Composer Success Series Games Composer Peter McConnell Asbjoern Andersen


Want to make it as a game composer? In this interview, you'll hear what it takes to get started and succeed in composing for the game industry, from multi-award-winning composer Peter McConnell, known for his scores on Blizzard Entertainment's Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project, Double Fine Productions's Broken Age Act 2 (2013), and Double Fine's Psychonauts 2.

As a composer at LucasArts, he also worked on legendary series like Monkey Island, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars, as well as Grim Fandango, and Full Throttle.


By Jennifer Walden and Asbjoern Andersen, images courtesy of Peter McConnell
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Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:

  • 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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    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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    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.

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  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Sorcery Play Track 2196 sounds included, 337 mins total $14.90

    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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The Composer Success Series – and what it’s all about:

The Composer Success Series is dedicated to helping you succeed as a composer – offering inspiration, advice on getting started and advancing your career, creative tips and tricks, helpful resources and lessons learned, from some of the industry’s most successful composers for film, games and beyond.
 

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• Jump straight to the Peter McConnell interview

 

More interviews in the Composer Success Series:

Charlie Clouser • Sherri Chung • Cindy O’Connor • Inon Zur Pinar Toprak • Nainita DesaiJonathan SnipesGareth Coker Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson Daniel Kluger Jason Graves Ronit KirchmanZach RobinsonAlec PuroWinifred Phillips Ronit KirchmanZach RobinsonAlec PuroAriel MarxMatthew EarlChristopher Thomas

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Peter McConnell:

Peter_McConnell-1

Award-winning composer Peter McConnell is a member and former governor of the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy, a member of ASCAP and a founding member of G.A.N.G., the Game Audio Network Guild.
He was born in 1960, the oldest in a family of five. His father was a Presbyterian Minister. Growing up, they lived in Switzerland, Kentucky, Kansas, and New Jersey before Peter went to college at Harvard, taking a couple years off along the way to complete the switch from physics to music. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1990, married to a teacher, and has two children, ages 13 and 15. Everyone in his family is a budding musician in one way or another. Peter loves all kinds of music and his favorite instruments to play are electric violin, acoustic guitar and 5-string banjo.
Learn more about Peter’s work and awards at petermc.com


• How did you get started in the composing industry? What was your first game score and what was that experience like for you?

I got started kind of sideways. More than 30 years ago, I was just out of college, where I had started out studying math and physics and ended up graduating with a music degree. Mostly on the strength of the math background, I got a job writing audio software for Lexicon, a Boston Area-based maker of high-end effects boxes for musicians and studios. I was later joined by my friend and classmate Michael Land, and Michael and I played in a band together, along with Michael’s childhood friend Clint Bajakian. We came up with a loose plan to go out to San Francisco and start a band.

Mostly on the strength of the math background, I got a job writing audio software for Lexicon, a Boston Area-based maker of high-end effects boxes for musicians and studios.

Michael got to the Bay Area first, and landed a job at what was then called LucasFilm Games, to start their audio department. By the time I got to the Bay Area, the band idea had kind of fizzled out, but Michael needed help developing a new music system — and to write music for it. I jumped on the opportunity: imagine, not only doing cool audio tech, but actually getting paid to write music!

As LucasFilm Games grew into LucasArts, I transitioned to writing more and more music and doing less technical work. My first game score was Monkey Island II: LeChuck’s Revenge , released in 1992, which was a collaboration with Michael and Clint, and featured Michael’s iconic themes.

That was followed by musical collaborations on Day of the Tentacle, Indiana Jones: Fate of Atlantis, and Sam & Max Hit the Road. My first project as lead composer — and my first work with Tim Schafer as Project Leader — was Full Throttle in 1995, followed by Grim Fandango in 1998.

…my career grew out of a very slow process of building on working relationships to take on increasingly challenging composition projects.

I left LucasArts in 2000 to compose independently and work on an internet media startup with Michael. The media startup failed spectacularly, but I was able to compose music for Psychonauts 2 for Tim Schafer, who had also left LucasArts in 2000 to form Double Fine Productions. I also wrote music for Sly Cooper 2, 3 and 4, Brutal Legend, Kinectimals, Plants vs. Zombies 2and PVZ Garden Warfare, and I continue to write music for Hearthstone.

In short, my career grew out of a very slow process of building on working relationships to take on increasingly challenging composition projects.

 

• Any advice you’d share on how to land a composing job in the game industry?

Obviously things are a little different now than when I got started. In the early ’90s, if you said you wrote music for games, people would say, “Oh, you mean bloops and bleeps.” Nobody says that any more. The stakes are so much higher: the production value, the budgets, the size of the teams, and the list goes on. Thus, the ways to enter the business have become more formalized, and the hurdles more numerous. So it can be daunting now in different ways than it was for me.

…the path to success may not be obvious. Know what you bring to the table and be on the lookout for any situation that allows you to play to your strengths.

The good news is that there are also many more developers than when I got started, and opportunities abound for young composers to work on small indie projects. And if you are in that position, bear in mind that the path to success may not be obvious. Know what you bring to the table and be on the lookout for any situation that allows you to play to your strengths. Or as a very successful performing musician friend of mine once said: there are as many ways to make it as people who have made it.

 

• What were some essential lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

Very simply, you want to be the person people want to work with.

Have a great attitude.

Be on time.

… do the very best you can for each and every project…

Be organized.

Know your tools.

Take criticism gracefully.

And do the very best you can for each and every project, given the resources available, because you never know who will hear a title with your work in it, no matter how small.

 

• Any favorite tricks and workflow tips that help when composing for games?

I think that tricks and workflows vary a lot from person to person. For me, much of it has to do with timing: knowing when I am most productive (usually first thing in the morning or late at night), setting up tracking structures to keep me focused on production work and away from busy work, that sort of thing.

I track all of my waking hours in a Google spreadsheet down to 15-minute increments.

I have to admit I am a bit obsessive on this last point, as I track all of my waking hours in a Google spreadsheet down to 15-minute increments. That’s all waking hours — every day, 365 days a year, including vacation time. I would be the first to admit it’s not for everybody, but it works for me. So much of being a composer involves things that aren’t composing.

Regarding my technical setup, I run Pro Tools 12 on a fully loaded 2013 Mac Pro, driving Vienna Ensemble Pro on the same machine. I got the spec from a friend in L.A. who is a composer for TV and film. In VE Pro, I run a number of Spitfire libraries, which are loaded with custom Kontakt scripts that allow me to switch quickly between articulations using MIDI controller switches on a little Korg Nano that I operate with my left hand while playing the keyboard with my right. That way I can switch between, say, legato, staccato and pizzicato strings without stopping the melody line.

…custom Kontakt scripts…allow me to switch quickly between articulations using MIDI controller switches on a little Korg Nano that I operate with my left hand while playing the keyboard with my right.

I got the basic flow from Beijing-based composer Seth Tsui, who used to work for Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control group, among other studios. He showed me how to set up the key switches in a Kontakt script. I have to say am not a big fan of key switches (they clutter the tracks and can cause confusion when it is time to orchestrate), so I modified the script to use controller switches instead.

 

• What are your favorite sites and resources for composers?

Vi-Control is a fantastic forum. It’s my go-to site when I have a problem and need the perspective of folks who are doing serious audio and composition work every day.

I also keep a copy of Rimksy-Korsakov’s book on orchestration handy.

Robert Puff has great blogs and columns on how to deal with orchestration in Sibelius.

I also have a network of friends who are musicians and audio engineers.

 

• What’s one special thing you did to become a successful composer?

One of my fellow engineers at Lexicon, who is a musician and concert music composer, once gave me the following advice: if you really love something, no matter what you are doing for work, be sure you do that thing that you love at least an hour a day — preferably the first hour. I took that advice.

As a footnote, that engineer went on to design the Phoenix Reverb and effects programs, which he recently sold to iZotope, and I’m pretty sure he spends all his time composing now.

 
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[tweet_box]Peter McConnell on what it takes to get started & succeed in composing for Games[/tweet_box]

 

Highlights from A Sound Effect - article continues below:

 
  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Cinematic World Play Track 600+ sounds included $99
    Cinematic World┃SFX Library┃Trailer

    This cutting-edge library was created in collaboration with several award-winning sound designers, whose credits include Disney+, Diablo 3, The Outsider, Soul, Starcraft 2, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Mortal Shell and many others.

    Cinematic World includes over 600 highly detailed designed, signature and source sound effects.

    All sound effects come in 24bit 96kHz, including detailed naming conventions and rigorous Soundminer-embedded metadata.

    All source sound effects were recorded with professional high-end equipment, including Sound Devices 788 with ORTF setup of Sennheiser MKH 8040’s and MKH 8050, as well as Rode NTG8, LOM Elektrosluch, DPA 4060 and Sony PCM D100.

    Library Review:

    RT Sonics’ libraries are awesome and irreplaceable – not only do they feature ready-to use-designed assets that stand out from the crowd, but also have immaculately recorded construction kits that I keep coming back to! You can tell that these libraries are created by sound designers, for sound designers.” –

    Alex Previty

    Sound Designer Audio Lead | Spider-Man (PS4), PlayStation

    Cinematic World features:

    Heavy Hits, Low Hits, Pulses, Clock Loops, Mech Suit Buildups and Weapons, Strings, Risers, Pings, Car Whooshes, Monster Roars, Bass Drops, Braams, Whooshes, Whoosh Hits and much more.

  • Dark ERA, ancient pagan music and the sound of the Vikings

    With Dark ERA, Eduardo Tarilonte – the master of mystical sounds – leads us back into the dark age where legends were born and where old northern gods still determined the fate of mankind. This library allows you to discover sounds to which the vikings and other already forgotten cultures and tribes were celebrating and singing their myths.

    The fascinating sound of Dark ERA ranges from the transcendental drones of the ancient stringed-harp Tagelharpa to the unmatched grace of the gut-stringed Lyre to the distinctive and characteristic sound of the Nordic bone flutes and the overtone flute Fujara. Goose bumps are guaranteed with the sound of war horns such as the wooden Lur, thunderous mighty percussion, a full ensemble of frame-drums as well as mystical throat chants.

    These instruments are complemented by an impressive collection of pulsating pads and atmospheric soundscapes which evolve over longer periods. These unique sounds ensure that Dark ERA can clearly be regarded as the next masterpiece created by Eduardo Tarilonte.

  • RAW CELLO FX features manipulated and mangled cello sound effects designed to provide the full character of the instrument and harmonic richness in order to create a completely unique set of organic samples between music and noise, intimate and vivid bold sounds expanding new possibilities out of this instrument.

    Different techniques and less-than-conventional microphone placement have been used to create gorgeous harmonics and a wide array of interesting sounds. We “played” with fingers and hands, different bows against the strings, objects and kitchen utensils, bowing, scraping or hitting single and multiple strings or parts of the wood body. 

    The collection features designed hits, bow, crescendo, screech, woosh, swell, bonus fx folder and is ready for trailer and soundtrack projects.

     

     

  • Realtime Pitchshifting PlugIn version 2!

    Elastique Pitch is the real time pitch shifting solution for RTAS, VST, AU and AAX. Powered by zplane’s élastiquePro pitch shifting engine which is used by millions of end users around the world, the plugin ensures the highest, program independent pitch shifting quality.

    Elastique Pitch focuses on the essential things: you won’t find any unnecessary or confusing controls or functionality. Instead, the plugin offers you quality, stability, and ease of use.

    In the second edition we´ve added a feedback delay and the infiniSTRETCH function of the new élastiquePro v3 engine. Both make it easy to use Elastique Pitch in a more creative way.

    The key features of Elastique Pitch V2 are:

    • multi channel: support for synchronous pitching of up to 8 audio channels
    • real time: no offline pre-analysis required
    • feedback with delay for more creative usage
    • Three different views
    • Program-independent high quality with the highly-acclaimed élastiquePro v3 engine (speech, single-voiced, classical/popular music, etc.)
    • phase coherence: absolute phase stability between all channels
    • MIDI input: for pitch control
    • formant shifting: shift formants independent from pitch
    • factory presets: for typical film pull-ups/pull-downs
    • AU, VST, AAX and RTAS support for Mac & PC

    technical specifications

    • audio format: 1-8 channels (I/O), 44.1-192kHz sample rate
    • plugin format: AAX, RTAS, AU, VST
    • pitch range: ± 12 semitones = 50-200%
    • timbre range: ± 12 semitones = 50-200%
    • plugin latency: 150ms @48kHz
    • min. system CPU: 2GHz
    • OS: MacOsX >10.6.8, Windows 2000/XP, Vista, Win7/8
    • Host: Pro Tools > V8

    DOWNLOAD THE DEMO HERE
    WIN | MAC

  • An equalizer is probably the tool you use most while mixing and mastering, so you need the best of the best. With FabFilter Pro-Q 3, you get the highest possible sound quality, a very extensive feature set, and a gorgeous, innovative interface with unrivalled ease of use.

    Mixing and mastering features
    Pro-Q 3 offers everything that a demanding engineer could wish for: top-quality linear phase operation in addition to the zero latency and unique Natural Phase modes, smooth dynamic EQ, per-band mid/side processing, full surround support (up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2), an intelligent solo feature, optional Auto Gain and a built-in, fully customizable spectrum analyzer.

    Effortlessly sculpt your sound
    FabFilter Pro-Q 3 is designed to help you achieve your sound in the quickest way possible. Via the large interactive EQ display, you can create bands where you need them, enable dynamic EQ for any band, and select and edit multiple bands at once.
    Unique features like Spectrum Grab, Full Screen mode and EQ Match will speed up your workflow even more. Try it yourself!

    FabFilter goodies
    Of course, you also get all the usual FabFilter goodies: perfectly tuned knobs, interactive MIDI Learn, undo/redo and A/B switch, Smart Parameter Interpolation for smooth parameter transitions, an extensive help file with interactive help hints, sample-accurate automation, advanced optimization and much more.

  • A crush on music

    Distortion and saturation play a very important role in music production. From subtle, clean and warm tube or tape saturation to the wildest multiband guitar amp effects: FabFilter Saturn 2 delivers.

    Saturn 2 introduces a host of new features such as a redesigned interface with modulation visualization, new subtle saturation and linear phase processing for mastering, many new distortion styles, and more.


    Warmth, harmonics, color and dynamics

    FabFilter Saturn 2 offers a range of different high quality distortion models, inspired by the vintage sound of tubes, tape, transformers and guitar amps. In addition, you get five creative FX distortion styles to mangle your sounds in weird and unexpected ways.

    With its multiband design and per-band feedback, dynamics, drive, tone and modulation options, Saturn 2 will bring a unique flavor to your music.

    Bring your sounds to life

    Add life and depth to your music using the extensive modulation section. By applying subtle modulation to crossover frequencies, dynamics, band levels or tone controls, great warmth and definition can be achieved.

    With all the XLFOs, EGs, XY controllers/sliders, envelope followers and MIDI sources you will ever need, you get practically unlimited modulation possibilities. Creating new modulation connections could not be easier: just drag and drop. And Saturn 2 visualizes all modulation in real-time to show exactly what’s going on.

    FabFilter goodies

    Finally, FabFilter Saturn 2 contains all the usual FabFilter goodies: perfectly tuned knobs, MIDI Learn, Smart Parameter Interpolation for smooth parameter transitions, interface resizing and full screen mode, support for Avid control surfaces, GPU-powered graphics acceleration, extensive help with interactive help hints, SSE optimization, and much more.

  • Animal Sound Effects Collections Animal Hyperrealism Vol I Play Track 290+ sounds included $136

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol I is a library containing sounds themed animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 1300 individual sounds in 290 files.

    The sounds were partly recorded with animals trained for media production, partly recorded in zoos and wildlife centers. The asset list includes but is not limited to: african lions, bengal tigers, horses, donkeys, cows, exotic birds, owls, bobcats, pumas, dromedaries, wolves, dogs, geese, lemurs, gibbons and many more.

    All 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. All files are delivered as stereo bounce of these four 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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  • Cold Weapon Sound Effects Swordfighter Play Track 479 sounds included $25

    Swordfighter is a robust package with sharp sounding swords, heaps of variations and all the extras you need to make a fight come alive. Build unique sword swings with various hits, swooshes, schings, different fighter vocals and impacts on various surfaces. All up there are 137 sword sounds, 93 surface impact sounds, 15 knife throwing sounds, 48 swooshes and 180 fighter vocals.

    This version includes two sub-folders: one optimised for a film & TV workflow and the other optimised for video games workflow. Plus a few bonus sounds of a charging army.

  • Genres Vintage Anime SFX Play Track 350+ sounds included $55.20

    The Vintage Anime Sound Effects Library brings all of the excitement of your favorite Japanese animated series to your fingertips. Inspired by classic cartoons from the 80’s and 90’s, these recognizable and versatile sounds will instantly enhance any FX collection. Vintage synths were used to create the auras, beams, mecha blasters, atmospheres, magic spells, guns, sonic blasts and explosives that makeup this pack of over 350+ custom 24bit/96khz .WAV files. Perfect for film, video games, podcasts and any project that could benefit from a power up!

    Both designed sounds and source recordings:
    • Classic anime sfx from the 80’s and 90’s

    • Auras, mecha, beams, blasters, spells, explosives and more! 350+ sounds!

    • Tons of source material for experimentation

    • Expert crafted metadata

    • Vintage Anime PDF

    20 %
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    Ends 1735599600
  • Creature Sound Effects WINGS Play Track 1444+ sounds included From: $99

    We are extremely proud to present our first library, WINGS – a one-of-a-kind sound library.

    From tiny insects to small birds, from fairies to dragons, WINGS offers a creative palette with a diverse range of sounds to choose from.

    With over 1400 files (more than 4 GB for the 192 kHz version ) we’re confident you will find the perfect sound.

    When purchasing WINGS you get 2 packs, our Design category that includes 180 files and the Source category that offers more than 1200 sounds. Featuring the very best of our foley sessions.

    All single flaps have been careful edited, allowing for unique speed or rate adjustments.

    Pick your preferred version at the introductory prices below:


Need specific sounds, instruments or plugins? Try a search below:

 

BONUS: Expand your skillset with the free Sound Success Guide:
Sound Success GuideWant to branch out beyond composing? Learning new sound skills can open up opportunities for additional revenue – and with the (entirely free) 60+ page Sound Success Guide, you get 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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A big thanks to Peter McConnell for sharing his valuable insights with us!

Want the free Composer Success Series e-book as soon as it’s released? Sign up to be the first to get it here

More interviews in the Composer Success Series:


Charlie Clouser – composer on the Saw franchise, Fox’s Wayward Pines, CBS’s Numb3rs, & NBC’s Las Vega
Sherri Chung – composer on The CW’s Batwoman and Riverdale, NBC’s Blindspot, and CBS’s The Red Line
Cindy O’Connor – composer on ABC’s Once Upon a Time
Inon Zur – composer on Fallout, Dragon Age, Prince Of Persia, Outriders, and The Elder Scrolls.
Pinar Toprak – composer on the Captain Marvel, The Wind Gods, and The Tides of Fate
Nainita Desai – composer on The Reason I Jump, American Murder, and For Sama
Jonathan Snipes – composer on A Glitch in the Matrix, The El Duce Tapes, and Murder Bury Win
Ronit Kirchman – composer on Evil Eye, and Limetown
Zach Robinson – composer on Cobra Kai, Impractical Jokers, and Artbound
Alec Puro – composer on The Fosters, Black Summer, and Mall
Gareth Coker – composer on the Ori franchise, Studio Wildcard’s ARK: Survival Evolved, & the upcoming Halo Infinite.
Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson – composers on “The Book Thief,” “Between the Lines,” & Disney Animation’s Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
Daniel Kluger – composer on the play “The Sound Inside,” “Oaklahoma!” (2019), & “Judgement Day”
Jason Graves – composer on Dead Space, Tomb Raider, Moss, and more.
Peter McConnell – composer on Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project, Broken Age Act 2 (2013), and Psychonauts 2.
Ariel Marx – composer on American Horror Stories on FX, Children of the Underground mini-series on FX, and the Roku Original docu-series What Happens in Hollywood.
Matthew Earl – composer on Virtual Reality games/experiences such as the Star Trek: Dark Remnant and Men in Black: Galactic Getaway VR simulation rides.
Zach Robinson – composer for the Evermore Adventure Park, Knott’s Berry Farm, Queen Mary Chill, Dreamland (UK), Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Dent Schoolhouse, and The Void 4D virtual reality games.

 



 
 
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 $14.90

    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

    90 %
    OFF
    Ends 1733353199
  • 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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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
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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.

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  • 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.
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    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.

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