Succeed in Sound for games, animation and television Asbjoern Andersen


Welcome to the 4th installment in our Sound Success series; a series dedicated to helping you to grow - or kickstart - your audio business, learn new areas of audio-related work, and give you multiple revenue streams to insulate you from the ups and downs of the audio industry.

In these 3 interviews, you'll hear what it takes to get started and succeed in game audio from Anne-Sophie Mongeau, animation sound from Jeff Shiffman & Kate Finan, and sound for television from Peter D. Lago:


By Jennifer Walden and Asbjoern Andersen, images courtesy of Anne-Sophie Mongeau, Jeff Shiffman, Kate Finan, and Peter D. Lago
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Sound Design: Games – insights from Anne-Sophie Mongeau:


A woman with headphones around her neck smiles.• What working on game sound design entails:

Being a game sound designer implies having both a creative mind as well as a technical one. The sound designer’s role is to start from a vision or a concept and bring that to reality, and that means being able to think about what best serves the game and enhances the player experience aesthetically. You must know how to make it happen in terms of recording and designing, and finally how to integrate the work in a logical way so that it plays as envisioned, with the tools at your disposal.

It also entails working with a team. Whether it is the audio team or the rest of the game development team, a sound designer will collaborate with many people throughout the process of bringing this vision to reality. So the role of a game sound designer is a very social one as well.

Finally, it asks for a lot of dedication. The games industry is wide and the business models and work ethics are many, but chances are good that a sound designer and the rest of the development team will face long development time and/or tight deadlines and/or cancelled projects and/or working extended hours. That being said, it can be highly rewarding to see this immersive, emotionally engaging environment come to life, and to see a reality emerge from what was once only a concept after putting so much of yourself in it.
 

• What it takes in terms of skills and gear:

The skills and gear required to be a game sound designer can vary widely. At the very least you would need means to record (whether it’s the entire Sennheiser mic collection or a simple portable recorder), to design (a DAW), and to listen (a decent pair of speakers or headphones). The whole audio chain should ensure professional quality, so a decent sound card should also be considered.

In terms of skills, the important thing is to know how to operate and take care of your physical audio equipment. You should also understand digital audio — knowledge of sound recording theory and DSP is essential in order to consistently obtain good quality results. Music theory knowledge is not essential but is certainly a plus in a context where you may need to collaborate closely with composers, integrate their work into the game or even be asked to contribute to the music composition yourself.
 

• How to learn it:

There are many ways to go about learning how to design sounds for videogames. Nowadays a lot of good courses exist, both in Universities and private schools, but it is possible to learn it yourself if you are a disciplined self-learner; there are plenty of tutorials and learning resources online.

The main challenge about learning this type of work is that it is highly varied and requires a broad skillset. So your best chance is if you have prior knowledge in at least one of the things involved in the job (either sound recording, sound designing, having a musical background, some programming experience, etc). Then the specific skills you need to learn to work in games, which have to do with interactivity and integration tools, will come with experience, which means finding projects to work on is key. You can either pair up with game dev students or small independent projects looking for help with their sound, or if that’s not available, make it up!

Nowadays a lot of good courses exist, both in universities and private schools, but it is possible to learn it yourself if you are a disciplined self-learner; there are plenty of tutorials and learning resources online

All the tools you need to learn and teach yourself can be found online and used for free as long as it is not for commercial purposes. For instance, download Wwise or FMOD and design and implement all the sounds needed for a hypothetical game (take inspiration from your favorite game if you need to), and test how the interactive features and sounds hold up. You can even implement them all the way to a game engine if you have the programming skills or if you learn them! (Unity3D and Unreal Engine are free for students).

You could also simply test the quality of your sound design by taking gameplay videos of existing games and re-doing all the sound design from scratch according to your own vision. In summary, there is nothing like practice and experience when it comes to learning the craft of interactive media, where the very nature of the work means you can’t control everything. So the best way to develop skills is to become more and more familiar with unpredictability and what to do about it.
 

• How to find work:

People looking for game sound designers are game studios. So an aspiring sound designer should look for opportunities as an in-house sound designer in a game development studio, whether as a contractual hire or permanent. Many studios also offer internship for beginners. So mainly you need to keep an eye out for job postings. One could also look for audio post production studios which sometimes work as game audio outsourcers and may be looking to expand their team. And finally, a game sound designer can offer their services as a freelancer and work for smaller studios or projects that don’t have an in-house or full-time audio team.
 

• Essential advice for working and making it in game sound design:

One thing that holds the game audio industry together is its tight community. Despite being international, it is relatively small and close-knit, which means joining the relevant social media groups and pages, attending events and conferences and being overall socially active is one good way to get to know this community and the lovely people in it. Make friends!

After that, it is about standing out. This industry is also very competitive — a lot of highly talented people for few seats at the table. So one should be proactive, find their strengths and use them to stand out from the crowd.

Be ready to grab the opportunities when they come, whether it is a sound design pitch, an interview, a job offer, a casual meeting, or anything else that may be helpful in reaching your goal; it has to be taken seriously.

Once you have that, simply be ready to grab the opportunities when they come, whether it is a sound design pitch, an interview, a job offer, a casual meeting, or anything else that may be helpful in reaching your goal; it has to be taken seriously.

Finally, and most important of all, is have fun! The fun factor will show not only in the quality of your work, but also in how you present yourself and interact with others. The amount of fun you have doing the work is certainly a determining factor in getting a job in game audio!
 

• Further reading and resources:

Some classic readings include the practical tips and tricks offered by Ric Viers (The Sound Effects Bible), Vanessa Theme Ament (The Foley Grail) and Andy Farnell (Designing Sound); the history of game sound knowledge offered by Karen Collins (Beep movie, Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design); and the programming lessons by Guy Somberg (Game Audio Programming). The industry and its technology being fast evolving, many new knowledge-packed books are published every year, so keep an eye out for the latest ones!

Online resources are many, from the Audiokinetic online tutorial series and blog, to community oriented websites such as the A Sound Effect blog and The Sound Architect, to various podcasts and the making-of videos of SoundWorks Collection. There is plenty of hours of fun to spend on the Internet learning about game sound. I’ll even add here that you can visit my own blog for posts about sound designing and recording tips, tricks, artsy ideas and more! :)


About Anne-Sophie Mongeau:

Anne-Sophie has been working in game audio since 2012, designing and integrating sound for independent and AAA titles, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider. She’s focused on improving the immersive experience in interactive media and developing techniques to craft unique and characterful soundscapes, through both experimental field recording techniques as well as the creative and technical implementation of ideas.

Website: annesoaudio.com


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Sound Design: Animation
– insights from Jeff Shiffman and Kate Finan:


A woman and man put their hands to their ears to listen closely.• What working in sound design for animation entails:

Jeff Shiffman (JS): By nature, animation is a blank slate. With that, our work tends to be highly inventive, creatively engaging and extremely challenging. Of course all projects are different, but without the constraints of a physical film shoot, incredible worlds can be built entirely from scratch. It’s our job to realize these worlds with sound from the ground up regardless of scale. Recording or synthesizing new material is part of our daily routine at Boom Box Post, all while under the normal time constraints of a television production schedule.
 

• What it takes in terms of skills and gear:

Kate Finan (KF): The gear involved is fairly standard to the industry in general. You will need a computer (an Apple is best because that is the industry standard for television and film), a ProTools rig (HD if you’re working in 5.1), and a sound effects library. It would be an added bonus to have a simple recording setup — a microphone or a stereo pair of mics, mic stand, wind screen, and possibly a mobile recorder — so that you have the ability to record your own sounds as a starting point for design. Additional gear that would be helpful would be plug-ins for sound manipulation and possibly a few software synths like those available to be used with an iPad.
 

• How to learn it:

JS: Ten years ago I would have said to get a copy of Pro Tools, grab some clips from the internet and start practicing. And that’s still good advice today. However, in the last decade I’ve seen a wealth of amazing Post Production Sound degree programs materialize. If you have the resources, a great program (be it 1 year or 4) can build solid fundamentals.

However, once you graduate from a sound program, your education isn’t complete. It is essential that you get some real-world experience.

Once you graduate from a sound program, your education isn’t complete. It is essential that you get some real-world experience

This could be a one-on-one apprenticeship or internship at a post production sound facility. Here at Boom Box Post, we have an extremely structured, hands-on internship program that in its essence serves as a graduate degree in post sound. There are countless lessons to learn by watching professionals in a real world work environment and plenty of companies like ours that offer the opportunity. It’s also a great resume booster and a chance to get your foot in the door!
 

• How to find work:

KF: Like much of the post-production sound industry, sound effects editorial (the official title for sound design in television and film) is often project-based. That means that these are not often staff jobs within a particular company. Instead, you would be hired as a freelance editor for the duration of a project by the supervising sound editor or the studio.

Since these are not staff positions, they are seldomly advertised in the traditional way. Instead, it’s best to search for studios in your area that work on animation or ask around about which supervising sound editors are involved in those projects. Then, reach out and offer your services with a short message about why you’re interested and attach your resume. Ask to meet in person so that you can introduce yourself. Most studios are continuously looking to widen their pool of talent. That way, when the right project comes along, they will hopefully reach out. Because you’re relying on being remembered at a later date, it’s always best to try to meet face-to-face at least once after expressing your interest via email. That really increases your chances of making a solid and lasting impression.

Because you’re relying on being remembered at a later date, it’s always best to try to meet face-to-face at least once after expressing your interest via email

JS: In terms of getting hired, I recommend creating a simple portfolio webpage to display your talent to potential employers. These can be anything you find on the internet, strip the sound from and replace with your own. Pick clips that differ from one another content-wise to show off your diversity. And keep them short! An amazing 30-second clip is plenty for me to have an idea of your talent. Include the link to this page in your resume and link to it at the bottom of any networking introduction emails.
 

• Essential advice for working and making it in sound design for animation:

JS: Your best bet is to keep your supervisor happy. Make life easy for them and you’ll be brought back again and again. Most early jobs will be freelance and likely not in-house. If you can work from home and self manage, you’re golden. This means always finishing your work on time. Throw in highly organized work executed creatively and it’s a no brainer for us to keep on hiring you.
 

• Further reading and resources:

KF: Our blog! The Boom Box Post blog is updated weekly with posts about our creative processes, career advice, gear reviews, and more. We’re open and honest about our creative endeavors as sound designers for animation. And, if you have a specific topic you wish we would address, we’re always happy to take blog suggestions via the comments section or our contact page.


About Jeff Shiffman and Kate Finan:

After years of working together as sound designers and supervising sound editors at different studios in Los Angeles, including Warner Bros. Studios, Jeff and Kate joined forces to create their own animation sound studio, Boom Box Post, in 2014. The talent-driven boutique environment allows everyone there to focus on creativity.

Website: Boom Box Post

Get these interviews in the free Sound Success Guide:
Sound Success GuideThese interviews are also available in 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)
 

Sound Design: TV – insights from Peter D. Lago, MPSE:


A man with a short beard smiles for a selfie.• What working in sound design for TV entails:

I always compare the business of television sound design to the newspaper business. You’ve got a hot story to write and it needs to get to press by midnight in order to make the morning edition. The writing needs to be sharp, compelling, expressive, grammatically correct, and pack a knockout punch. In essence, Pulitzer Prize worthy, but you’ve only got a day to write it and it better be good… so get to work!
I exaggerate a bit, but not by much. The pacing of TV editorial is much more frantic than that of a feature film, but the demand for an expressive and detailed soundscape remains the same. With that said, I feel a television sound editor must first and foremost possess the ability to cut and design quickly but deeply, efficiently but detailed, effectively and expressively, and finish each episode with a knockout punch. Getting to that point in one’s career is the true challenge.

Oftentimes, post audio crews for television are small. On most of the shows I’ve been part of over the last five years, I’ve been the sole sound designer / sound effects editor. That’s not always the case, of course, but a strong sound designer must be ready to handle everything sound effects related (backgrounds, hard effects, sound design, and Foley editorial) for each episode they work on. Most often, the team is mixing an episode a week, which means you’ve gotta be good and you’ve gotta be fast.
 

• What it takes in terms of skills and gear:

Having to prepare and deliver powerful and richly-designed material on a weekly basis is a tall order, and with time not on your side, it is extremely important that a sound designer exercise good time-management, communication with his or her supervisors and mixers, and of course, a profound-enough knowledge of ProTools.

It is extremely important that a sound designer exercise good time-management, communication with his or her supervisors and mixers, and of course, a profound-enough knowledge of ProTools

ProTools is still king when it comes to audio post production editorial and mixing, so knowing how to make magic using that software is key. Shortcuts are essential. Dig into plug-ins. If your system has the bare minimum, that’s fine. Learn the hell out of what you’ve got. And experiment too. Mess with signal flow. Route this into that. Overload an Aux track with everything and see what you get. Reverse, pan, compress, delay, dopple, ping-pong, etc. Go nuts, but figure it out.

Native Instrument’s Kontakt is great to learn and apply towards your workflow. I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to figuring out all it can do, but it totally comes in handy.

Having a mixer/control surface is very important. I have an Avid Artist Mix and I love it.

Lastly, but certainly not least, a strong sound designer needs to embrace all the wonderful sound libraries that are literally a few clicks away. Whenever I start a new project, I talk with the post supervisor on the show and/or read as many of the show’s scripts that I can. I make sound notes as I go, then I hit the internet and load up on new material to start the season with.
 

• How to learn it:

Going to audio/film school is a great way to get formal training in sound. In a school setting, the student will get technical training on electronics, signal flow (super important), music history, gear and gear history, analog vs. digital realms, software and plug-ins, as well as studio maintenance, session prep, and hands-on experience with consoles and recording. School helps arm the future sound designer with a resume and some know-how. Paradoxically though, the best way to learn the job is to be on the job, and getting the job is apparently the next question.
 

• How to find work:

My best advice is to get any job you can and learn as much from the experience. If you’re a student, ask for help landing an internship.

I made tons of mistakes starting out, but having the opportunity to wear many hats gave me the chance to figure out how to be an efficient and effective editor, while figuring out how to create a strong and impactful workflow for myself.

I started out as an intern at Monkeyland Audio in Glendale, where I spent 10 years working in many aspects of the business: Intern/runner, assistant, ADR recordist/assistant, ADR mixer, Foley mixer, Foley artist, sound effects editor, sound designer, and eventually, supervising sound editor. I worked on everything from commercials, short films, student projects, web series, episodic and reality television, independent films, and direct-to-video and DVD films. I made tons of mistakes starting out, but having the opportunity to wear many hats gave me the chance to figure out how to be an efficient and effective editor, while figuring out how to create a strong and impactful workflow for myself.

I needed those 10 years at Monkeyland to prepare me for the hectic television schedule I work over at Warner Bros., and even then, I’ve learned so much more in the last few years about building and creating new material, razor-sharpening my skillset, and learning to build that “Pulitzer Prize-worthy” punch.
 

• Essential advice for working and making it in sound design for TV:

My first bit of advice for pursuing a career in sound design is to get that first job (anywhere you can) and make it count. As I mentioned above, getting your foot in the door of a boutique post facility is ideal because you’d probably have exposure to all kinds of audio jobs, and that’s invaluable. You’d also probably get to work with other sound peers who have a wealth of knowledge to share.

A great sound designer will do great work regardless of whether they’re working in television or in features, or whether the budget is massive or meager. It is more important for the sound designer to have a passion for storytelling, as well as for crafting a compelling soundscape.

Building your arsenal of design techniques (while sharpening your workflow efficiencies) takes time, and ironically, time is a luxury when cutting in television. But with practice and patience, you will grow in your storytelling journey and develop your “Pulitzer-powered” (or in our case, Emmy or Golden Reel-powered) punch.
 

• Further reading and resources:

Specifically for television, I don’t have anything to recommend but we do live in an extraordinary digital age. There’s so much online! I’d say watch as much as you can on YouTube to start with. Also bookmark Soundworks Collection, Randi Altman’s Post Perspective, Los Angeles Post Production Group, The Editors’ Lounge, and Designing Sound.

Besides hosting the Golden Reel Awards, the Motion Picture Sound Editors hosts a number of informative and entertaining sound events throughout the year that are members-only. It’s a great way to mingle and meet new sonic friends. If you haven’t join, I’d suggest looking into the requirements and see if you qualify. International members are welcome!


About Peter D. Lago:

Over his career, Emmy-nominated/MPSE Award-winning sound effects editor/designer Peter D. Lago has developed a strong reputation for delivering high quality, well-detailed and expressive tracks in a timely and efficient manner. His credits include: The 100, Star Trek: Discovery, Fear the Walking Dead, Arrow, The Shannara Chronicles, and Sushi Girl. Peter works out of the Warner Bros. Studio lot where he’s recently wrapped up Season 1 of DC’s new series TITANS, a gritty, live-action take on the Teen Titans franchise.

Website: www.lagosounds.com

 

A big thanks to Anne-Sophie Mongeau, Jeff Shiffman, Kate Finan, and Peter D. Lago for sharing their valuable insights with us!

 

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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



 
 
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:

  • – 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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  • Sci-Fi Sound Effects Robotic Lifeforms 2 Play Track 4100+ sounds included $119.70

    It’s been 5 years since the release of our Robotic Lifeforms 1 library, and we just felt we could do more! So we teamed up with an epic team of Sound Designers to create an ultimate follow up to it all with Robotic Lifeforms 2. This is no joke, a library of love and over 4,100 files and 12.5GB!

    Using some of the most advanced microphones, Kyma, and synths, we really went all out to bring what we think is the most advanced and modern Robot library ever created. Not only do you get over 2,700 designed sounds, but you also get over 1,300 source audio files recorded in 192 kHz 24Bit with the Sanken c1000 mic, so you can pitch the sounds to infinity to create some stellar new sounds of your own.

    In our opinion, this is THE robot library to have in your tool box. We aren’t just saying that because we made it, we are saying it because we believe it to be a fact.
    Take Robotic Lifeforms 2 for a ride, and you will be happy to own the most advanced robot library ever made so far!

    Library highlights:

    • 2,700+ designed sound effects
    • 1,300+ source audio files recorded in 192 kHz 24Bit with a Sanken c1000
    • Transforms, Mechanisms, Movements
    • Power
    • Servos
    • Air Hydraulics
    • Energy
    • Footsteps
    • Impacts
    • Computer
    • Devices
    • Attack Defense
    • Textures
    • Engines
    • Synth
    • Whooshes
    • Drills
    • Air Pneumatics
    • Motors
    • Bonus Recordings
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Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Door Sound Effects Sci Fi Doors Play Track 845 sounds included $57

    Step into the future with SciFi Doors, a huge library of 845 high-quality sound effects that will take your audio designs to a whole level when it comes to bringing futuristic environments to life.

    Perfect for any sound designer, filmmaker, or game developer looking for a wide variety of sound elements for crafting immersive sci-fi scenes—from sleek space stations to high-tech laboratories.

    SciFi Doors has all the building blocks that would go into creating custom door sounds, user interfaces, and even futuristic AI interactions organized into four well-curated categories.

    Building Blocks (434 sounds):
    With these core elements, you’ll have everything needed to create your own unique sci-fi door sounds.
    This section includes raw recordings and synthesized audio to get you up and running:

    Air bursts, Hydraulics, Friction, Electric motors, Real door recordings and much more.

    The possibilities are endless when composing just the perfect door sequence to fit any aesthetic your project requires.

    User Interface Sounds (243 sounds):
    Add life to your science fiction worlds with a range of UI sounds, from subtle data streams through to more active scanning and access noises. Perfect for futuristic consoles, control panels, and other interactive elements. Includes:

    Whirring, Beeping, Typing, Streaming data, Access signals, Scanning and more

    Futuristic Pre-Designed Sci-Fi Doors (107 sounds):
    Need ready-to-use, fully designed sci-fi door sounds? Then this category’s got you covered, with 107 pre-designed drag-and-drop door sounds. All sounds can be enacted right away and add a professional touch to it.

    AI Assistant Sound Effects (61 sounds):
    Give voice to your future control systems with AI Assistant Vocal Sounds. This category features both male and female AI voices that utter common phrases to bring your sci-fi doors alive and give them an extra layer of interaction.

    All sounds are provided in 96kHz, 24-bit, ensuring clarity and detail. This full library is also UCS compliant and includes rich embedded metadata, which allows for easier searching, categorization, and integration into any workflow.

    SciFi Doors are all about unlocking the sound of the future, where every opened door leads to new sonic possibilities.

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  • Environments & Ambiences African Desert Sahara Play Track 83+ sounds included, 486 mins total From: $220 From: $176

    African Desert: Sahara is a collection of stereo and quad soundscapes recorded in the barren but beautiful mountain range at the heart of the Sahara desert. This is the largest hot desert on Earth, incredibly difficult to access and explore. It’s a breathtaking place with a huge dynamic range, from dead silence to powerful winds. The soundscapes in this collection were recorded around giant rock formations, rocky outcrops, canyons and sand dune expanses.

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  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with Shure KSM 137, Line Audio Omni1, FEL Clippy XLR EM272 and Sonorous Objects SO.3 and 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.

  • Music Dark Tales Play Track 20 sounds included, 75 mins total $19.99

    Dark Tales is a collection atmospheric music and musical sound effects suitable for horror and other dark settings.

    Everything from safe areas to thrilling chase-music is included with this album.

    All tracks have Loop versions

    All tracks are Royalty Free

    Composer and sound designer: Johannes Wetterbro –

    Audio Brush Studio

    audiobrushstudio@gmail.com

    Album art:  Julia Nguyen – Artstation

     

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  • Car Sound Effects Car Horns 2 Play Track 300 sounds included, 8 mins total $45
    50 models, 300 car horn sounds! 3 different styles from both interior and exterior perspectives. All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Shure KSM137 and Line Audio Omni1 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. The library is also available in UCS.

   

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