MetalMotion sound effects library - how the sound library was created Asbjoern Andersen


What goes into creating a great sound effects library? Sound designer, recordists and composer Nathan Moody shares his sonic journey behind the making of his latest sound effects library, MetalMotion.
The library features 4 hours of moving metal, including everything from impacts and squeals, to scrapes, rattles and beyond - and in this new A Sound Effect Podcast episode, here's the rarely-told story on what it takes to create such an adventurous, experimental and highly useful sound effects library. Hear the full interview below:

An interview with Nathan Moody by Jennifer Walden, hosted by Asbjoern Andersen
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Animal Hyperrealism IV Is Here!

Here’s what’s in this episode (with starting times):

0:00 Introduction

1:54 Sound designer, recordists and composer Nathan Moody shares his sonic journey behind the making of his latest sound effects library, MetalMotion

34:04 Find more great podcasts about sound from our friends in the Audio Podcast Alliance
 

Hear the episode below:


 

Sound effects libraries highlighted in this episode:


  • Metal Sound Effects MetalMotion Play Track 2000+ sounds included, 239 mins total $120

    MetalMotion is a sound design construction kit that contains four hours of moving metal mayhem: clicks and clanks, rolls and drags, wronks and squeals, scrapes and rattles, ranging from from tiny to monstrous. Nathan Moody’s unique performances with unusual combinations of props produce everything from Foley-like movements to intense groans and howls.

    Whether you’re covering a robot’s movements, sweetening weapon Foley, making crafting or pick-up sounds in a game, placing unusual layers beneath a kaiju’s roar, or crushing a submarine with undersea pressure, this collection covers the full range of subtle to raucous. Each file has many performance variations for creative choice and game audio asset creation.

    While there are some tasty impacts within, this library’s true focus is on characterful movements: handling, rummaging, opens, closes, ratchets, swirls, rolls, drags, drops, spins, rubs, zuzzes, and bows. Metal containers, filing cabinets, modern appliances, vintage (and very rusty) tools, cymbals, bells, grills, plates, bars, rods, and tubes, and many other props lent their voices to this collection.

    This UCS-compliant library was recorded with a combination of standard, contact, and ultrasonic-capable microphones through Millennia preamps. Sample rates vary based on the amount of ultrasonic content in each file. The audio files are mastered for realism, ready for extreme processing and pitch shifting of your own, but still useful in more grounded contexts.

  • Funny / Comedy / Cartoon Ultrasquish Play Track 400+ sounds included, 40 mins total $40

    Ultrasquish is an ultrasonic-rich library of squishes and squeezes, optimized for radical pitch shifting. It contains around 40 minutes of 192-kHz, UCS-compliant, icky goodness. Each file contains long takes with many variations, ideal for interactive content. From silly squishes to horrific scenes, Ultrasquish simply oozes usefulness.

    The performances of squished and squeezed water, gel, goo, and air begin as sharp, crisp, and immediately useful assets for representing cartoony action, sticky props, mud, blood, viscera, critical hits, or finishing moves. But once pitched down, they reveal creature growls, monstrous heartbeats, gurgling zombie breaths, gloopy footstep sweeteners, colossal digestive tracts, slimy monster movements, and bubbling alien slimescapes. A set of designed sounds are included to showcase the potential uses of the library, and for immediate use in quick-turnaround projects.

    All sounds were recorded in extreme close-up perspective with both a hypercardioid microphone and an ultrasonic-capable omni microphone, blended together for a punchy, full-range tone while preserving ultrasonic detail (reaching as high as 70 to 100 kHz, depending on the prop or material being recorded).

 

Audio Podcast AllianceThe A Sound Effect Podcast is part of the Audio Podcast Alliance, featuring a hand-picked selection of the very best podcasts about sound. Check out the full list of Audio Podcast Alliance members below, and click a on podcast name to go directly to their latest episode:
 
AMPS PodcastCAS In ConversationField & FoleyImmersive Audio PodcastLA Post Production Sound DesignLevel with Emily ReeseLocation Sound PodcastSound BusinessSoundbytes PodcastSoundGirls PodcastSoundtrack ShowSoundworks CollectionThe A Sound Effect PodcastThe Dolby Institute PodcastThe Game Audio JourneyThe Sound Architect PodcastTonebendersTwenty Thousand Hertz

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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:

  • ⏰ For a very limited time:
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    Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV is a sound library containing animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 2000 individual sounds in 294 files. The sounds were recorded in zoos, and wildlife centers.

    The asset list includes but is not limited to: hippos, hyenas, vultures, dwarf mongooses, elephants, African cranes, parrots, tigers, pigmy hippos, rhea ostriches, brown bears, pheasants, wildebeests, African wild dogs and many more. The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, an Avisoft CMPA and a Sennheiser 8050 for center plus two Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.

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  • FOUR ELEMENTS - Rock The Speakerbox Professional SFX

    Master the Art of Bending the Elemental Forces

     

    Unleash the raw power of fire, water, earth, and air with this comprehensive 9 GB sound library featuring 3050 high-quality sound effects across 630 files. Whether you’re designing cinematic soundscapes or enhancing video games Four Elements delivers the tools you need to harness the energy of the natural world.

    Construction Kit – 2443 Sounds

    A treasure trove of raw, organic, and processed sounds including seamless loops divided into Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Explosion categories. Customize every detail with an extensive selection of sound components.

    • Organic Fire: Campfire sizzles, torch whooshes, and flame bursts.
    • Processed Fire: Distorted impacts and unique crackles.
    • Organic Earth: Rock crashes, gravel scrapes, and heavy stone hits.
    • Processed Earth: Stylized rumbles and granular textures.
    • Organic Water: Ocean waves, hydrophone bubbles, and fluid splashes.
    • Processed Water: Underwater whooshes and stylized liquid smashes.
    • Organic Air: Bamboo swishes, cloth movements, and pressure bursts.
    • Processed Air: Filtered gusts and dynamic noise sweeps.
    • Explosion: Firework detonations, Butane bursts, and cinematic impacts.

    Building Blocks – 416 Sounds

    Game-ready sound layers featuring Impacts, Whooshes, and Textures as seamless loops. Elevate transitions and enhance atmospheres with loops and pre-designed sound layers.

    • Fire: Explosive bursts, blazing infernos, and warm embers.
    • Earth: Ground-shaking impacts, crumbling terrain, and heavy collisions.
    • Water: Cascading waves, serene rivers, and underwater ambiences.
    • Air: Whispering breezes, stormy turbulence, and slicing gusts.

    Design Kit – 192 Sounds

    A collection of ready-to-use sound effects divided into Attack, Bend, and Explosion categories for quick integration into your projects. Perfect for high-energy scenes and immersive storytelling.

    • Fire: Crackling flames, fiery bursts, and roaring infernos.
    • Earth: Crushing impacts, shifting ground, and massive land eruptions.
    • Water: Splashes, fluid manipulations, and crashing tidal waves.
    • Air: Slicing winds, swirling currents, and thunderous gusts.

     

    Four Elements gives you complete creative control, blending organic recordings with processed sound layers to meet the demands of any project. Master the forces of nature with Four Elements. Let your creativity ignite.

     

    Keywords:

    Elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wave, Water, Liquid, Rock, Cast, Stone, Pebble, Torch, Gas, Flame, Campfire, Sizzle, Burst, Scrape, Whoosh, Impact, Texture, Attack, Bend, Bending, Explosion, Processed, Surge, Quake, Hit, Flow, Burn, Ignite, Drop, Smack, Destruction, Rumble, Hiss, Blow, Wind, Cloth, Movement, Underwater, Bubble, Ocean, River, Lake, Firework, Firecracker, Bang, Blast, Detonation, Magic, Fantasy, Forces, Fire Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Air, Fire Effect, Fire Whoosh, Water Whoosh, Seamless Loop, Loop, Fire Cast, Water Cast, Earth Cast, Air Cast

  • Metal Sweeteners / Gun Hyper-Realism contains hundreds of metal sounds to enhance your gun fights.

    We recorded tons of different metallic objects like wrenches, cameras, stands, microphones,etc… to create different hits and textures for the Source Material kit, everything was recorded at 192 kHz with the famous Sennheiser MKH 8040/8050 microphones in order to capture all the harmonics up to 50-60 kHz.  Then we layered/edited/pitched, crushed them to create the sounds in the Designed folder.

    The “Source” folder contains 91 files and hundreds individual sounds divided into these categories:
    – Hit
    – Scrape
    – Screw
    – Rattle
    – Mech
    – Click
    – Slide


    The “Designed” folder contains 20 files and many more individual sounds, all created from the “Source Material”:
    – Silenced/Suppressed shots
    – Reload
    – Bullets
    – Mechanics
    – Ejections

    The “Synced” folder contains multiple groups of 8 layers + 3 silencers/suppressor, all sync’ed on some of the most common guns rate of fire :
    – Ak 47
    – M16
    – Uzi
    – MP5
    – M60
    – M4

    All the sounds are 192 kHz / 24 bits, giving you all the process flexibility you need. Most importantly the files are embedded with exhaustive metadata compatible with Soundminer, Basehead, etc…

    This library is perfect to spice up “boring” real life recordings, create a whole new futuristic weapon or just to give that ” Hyper Realistic ” feel to the project you’re working on.

Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • ⏰ For a very limited time:
    Add this library to the cart and enter ah4launch in the cart coupon field – to sprinkle an extra launch discount, on top of the current discount!

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV is a sound library containing animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 2000 individual sounds in 294 files. The sounds were recorded in zoos, and wildlife centers.

    The asset list includes but is not limited to: hippos, hyenas, vultures, dwarf mongooses, elephants, African cranes, parrots, tigers, pigmy hippos, rhea ostriches, brown bears, pheasants, wildebeests, African wild dogs and many more. The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, an Avisoft CMPA and a Sennheiser 8050 for center plus two Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.

    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

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  • Weather Sound Effects Hyper Thunder Play Track 800+ sounds included $49.50

    Hyper Thunder is a colossal collection of thunder and lightning, 100% crafted from the ground up using innovative synthesized technics and props recordings. Not a single real life thunder recording was used. using synthesis and props manipulation crafted to deliver impact far beyond natural recordings. Built entirely from innovative synthesis and props recordings, this library pushes the boundaries of weather sound design—perfect for when you need the raw energy of a storm dialed up to cinematic extremes.

    Featuring over 800 files, Hyper Thunder spans everything from subtle distant rumbles and rolling thunder to razor-sharp lightning strikes and earth-shaking impacts. With both designed hits and source layers, you have full control—drop in ready-to-use power or sculpt your own stormscapes using the source recordings.

    Created in collaboration with Bruits.Studio’s Vincent Fliniaux and Tibo Csuko—longtime SoundMorph contributors to acclaimed libraries like Robotic Lifeforms 2 and WATER— Hyper Thunder blends technical mastery with bold creativity.

    Key Features

    • 800+ files of synthesized thunder and lightning
    • Both designed hits and source layers for full creative control
    • Covers subtle distant rumbles through to massive cinematic impacts
    • Crafted 100% from synthesis for a unique, larger-than-life sound
    • Perfect for film, games, trailers, and any project needing storm power
    • Created in collaboration with Bruits.Studio’s Vincent Fliniaux and Tibo Csuko (Robotic Lifeforms 2, WATER)

    From atmospheric detail to explosive drama, Hyper Thunder gives you thunder and lightning that are bigger, subtler, and more versatile than nature itself.

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  • Animal Sound Effects Horses Vol. 3 Play Track 150 sounds included, 54 mins total $25

    Capture every detail of the equine world with this massive library. Features gallops on every terrain, vocalizations from gentle breaths to terrified screams, and intricate harness and carriage sounds. Perfect for film, documentaries, and game audio requiring authentic horse SFX.

    Horses Vol 3 is the definitive sound effects library for anyone needing high-quality, realistic horse sounds. This extensive collection of 150 files provides an unparalleled range of equine audio, covering locomotion, vocals, and historical contexts. Find everything from the subtle sounds of a single horse grazing and breathing to the overwhelming power of a full herd stampede. Specific highlights include gallops on dirt, grass, and sand; close-up vocalizations like whinnies, snorts, and panicked squeals; detailed Foley of horses milling and trotting; and immersive recordings of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs with harness rattles and hoof clops on cobblestones. Whether you’re scoring a western, a historical drama, a fantasy battle, or a documentary, this volume offers the perfect sound to bring your project to life.

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  • A MEGA PACK of 450 handcrafted sound effects designed to take your projects beyond the ordinary. From sci-fi risers that stretch tension, to haunting horror stings, angelic swells, and mechanical whooshes that shake the air — every effect is built to elevate emotion and amplify impact. Inside the Mega Pack: 450 epic SFX – risers, stingers, drones, atmospheres & more. A rich blend of dark, magical, futuristic, and orchestral textures. Ideal for film trailers, video games, streaming, and immersive content. Sounds that add depth, drama, and cinematic scale instantly. Step into the world of sound that moves stories. Don’t just tell your story — let your audience feel every moment.

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  • Ambisonic Sound Effects Sirens Vol. 3 Play Track 100 sounds included, 41 mins total $25

    Need to add urgency? Our siren library has you covered. Featuring police wails, ambulance highs/lows, historic air raid sirens, and epic sci-fi alerts. Ideal for action sequences, documentaries, and creating instant tension. Make some noise!

    Turn up the tension with Sirens Vol 3 – your ultimate toolbox for audio emergencies. This isn’t your average siren library. We’ve packed 100 authentic sounds with everything you need to create heart-pounding moments.
    What’s inside?

    • The Classics: Get all the essential wails, yelps, and high-lows from real police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks.

    • Global & Vintage Vibes: Spice things up with distinct European signals and epic vintage WWII air raid sirens for that historical feel.

    • Next-Level Realism: It’s not just about the sound, it’s about the scene. Choose from close-up blasts, dynamic pass-bys (with that cool Doppler effect), and distant city ambiance blends.

    • The Unique Stuff: Go beyond the ordinary with glitchy malfunctioning sirens, old-school hand-cranked sounds, electronic whoops, and a killer selection of sci-fi and fantasy alarms for your game or film.

    Perfect for building: cinematic car chases, gritty urban environments, intense disaster scenes, and any project that needs a serious shot of adrenaline.

    Stop searching and start creating. Find your perfect siren sound right here.

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