, it is necessary to keep advancing. Sometimes you’ll discover another technique that you never imagined and that could save time or save your life in tough recording situations. The Internet is full of sites, forums and videos on the subject but sometimes nothing beats a good book.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of books about sound, sound design and recording techniques that can help advance your craft and broaden the scope of your possibilities, to bring you fresh ideas and the necessary theory to apply later in the studio or in the field.
 

Featured books:

Quick navigation – click below to jump straight to your chosen book:

The Sound Effects BibleThe Location Sound BibleLocation Audio SimplifiedRoll SoundProducing great sound for Film and videoAudio Postproduction for film and videoThe Foley Grail – The art of performing sound for film, games and animationField Recording From Research to Wrap • Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in CinemaAaron Marks’ complete guide to game audioThe Sounds of Star Wars

More great reads:

100 Unusual, Novel and Surprising Ways to be a Better Sound Designer in Video GamesThe Game Audio Strategy GuideTales of a Technical Sound DesignerNew Realities in Audio: A Practical Guide for VR, AR, MR and 360 VideoPractical Art of Motion Picture SoundWomen in AudioLeading with SoundMaster Handbook of AcousticsFilm Sound: Theory and PracticeSound-On-Film: Interviews with Creators of Film SoundDialogue Editing for Motion Pictures: A Guide to the Invisible ArtMixing Audio, Second Edition: Concepts, Practices and ToolsAudio-Vision Pro Tools 10 for Game AudioAudio-VisionDesigning Sound for AnimationHearing the Movies: Music and Sound in Film HistoryStudying SoundPrinciples of Game Audio and Sound Design

Online reads and resources:

The Free Sound Success GuideDesigning A Movie For SoundWhy Is Sound Important?David Filskov’s Guide To Sound Effects40+ Sound Success Resources

 
 

The Sound Effects Bible

By Ric Viers

Written by Ric Viers, creator of Blastwave FX Sound Libraries, and a well-known figure in the field who regularly gives lectures at Full Sail University in Florida, USA.

Aside from a very brief intro on sound theory (useful but not very thorough), this book offers many examples explaining how to record and create your own sound effects; it also has many anecdotes (often with a lot of humor) on the sounds he’s made. Because indeed, recording sound effects in the field brings its share of unforeseen and sometimes funny situations. The author also draws up a list of essential materials you’ll need to be well-equipped for field recording or building a Foley stage or home studio. A big plus is that he proposes a range of configurations for small budgets to large investments

This book is more for people who want to become sound designers than people already working in the industry.

Get the book here


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The Location Sound Bible

By Ric Viers

From the same author as the book cited above, The Location Sound Bible addresses the field of sound recording (including dialogue) on filming. Having trained myself in the field, I learned a lot from this reading.

Ric Viers discusses many essential pieces of equipment for film sound recording and for all budgets. It includes a presentation of various recorders, microphones, suspensions for microphones, poles, and wireless systems, as well as essential accessories to facilitate smooth recording sessions. But more importantly, the author includes photos and diagrams that illustrate how to place your pickups (boom or other mics) to get the best quality sound. Many amusing anecdotes also punctuate his remarks. It’s an essential book for any neophyte or even experienced sound recordist and boom operator. At the end of each chapter, Viers proposes some exercises to try out, to help you become familiar with the techniques mentioned.

Get the book here


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Location Audio Simplified

By Dean Miles

Location Audio Simplified is one of the most complete books about film sound recording. Here, there’s no great enumeration of material as in the book above. The author, Dean Miles, tells us more about the techniques he has developed during his 30-year career. In this book, he explains how to hold a pole, how to place (and / or hide) lavalier mics but also — something pretty rare in other books— step-by-step how to configure a recorder or an audio connection with different types of cameras (from larger to DSLR). While others gloss over this info (however essential in the trade), this one dedicates a good part of the book to it. Another important thing and also rare or inexistent in the other books is how to behave as a soundman on a set or during interviews — when to be heard and when to influence a decision, especially when looking for a location.

And to complement the many photos and illustrations in the book, the author offers pay-for streaming video lessons. Throughout the book, he refers to videos corresponding to the topics covered. That’s a great strength because nothing is more telling than a video (with audio) to illustrate the examples.




A great book to read (accompanied by videos) for novices who want to learn a lot about being a professional sound person.

Get the book here


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Roll Sound

By John Fielden

Despite a slightly dated design, Roll Sound is nonetheless an interesting book. Author John Fielden has recorded hundreds of projects and gives us his experience and anecdotes throughout the book.

This book supplies many photos and diagrams (in color, fortunately) that correctly illustrate the author’s comments. However, there are several obsolete passages devoted to tape recorders and DAT. Although we can understand that they were part of the long career of John Fielden, they are practically not used today. This section can be skipped for most users.

The big plus of this book is that the author lists numerous configurations for capturing sound for typical sporting events, sorted by sport categories (football, baseball, basketball, etc.) and for various ceremonies, talk shows, concerts or films. This is the only book of its kind (that I know of) where we find this info and in so much detail. For those interested, it perfectly complements the other books dealing with sound recording and will help you during the preparation of large-scale recordings, which you may have never experienced before.

One last feature that differentiates it from the others is its very complete appendix containing various documents necessary for taking notes during a shoot or the complex connections of sound recording during events.

Get the book here


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Producing great sound for film and video: Expert tips from preproduction to final mix

By Jay Rose

Another book on sound recording, but this one covers the diverse and varied experiences of film sound recording. Although some techniques are well established in the field, it is always interesting to know the methods used by other people.

After a theoretical part on the physics of sound (always useful info to know, even for the most experienced of us), Jay Rose discusses the various techniques of sound recording (how to place microphones, handle a boom, etc.) as well as the necessary equipment for any sound recordist, and it finishes with advanced post-production techniques. This book will delight aficionados of sound who are eager to control the whole audio process.

Get the book here


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


Trending right now:

  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Sorcery Play Track 2196 sounds included, 337 mins total $119.99

    Rock The Speakerbox presents Sorcery, the ultimate sound design toolkit for magic and enchantment.

    Harness the forces of light with white magic. Ignite the night with the unbridled power of fire and flame.Summon the darkest of evil with black magic and necromancy. Release the fury of a million volts by mastering the electron. Lay waste to your foes with the sheer might of water and acid. Conjure the frigid and unleash the frost with the power of ice.

    Recorded on stage and in the field, and designed by award winning sound designers, SORCERY contains 11.7 GB of HD quality content spread across 1992 construction kit sounds and 204 designed sounds. With spells, deflects, casts, blocks, beams and more, SORCERY provides sound designers and media content creators unrivaled wizardry at their fingertips.

    The extraordinary awaits within.

     

    KEYWORDS:

    Magic sounds, Spell sounds, Fantasy effects, Enchantment FX, Magical FX, Sorcery sounds, Fantasy spells, Enchanted sounds, Wizard SFX, Magic aura, Spell casting, Magical elements, Fantasy ambience, Potion sounds, Spellbook FX, Arcane magic, Enchanted FX, Magic toolkit, Fantasy creatures, Fantasy magic, Wizard effects, Magic spells, Sorcery toolkit, Magic swirls, Fantasy sound library, Mystical sounds, Sorcerer FX, Enchantment library, Magical toolkit, Fantasy sounds, Dark magic, Magic dust, Mystical ambience, Sorcery FX, Fantasy environment, Magical vibes, Fantasy aura, Spellbinding sounds, Magic whisper, Potion brewing, Magical world, Enchanted library, Magical creatures, Fantasy realms, Magic waves, Arcane library, Wizard spells, Magical FX library, Fantasy toolkit, Magical effects pack

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  • I’ve Decided to Make This Small Instrument Free—Enjoy!
    Enjoy :)

    Snow Foley Instrument, a collection of pristine snow footsteps samples recorded with the legendary Sony PCM-D100 in the remote mountains of southern France. To enhance your sound design workflow, the samples are accompanied by user-friendly Kontakt and DSsampler instruments.

    Whether you’re crafting linear sound designs, immersive interactive experiences, or dynamic game environments, this versatile library has you covered. 

    Key Features: 

    • 8 Different Walking types
    • More than 200 unique samples
    • Recorded in real snow, in different depths
    • Stereo 96Khz 24bit
    • Kontakt & DSsampler
    • Midi Controlled Knobs
    Snow Floey Footsteps Demo

     

    *Runs in Kontakt or Free Kontakt Player version 7.7.3 or higher, and in DecentSampler 1.9.13 or higher.

  • – Evolved WATER Sound Library


    This isn’t just another water library, this is a professional’s dream library, and we feel you are all going to love it. Not only from all the source recordings, but also from all the incredible designed sounds. It really is an all around workhorse that will have you covered for everything WATER. With over 1600 files and over 3,000 sounds, this library is absolutely massive. Everything from rain, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and bubbles all the way up to KYMA designed cinematic impacts. We spent over a year recording and designing this collection and are so proud to offer it to you for your toolbox!

    Why make another Water library? Because here at SoundMorph we always want to push the limits and quality of what is out on the current marketplace. Elements like WATER present a huge challenge to make modern and exciting. This is what we aimed for with this collection. Watch the Behind The Scenes video by clicking on the “How’s Made Button” to find out just how much went into making this colossal release. A new standard for any working sound professional!

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  • Destruction & Impact Sounds Broken Play Track 2266 sounds included, 273 mins total $119.99

    Nothing slaps a smile on a face like the sweet sound of destruction and mayhem. Designing sound for such complex events as a collapsing building or an earthquake requires a diverse and comprehensive palette of chaos. To create such havoc, one must be equipped with the ultimate destruction sound library.

    We stopped at nothing to put together this library of utter mayhem. BROKEN boasts over 9 GB of HD quality content spread across 1940 construction kit sounds and 326 designed sounds. From car crashes, explosions, crumbling buildings, earthquakes, ripping earth and metal, to debris, BROKEN features all elements of destruction.

    Recorded in the field and on the Paramount Pictures Foley stage, this library equips sound designers for film, games, and web with the tools for creating a ruckus.

    Get wrecked. Get BROKEN.

     

    KEYWORDS:
    Destruction sounds, Broken FX, Impact FX, Structural collapse, Building sounds, Shatter sounds, Rumble FX, Impact sounds, Structural damage, Falling debris, Crumbling sounds, Destructive FX, Sound destruction, Collapse sounds, Building collapse, Impact SFX, Destruction toolkit, Breaking sounds, Smash FX, Cracking sounds, Debris sounds, Structural collapse FX, Stone impact, Building sounds, Falling impact, Broken pieces, Concrete sounds, Rock impact, Heavy collapse, Sound crash, Structural sounds, Impact library, Shattering sounds, Stone FX, Destruction library, Impact toolkit, Sound break, Heavy rubble, Building FX, Destruction pack, Structural damage sounds, Rock FX, Collapse toolkit, Heavy impact sounds, Crumbling SFX, Falling stones, Concrete impact, Shatter FX, Debris pack, Structural FX, Heavy destruction sounds

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HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Destruction & Impact Sounds Broken Play Track 2266 sounds included, 273 mins total $119.99

    Nothing slaps a smile on a face like the sweet sound of destruction and mayhem. Designing sound for such complex events as a collapsing building or an earthquake requires a diverse and comprehensive palette of chaos. To create such havoc, one must be equipped with the ultimate destruction sound library.

    We stopped at nothing to put together this library of utter mayhem. BROKEN boasts over 9 GB of HD quality content spread across 1940 construction kit sounds and 326 designed sounds. From car crashes, explosions, crumbling buildings, earthquakes, ripping earth and metal, to debris, BROKEN features all elements of destruction.

    Recorded in the field and on the Paramount Pictures Foley stage, this library equips sound designers for film, games, and web with the tools for creating a ruckus.

    Get wrecked. Get BROKEN.

     

    KEYWORDS:
    Destruction sounds, Broken FX, Impact FX, Structural collapse, Building sounds, Shatter sounds, Rumble FX, Impact sounds, Structural damage, Falling debris, Crumbling sounds, Destructive FX, Sound destruction, Collapse sounds, Building collapse, Impact SFX, Destruction toolkit, Breaking sounds, Smash FX, Cracking sounds, Debris sounds, Structural collapse FX, Stone impact, Building sounds, Falling impact, Broken pieces, Concrete sounds, Rock impact, Heavy collapse, Sound crash, Structural sounds, Impact library, Shattering sounds, Stone FX, Destruction library, Impact toolkit, Sound break, Heavy rubble, Building FX, Destruction pack, Structural damage sounds, Rock FX, Collapse toolkit, Heavy impact sounds, Crumbling SFX, Falling stones, Concrete impact, Shatter FX, Debris pack, Structural FX, Heavy destruction sounds

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  • Here is the complete ultimate Magic bundle!
    In this bundle, you get both volumes of the acclaimed Magic Elements library:
    Magic Element vol.1
    + Magic Elements vol.2.

    Tune Up your wizardry with top-notch sound from and for the next-gen sound designers!

    DESIGNED: (1,098 sounds)
    the bundle comprises a total of 11 designed elements:
    Earth, Ice, Fire, Air, Black, Energy, Liquid, Foliage, White, Cartoon/Anime, and Generic

    SOURCE: (1,110‬ sounds)
    The source folder is packed with useful sounds that cover a large spectrum; thoroughly edited and meta-tagged. They will support your creativity with materials such as choirs, dissonant metal, creatures, papers, debris, drones, cracks, textures, friction, LFE sub sweeteners,…

    Choose how you want your sounds!
    2 DOWNLOAD OPTIONS INCLUDED:

    • GLUED (Multiple variations of the same sound glued in one file)

    • SEPARATED (Each variations of sound are separated in different files)

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  • – Evolved WATER Sound Library


    This isn’t just another water library, this is a professional’s dream library, and we feel you are all going to love it. Not only from all the source recordings, but also from all the incredible designed sounds. It really is an all around workhorse that will have you covered for everything WATER. With over 1600 files and over 3,000 sounds, this library is absolutely massive. Everything from rain, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and bubbles all the way up to KYMA designed cinematic impacts. We spent over a year recording and designing this collection and are so proud to offer it to you for your toolbox!

    Why make another Water library? Because here at SoundMorph we always want to push the limits and quality of what is out on the current marketplace. Elements like WATER present a huge challenge to make modern and exciting. This is what we aimed for with this collection. Watch the Behind The Scenes video by clicking on the “How’s Made Button” to find out just how much went into making this colossal release. A new standard for any working sound professional!

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  • Gore Sound Effects Gore 2 Play Track 5000+ sounds included $119.70

    Enter GORE 2, The follow up to our first smash hit GORE sound library. Full of the most insane blood explosions, drips, flesh rips, splatters, blood gurgles, and intense fight and ultra violence sounds. Why did we make it? Because we wanted a HUGE collection of bigger, wetter, juicer, and crazier GORE sounds that could be a forever go to for professional sound designers. We recorded over 5,000 sounds and 300+ files to make this a whopping 20+ GB collection with lots of variations for all your scenes, film, gameplay or project. The GORE 2 library is split up into 3 sections, designed, source, and builds. Design – Bone, blood, melee & slaughter categories. Source – Featuring 192Khz 32 Bit Sanken Co-100k mic recordings, allowing you to pitch up ultra high or ultra low without loosing fidelity. Builds – Halfway between source material and designed, allowing you flexibility to start with some sounds that are slightly designed. GORE 2 is a classic giant collection that will serve you for years and years.

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Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


 
 

Audio Postproduction for film and video

By Jay Rose

Here’s another book by the same author as the previous one. In this one, Jay Rose explains how to construct a good soundtrack, from the reading of the script in pre-production to recording the voices and sound effects, to applying various audio treatments (effects, equalization, or noise reduction) to each track in post-production. He also discusses how to equip a studio, both in terms of equipment and acoustic treatment. Unlike the previous title, this book focuses much more deeply on post-production.

This book — with its rather advanced theory — is reserved for readers who already have a good knowledge of the subject.

Get the book here


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The Foley Grail – The art of performing sound for film, games and animation

By Vanessa Theme Ament

Although we don’t often realize it, a good part of what we hear in many movies, series, and video games was created in the studio. During post-production, the Foley artists add layers of sound effects that weren’t captured during filming, since the main focus on-set is to record the actors’ dialogue.

This book — after a very detailed history of this technique invented by Jack Foley — explains the unfolding of the whole audio process and the different teams which participate, but concentrates especially on the subject of Foley artists. It’s a must-have for anyone interested in adding an extra layer of sound to their audiovisual productions via sound effects.

Get the book here


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Field Recording From Research to Wrap

By Paul Virostek

Paul Virostek — creator Airborne Sound — is a field recordist specializing in sound effects; he’s created more than 25,000 sound effects already used in movies such as Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby or Ali. Far from other books explaining how to get a good sound recording on a shoot, this one really specialized in the technique of field recording. The author draws on his 20-year career experience of capturing the best possible sound in the field, with all the problems and adventures that it can generate.

How to find the right place? What is the most opportune moment for recording? How to handle objects to record? How to avoid any noise pollution on the recordings (wind, people, etc.)? How to make a discreet recording without arousing the attention of people around? How to create sound based on the use of the sound effects? While most books talk about the materials to use, this one really focuses on the methodology and organization that these recordings require.

Therefore, this book is extremely complementary to the others at it is without photos or images. If you are already very advanced in the field, there is a good chance that you will learn only a few things, but once again, it is always interesting to discover the techniques of others.

Get the book here


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Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema

By David Sonnenschein

This book covers the subject of sound design. The author begins with a great theoretical part on the physics of sound and its effect on the brain, which sets it apart from other books mentioned in this article. Rather than explaining how to use a particular machine or plugin effect, he explains the methodology to apply when developing soundtracks and has many anecdotes about well-known box office movies (Star Wars, The Matrix , and Saving Private Ryan to name a few). More than the sound design, it is really the synergy between the sound and the image narrated in this book that makes it interesting. David Sonnenschein also had the excellent idea to suggest various exercises to apply to better understand each chapter.

This book is dedicated to advanced readers who already have a good knowledge on the subject.

Get the book here


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Aaron Marks’ complete guide to game audio for composers, sound designers, musicians and game developers

By Aaron Marks

Aaron Marks is a well-known sound designer and composer in video games. Through this book, he explains all you need to know to embark on sound creation for the very particular field of video games. Although he does not specifically explain how to create sound effects or music, he details how to integrate them into this environment, and how to ensure the sound is perfect (including mixing tips). He also talks a lot about how to negotiate contracts as a composer. Another unique topic he devotes an entire chapter to are the various techniques of recording voices for games.

Within each of his chapters, there are many extremely interesting interviews with other sound designers and composers. We discover the materials they use, and also their little tips and tricks to create perfect sounds — and what not to do.

Get the book here


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The Sounds of Star Wars

By J.W. Rinzler

The Sounds of Star Wars is a must-have for any Star Wars sound designers fan! In this imposing-sized book (it will not be chosen as a bedside book), Ben Burtt, the sound designer of the world’s best-known sci-fi franchise, explains the secrets of creating more than 250 sound effects from the movie — each one more amazing than the next. To better remember these sounds, there’s a small audio player included in the book that allows you to play each of the sounds mentioned; they are numbered and visible in the photos that illustrate the book.
The only drawback of this book is that the sound quality of the small audio player leaves a lot to be desired, which is really a shame for a book that talks about sound. But this is a small detail compared to the immense pleasure of discovering the elements that served as the basis for the most famous sound effects in the world. Fans of Star Wars should go for it; you will not regret it!

Get the book here


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A big thanks to Julien Matthey for giving us an overview of some of the great audio resources out there!

Julien Matthey
About Julien Matthey:

Passionate about sound in all its forms, Julien Matthey draws on his studies as a sound engineer and over 15 years of experience to offer a modern and professional vision of sound creation. Sound Designer, sound recordist or voice-over, he’s versatile, placing him among the most renowned sound specialists in Switzerland. Learn more about him here.

 

Bonus addition from A Sound Effect – more great reads:

 
 
100 Unusual, Novel and Surprising Ways to be a Better Sound Designer in Video Games – by Rob Bridgett (get the book here)
 
The Game Audio Strategy Guide– by Gina Zdanowicz & Spencer Bambrick (get the book here)
 
Tales of a Technical Sound Designer – by Damian Kastbauer (get the book here)
 
New Realities in Audio: A Practical Guide for VR, AR, MR and 360 Video – by Stephan Schütze (get the book here)
 
Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound – by David Lewis Yewdall (get the book here)
 
Women In Audio – by Leslie Gaston-Bird (get the book here)
 
Leading with Sound – by Rob Bridgett (get the book here)

 

Recommended by others:

 
Master Handbook of Acoustics – by F. Alton Everest (recommended by Randy Coppinger – get the book here)
 
Film Sound: Theory and Practice – by Elisabeth Weis (recommended by Mark Kilborn – get the book here)
 
Sound-On-Film: Interviews with Creators of Film Sound – by Vincent Anthony LoBrutto (recommended by Mark Kilborn – get the book here)
 
Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures: A Guide to the Invisible Art – by John Purcell (recommended by Ryan Cota – get the book here)
 
Mixing Audio, Second Edition: Concepts, Practices and Tools – by Roey Izhaki (recommended by Vedran Kapetinic – get the book here)
 
Audio-vision – by Michel Chion (recommended by Derrick Espino – get the book here)
 
Pro Tools 10 for Game Audio – by Greg deBeer (recommended by Ruben Antonio Infante – get the book here)
 
Designing Sound for Animation – by Robin Beauchamp (recommended by Aakash Kulkarni – get the book here)
 
Studying Sound: A Theory and Practice of Sound Design – by Karen Collins (recommended by Dave Raybould – get the book here)
 
Hearing the Movies: Music and Sound in Film History – by James Buhler, David Neumeyer, & Rob Deemer (recommended by Javier Quesada – get the book here)
 
Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design – by Jean-Luc Sinclair (recommended by Dave Raybould – get the book here)

Great online reads:

 
Designing A Movie For Sound – by Randy Thom (read it here)
 
Why is Sound Important? – by Randy Thom (read it here)
 
David Filskov’s Guide To Sound Effects (read it here)


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Get the free Sound Success Guide:

Sound Success GuideGet the massively-popular – and entirely free – Sound Success Guide, a 60+ page guide featuring insights from 20 industry experts on how to get started and succeed in 18 different types of audio jobs.

Click to download (.zip)

Click to download(.PDF)


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Power Lists - essential audio resources and insights:

• The Sound Design Power List

• The Game Audio Power List

• The Film Sound Power List

 
  Succeed in sound:

• How to Set (and Get) the Right Price for Your Audio Work

• 10 Essential Tips for Game Audio Freelancers

• How to be a successful sound designer – with Scott Gershin

• How To Actually Live as an Audio Freelancer – by Melissa Pons

• How to set your sonic creativity free & overcome creative inhibitions – by Mark Kilborn

• 5 Useful Tips for Upcoming Sound Designers and Sound Editors

• Sound Opinions: How to get game audio pricing right

• Building a successful audio post studio – with Kate Finan and Jeff Shiffman

• Rebuilding your studio: Goals, tips and lessons learned

• Creating audio for games – with Martin Stig Andersen

• A life in sound: How to foster creativity and protect yourself from burning out – with Chance Thomas

• Better audio work habits: How a Wacom Tablet can help reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

• Better audio work habits: How a sit & standing desk can reduce your sedentary studio life

• Tips and thoughts on running your own audio post production house – with William McGuigan

• 30+ year audio veteran Andy Greenberg, on building client relationships in the advertising industry

• 7 Sound Alternatives to Working For Free

• Audio Outsourcing Success: Essential Tips, Thoughts and Working Practices from Adele Cutting

 
 
The sound success series:

• How to succeed in UI/UX Sound Design, ADR Recording, & Audio Programming

• How to succeed in sound design for Film, Documentaries, and Trailers

• How to succeed in sound design for Games, Animation, and Television

How to succeed in Field Recording, Foley, and Teaching Sound

• How to succeed in Audio Branding, Music Editing, and sound for VR

• How to succeed in Theater Sound Design, Podcast Sound Design, and Podcast Production

• How to succeed in Sound Editing, Sound for Advertising, and Production Sound

• How to succeed in Sound Editing, Sound for Advertising, and Production Sound

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Film – ft. Pinar Toprak, Nainita Desai, & Jonathan Snipes

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for TV – ft. Charlie Clouser, Sherri Chung, & Cindy O’Connor

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Theatre – ft. Elyssa Samsel, Kate Anderson, and Daniel Kluger

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Games – ft. Inon Zur

 
Breaking into audio – guides and resources:

• The ‘Quit Aspiring’ book – by Adam Croft

• How to get hired in game audio – thoughts and insights from your potential employer’s perspective

• Why gear is not the ticket to entry in the game audio community

• 4 Effective Ways to Break into Game Audio

• Tips for Creating a Perfect Resume for Audio Industry Jobs

• Yet Another Game Audio Hiring Article – by Ariel Gross

• 5 Tips for Getting a Job in the Audio Industry

• Applying for a job in game audio – by Matthew Florianz

• Freelance Game Audio: Getting Started and finding work – by Ashton Morris

• How to get started (and make it) in game audio – 10+ fundamental questions answered by Akash Thakkar

• Courses: How to network and get paid for your work in the game industry – by Akash Thakkar

• How to Craft a Perfect Cover Letter for Audio Industry Jobs
 
 
Finding those audio jobs:

• Get the weekly Audio Jobs newsletter

• Join the Audio Jobs Facebook group
 
 
Showcasing your work:
 
• Get a free profile on Soundlister

• Upload your demos to Soundcloud

• Upload your demos to ReelCrafter
 
 
Networking:
 
• Find game audio community groups around the world

• Find interesting audio events around the world

• Find other audio pros around the world
 
 
Coping with a layoff - and how to bounce back:

• How to prepare for – and power through – a layoff in the game audio industry, with Brian Schmidt:

• How to Survive a Game Audio Layoff – insights from Damian Kastbauer

• What it’s like to be laid off from your video game studio

• What To Do Before and After Being Laid Off

• Facebook Group: Survival Skills for Creatives
 
 
Education and knowledge:
 
• Get an audio mentor at the Audio Mentoring Project

• How To Learn Game Audio Online – A talk with Game Audio Educator Leonard Paul

• Hear the very best podcasts about sound

• Read the 100s of sound stories and guides on the A Sound Effect blog (search for stories here)

• Browse Industry Data: Game Music and Sound Design Salary Survey Results

• Browse 100+ Sound Design Guides

• Find essential books about sound – for film, games and audio post production

• Get tips and ideas for making your own sound effects

• Use the Audio Events Calendar to find audio-related events around the globe

• Get a steady stream of great sound stories from the community

• Discover 1000s of sound libraries from the independent sound community

• Take online courses in Wwise, FMOD Studio, Unity, Pure Data & Unreal at the School of Video Game Audio
 
 
Getting into independent sound effects:
 
• DIY SFX libraries - Your guide to your first sound effects library

• Sound effects survey results: Here are 90+ ideas for new SFX libraries

• How to create an indie sound bundle

• The quick-start guide to adding sound FX library metadata

 
↑ Back to top

 

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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:

  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Sorcery Play Track 2196 sounds included, 337 mins total $119.99

    Rock The Speakerbox presents Sorcery, the ultimate sound design toolkit for magic and enchantment.

    Harness the forces of light with white magic. Ignite the night with the unbridled power of fire and flame.Summon the darkest of evil with black magic and necromancy. Release the fury of a million volts by mastering the electron. Lay waste to your foes with the sheer might of water and acid. Conjure the frigid and unleash the frost with the power of ice.

    Recorded on stage and in the field, and designed by award winning sound designers, SORCERY contains 11.7 GB of HD quality content spread across 1992 construction kit sounds and 204 designed sounds. With spells, deflects, casts, blocks, beams and more, SORCERY provides sound designers and media content creators unrivaled wizardry at their fingertips.

    The extraordinary awaits within.

     

    KEYWORDS:

    Magic sounds, Spell sounds, Fantasy effects, Enchantment FX, Magical FX, Sorcery sounds, Fantasy spells, Enchanted sounds, Wizard SFX, Magic aura, Spell casting, Magical elements, Fantasy ambience, Potion sounds, Spellbook FX, Arcane magic, Enchanted FX, Magic toolkit, Fantasy creatures, Fantasy magic, Wizard effects, Magic spells, Sorcery toolkit, Magic swirls, Fantasy sound library, Mystical sounds, Sorcerer FX, Enchantment library, Magical toolkit, Fantasy sounds, Dark magic, Magic dust, Mystical ambience, Sorcery FX, Fantasy environment, Magical vibes, Fantasy aura, Spellbinding sounds, Magic whisper, Potion brewing, Magical world, Enchanted library, Magical creatures, Fantasy realms, Magic waves, Arcane library, Wizard spells, Magical FX library, Fantasy toolkit, Magical effects pack

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    Ends 1733785199
  • I’ve Decided to Make This Small Instrument Free—Enjoy!
    Enjoy :)

    Snow Foley Instrument, a collection of pristine snow footsteps samples recorded with the legendary Sony PCM-D100 in the remote mountains of southern France. To enhance your sound design workflow, the samples are accompanied by user-friendly Kontakt and DSsampler instruments.

    Whether you’re crafting linear sound designs, immersive interactive experiences, or dynamic game environments, this versatile library has you covered. 

    Key Features: 

    • 8 Different Walking types
    • More than 200 unique samples
    • Recorded in real snow, in different depths
    • Stereo 96Khz 24bit
    • Kontakt & DSsampler
    • Midi Controlled Knobs
    Snow Floey Footsteps Demo

     

    *Runs in Kontakt or Free Kontakt Player version 7.7.3 or higher, and in DecentSampler 1.9.13 or higher.

  • – Evolved WATER Sound Library


    This isn’t just another water library, this is a professional’s dream library, and we feel you are all going to love it. Not only from all the source recordings, but also from all the incredible designed sounds. It really is an all around workhorse that will have you covered for everything WATER. With over 1600 files and over 3,000 sounds, this library is absolutely massive. Everything from rain, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and bubbles all the way up to KYMA designed cinematic impacts. We spent over a year recording and designing this collection and are so proud to offer it to you for your toolbox!

    Why make another Water library? Because here at SoundMorph we always want to push the limits and quality of what is out on the current marketplace. Elements like WATER present a huge challenge to make modern and exciting. This is what we aimed for with this collection. Watch the Behind The Scenes video by clicking on the “How’s Made Button” to find out just how much went into making this colossal release. A new standard for any working sound professional!

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    Ends 1733353199
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Bicycle Sound Effects City Bicycles – Complete Bundle Play Track 633 sounds included, 330 mins total $120

    The complete package bundles all available City Bicycles-packages and is fully UCS compliant. The ‘Various Passbys + Bicycle Handling’ package is added as a free bonus!

    This is a unique bicycle library that captures four characteristic bikes in clean, quiet, nicely performed true exterior rides. Including multiple perspectives, speeds and actions. From fast passbys on asphalt to slow onboard recordings, smooth or skidding stops. This package contains everything you need to create convincing sound design for a City Bicycle.

    Contents:

    Four bikes with distinct characteristics:
    1. Good bike: a smooth sounding retro bike that doesn’t rattle or squeak, really nice tire noise.
    2. Bad bike: an old worn bike with severe rattles and cranking, tends to let the chain fly off.
    3. Ugly bike: this bike gets you from A to B… but it won’t win awards for it’s looks.
    4. Racer bike: a vintage racer that’s pre-owned but still super slick.
    'City Bicycles'  Sound Library by Frick & Traa
    Five perspectives:
    1. Onboard Front: captures the whirring tire and surface sound.
    2. Onboard Pedal: nice overall combination of pedaling, crank creaks, chain rattle, tire and surface sounds.
    3. Onboard Rear: close up sound of the rear axle, with chain, sprocket and switching of gear.
    4. Tracking shot: mono recording of the passby, keeping the bike in focus while passing by.
    5. Static XY shot: stereo recording of the passby that emphasizes speed.

    Five perspectives:



    Overview of perspectives and mic placement

    *Onboard recordings are 2-3 minutes long depending on speed. Higher speeds > shorter duration. All 3 onboard mics are edited in sync with one another to make layering easy. All Passbys, Arrivals and Departures move from Left to Right.

    Speeds and actions:
    Three speeds for every bike and every surface (see below). Departures from slow, medium to fast getaways. Arrivals from slow stops with gently squeaking handbrakes to heavy stuttering skids.

    Five surfaces:

    We’ve recorded all Bikes on asphalt from all perspectives (onboard and roadside). Additionally, our most quiet bicycle (the Good Bike) was used to record 4 other surfaces from onboard perspectives.


    Five Surfaces:
    1. Asphalt: nice and clean, with smooth singing sound.**
    2. Large Bricks: nicely textured surface that makes the tires purr like a cat.**
    3. Gravel: a fresh crackling surface sound that you might find in a city park.
    4. Grit: classic bicycle path surface sounds that layers perfectly with the other surfaces.**
    5. Icy road: frozen asphalt with sparkling textures of ice crystals snapping under the wheels.

    **these surfaces are also recorded from Roadside Perspectives (passby: static and tracking)

    BONUS files:
    There are some sweeteners and extras to give your bike that extra layer of grit:
    1. Exterior recordings of various actions in multiple takes from rattles, bounces, shakes to roll-bys. Enough to make your bike sound just a little different.
    2. We also recorded 21 additional single passbys of various bicycles, from severely rattling to smooth riding bikes on small brick streets and alleys. Enough to expand your options to create a distinguished sound design.

    Metadata & Markers:

    FREE UPDATE to City Bicycles: now conforms to UCS with new metadata to quickly find your sounds.

    Because we know how important metadata is for your sound libraries we have created a consistent and intuitive description method that adheres to the Universal Category System. This allows you to find the sound you need easily, whether you work in a database like Soundminer/Basehead/PT Workspace work, or a Exporer/Finder window. We made a video that helps you navigate the library ans find your best bicycle sounds faster and easier.

    CategoryFull
    A quick way to filter out sounds you don’t need: like handling sounds or vice versa bicycle onboards.
    UserCategory
    Fastest way to find the type of action you need for all bicycles. Passby needed, just click and voila.
    OpenTier
    Once you’ve selected the bike you can open up OpenTier and audition and select the perspective you want to use.
    Scene &  Performer
    This field contains the type of bicycle to quickly navgiate to the bike you like.
    iXMLTrackLayout
    This is a neat little identifier you will find in the Waveform displays and you can see in a glance what Listening position you are.
    MicPerspective
    We have another way to find perspectives but it is more limited to distance to the recorded subject.
    So passbys are MED – EXT and handling are CU – EXT. Exterior? Of course: we recorded everything outside!
    UserComments
    We used this field to create the UserData and give you the minimal set of information about the recording in the filename.

    Additionally, we added Markers making specific sonic events are easy to spot in Soundminer and other apps.

    If you have any questions about this, please contact us info@frickandtraa.com!


    Single Bicycle packages:
    We also sell single packages for all the bicycles in this library.
    Here’s a handy comparison table:

    Reviews:
    344 AUDIO: ‘City Bicycles has a plethora of content, for a great price. The perfect balance between a great concept, great presentation and outstanding execution, lands them an almost perfect score of 4.9.

    The Audio Spotlight: City Bicycles is worth getting if you are in need of great sounding and well edited bicycle sounds.

    Watch a video created by Zdravko Djordjevic.

    City Bicycles sound examples
    20 %
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  • Animal Sound Effects Rural Ambiences and Textures vol.1 Play Track 130+ sounds included, 270 mins total $21

    Rural ambiences, farm animals, pastures, rural villages, forest, meadows, tractors, farm ambiences etc. Distant villages, daytime and nighttime recordings. Barnyard, henhouse, pigsty ambiences, lumberjack works etc. Check the sound list for full 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.

    25 %
    OFF
  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with Shure KSM 137, Line Audio Omni1, FEL Clippy XLR EM272, Sonorous Objects SO.3 and JrF C-Series Pro+ microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II & Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.
    70 %
    OFF
    Ends 1733266799
  • Ambisonic Sounds – Sea Waves Loops Vol.2 – these are 16 sounds of sea waves recorded on a pebble beach at close range, 2 sounds with seagull voices, 4 sounds recorded on the beach during the beginning of a thunderstorm and 6 sounds recorded near the seashore in the early morning, in which in addition to the sound of the sea, the sounds of crickets can be heard.

  • Electricity Sound Effects Massive Electric Magic Play Track 2587 sounds included, 154 mins total $34.99

    MASSIVE ELECTRIC MAGIC – is an extensive sound library containing 2587 unique files of various types of electric magic. From Zaps, Cracks and Buzzing to Lightning Energy chains. All of our libraries comply with the Universal Category System naming convention standard, allowing for accurate and easy granular searches.

    30 %
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