sound designer tips Asbjoern Andersen


Getting started as a sound designer can be daunting – and that’s something sound designer Philip Moroz wants to help make easier.

Philip Moroz is a recent graduate, co-founder of ‘noisecreations’ – and he’s just written a book called ‘To Become A Sound Designer’ highlighting the essential lessons he’s learned as a sound designer, important career choices to make in sound + tips and advice on how to advance your sound skills.

Here are five of his useful tips for upcoming sound designers, from the new book:

 

1) MOTIVATION – DEADLINES

Setting yourself deadlines is a great way to keep motivated. When deciding on a deadline try setting the date slightly earlier than you think it is possible to achieve the project in. That way you are regularly pushing yourself. Being a little ambitious can’t hurt but be judicious with the deadline; try not to set your deadline so early that you sacrifice quality. Doing this could easily diminish enthusiasm and reduce your motivation. After all, having a catalogue of quality work will be more eye-catching for employers than how fast you can slam those deliverables on their desk.

Quality work will always take time, but improving your skills will help you work faster over time as you will get more and more familiar with your technique. For every career there are the initial steps that one has to experience. Whilst learning to become a sound designer it can often uncover a wide range of hurdles including where to begin, motivation, developing a unique style, using the equipment you have at the time and so on.
 

2) USING WHAT YOU’VE GOT – IMAGINATION

It is doubtlessly enjoyable to spend time sometimes thinking about the equipment that you could have right now that would make your life easier but don’t let it stop you from using what you have currently. My very first equipment duo, the Zoom H4n and RODE NTG-2, had lasted me well and I still use them when the occasion arises in which their abilities best suit the sound I am trying to record at the time.

A NTG-2 makeshift contact microphone

Given that these pieces of equipment are on the lower end of the quality and price scales when compared with the more expensive equipment out there, it is the ideal opportunity to push their original purpose over the edge; safely of course.

For example, a few times in the past I have wrapped up my NTG-2 in cling film and covered the tip of the mic in blu-tack as a makeshift contact mic. It worked surprisingly well for recording a slinky when put into contact with the opposite to where I tapped the slinky with a screwdriver.

I would have second thoughts using a more expensive microphone such as a Sennheiser MKH-60 for the same application if I had no contact mics around. That’s the advantage of cheap kit.
 

3) BEING VERSATILE – BE MORE

This has been one of my highest priorities for developing my craft. Being able to provide services other than just a ‘sound designer’, you will be much more valuable to a future work colleague or employer. This doesn’t mean transforming into a ‘jack of all trades’ selling counterfeit audio and pirated DVDs out the back of a van; the quality of your work must by no means deteriorate. Expand your knowledge in areas such as performing foley, camera operation and the international standards for mixing for film, television and games. You don’t have to become an expert in these fields because, as you know with sound design, it takes a long time to perfect your craft but a little knowledge goes a long way when working amongst future work colleagues.
 

Bonus reads: 3 more guides to check out for aspiring sound designers:

In addition to checking out Philip Moroz’ new book, I’d also recommend you take a look at these 3 great reads here on A Sound Effect:

How to Set (and Get) the Right Price for Your Audio Work by Kate Finan
Charles Maynes’ 10 Inspiring Notions For Great Sound Design by (you guessed it!) Charles Maynes
Game Audio: 4 Golden Rules For Technical Sound Design by Damian Kastbauer

– Asbjoern

 

4) CLIP GAIN AUTOMATION (TECHNIQUE 5 OF 20 FROM THE BOOK)

Without clip gain automation

With clip gain automation

Always search for new and exciting ways to improve the technical quality and usability of your sound effects. For example, what if the sound you are recording has a large inherent dynamic range, such as a typewriter?

In this case the audio clip could need preparing a little further before reducing the dynamic range if required using saturators/limiters for example. Try reducing the dynamic range of the significant sections of the sound by automating the clip gain. A visual representation is shown below.

This method to prepare the audio clip ensures the preservation of the natural characteristics of the sound whilst defining the nuances that would otherwise be lost in the depths of the noise floor. In a mix, the ‘noise floor’ could consist of the aggregated sections of the soundtrack such as ambience and music. This also relieves some of the pressure off of the saturators/limiters down the line.

Be judicious when automating the clip gain – you don’t want to display the inherent noise from the microphone or recorder. Every sound is different but give it a try and see if it works for you.


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5) WAYS TO GET WORK – WHEN YOU CAN’T BE ARSED

There have been times where I have been asked to provide production audio for a short film, sometimes being a two to three day shoot and a fair distance from where I live. Before I head off to the shoot I sometimes feel like I’d much rather stay at home and relax, which essentially comes down to laziness and nerves. Often the shoots/projects you most often put off are the ones that you learn most from. Perhaps you will find your next work colleague. Push through. It’ll be worth it.
Similarly, if there are scenarios in which you don’t feel you have what it takes to provide a service, dispel those thoughts right away because if you don’t have a crack at it then you’ll never know. In the worst possible outcome where the whole project collapses around you like a food tent at the end of Ramadan, you’ll always gain valuable experience of where it went wrong and how to confront it next time.

 

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A big thanks to Philip Moroz for sharing his insights and experiences. Find out more about his new handbook, ‘To Become A Sound Designer’ here.

What advice do you have for upcoming sound designers and sound editors? Please share your tips and insights in the comments below:



 
 
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:

  • The Zombie Apocalypse has arrived, and the virus is spreading fast. This comprehensive sound library features 20,000 high quality zombie sounds, making it the most complete zombie sound collection ever released.

    Expert Vocalizations
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    More Actions and Variations
    Unlike typical sound libraries that limit diversity by offering only a few choices, Zombie Apocalypse delivers a wider range of actions and variations. With more options for nuanced performances, you can ensure that the sounds match every movement and action of your characters. The Zombie Apocalypse library covers a wide range of actions and intensity level, including:

    • Breathing, Walking, Running
    • Idle, Detection, Attacks
    • Pain & Death sequences
    • Biting, Chewing, Choking, and much more!

    For the full list of actions, click here.

    Voice Layering Options
    For greater customization, we recorded each action with a consistent phonetic script, ensuring that different voice techniques can be perfectly layered together. You can mix 2, 3, or even 4 different voice techniques, giving you endless possibilities to create unique zombie sounds or even non-zombie creatures. Though designed primarily for zombies, this library’s layering capabilities make it versatile enough to design an array of creatures and monsters. It’s the most flexible collection of creature vocalizations available.

    Distant Microphone Recording
    While recording, we used a second Sanken CO-100K microphone positioned 3 meters away from the first, adding depth and nuance to the recordings. These distant microphone audio files will help you create richer ambiances, ensuring that not all zombies sound the same or come from the same distance.

    Unparalleled Level of Audio Quality for Unparalleled Level of Terror
    Recorded at Tone Studio in Montreal by James Duhamel, the Zombie Apocalypse library offers pristine audio fidelity with a 192 kHz/24-bit sample rate. This, combined with the talents of trusted voice actors and the increased variety of actions and variations, the layering option to keep your listeners immersed and on edge, makes Zombie Apocalypse the most complete and unique sound library on the market. If it is not the first zombie sound library you have bought, this one will definitely be your last.

    Rich Metadata Embedded
    Every file comes with UCS naming and detailed metadata, including file descriptions and keywords, ensuring that you can quickly find the right sounds for your project.

  • The ROCKS Library is a collection of more than 700 designed rock and stone sound effects, ready to use.
    From single stone impacts to large heavy collapsing rocks, avalanches, rockslides sounds, rolling and falling stones, debris sounds….

    Originally recorded at 192 kHz with two Sennheiser MKH8040, a Sanken CO-100K and a Sound devices Mixpre 6. Delivered at 96Khz.

    Each sound file has been carefully named and tagged for easy search in Soundminer and is Universal Category System (UCS) compliant.

    (see the full track list below).

  • Rock / Stone Sound Effects Rocks Momentum Play Track 1100+ sounds included $37

    The Rocks Momentum sound effects library gets you more than 1100 sounds of rocks, bricks, wood logs, stones, impacting on different surfaces, rolling, being scraped one against the other and so on. The library was recorded in the Italian alps, and in Inverness, Scotland. Defective construction materials were used for the recording of bricks, roofing tiles, cement blocks etc.

    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.
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Environments & Ambiences Geophonic Sound Effects Play Track 98+ sounds included, 32 mins total $15

    This audio library features low-frequency drones, powerful impacts, metallic scrapes, resonant vibrations, and other rare audio textures.
    All sounds were recorded using the LOM Geofón, a device that captures low-frequency surface vibrations that conventional microphones cannot detect.

    The recordings were made with the TASCAM Portacapture X8 at 192 kHz/32 bit, ensuring maximum detail and sound quality.

    50 %
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    A field-recorded collection from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand capturing the sounds of tropical environments, urban life, transport and religious sites.
    Southeast Asia includes jungle ambiences, heavy monsoon rains, street markets and traditional ceremonies.

    Last September, I spent 3 weeks vacationing in Southeast Asia, visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
    During my stay, I recorded everything I thought could be characteristic of those cultures: from tropical to urban environments, religious ceremonies and places of worship, modes of transportation (from boats to tuk-tuks), spoken language, monsoon rain, etc.

    The recordings are situational, meaning I didn’t prepare anything before starting to record. If I found myself in a location that seemed suitable, I simply pressed REC.
    I used my Tascam DR100 MK3 or the Zoom F6 with a pair of Line Audio OM1 omnidirectional microphones

    Audio files are 96kHz/24 Bit. Cleaned and edited for professional use, with UCS naming and full metadata.

    50 %
    OFF
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    Walla, public places recorded in ambisonic B-format (ambix) and binaural.
    Including some actions like walking, running around mic etc.
    Recorded with Sennheiser Ambeo VR microphone and Sound Devices recorder. See the track list for additional info.

    The download contains each recording in B-format (RAW-4ch.) and as Binaural Stereo files. The audio preview is binaural and should be listened to with headphones. All files are tagged with Metadata.

    9 %
    OFF
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    This authentic South African Walla library will give any production a true sense of South African flavour with a variety of voices and languages.

    Featuring in-studio recordings with all South African cast, for a real South African feel without the distractions of exterior noise. These organic crowd murmurs, ambient dialogues, and background chatter reflect a variety of local languages, dialects, and cultural settings, making them perfect for film, TV, games, and immersive audio experiences. Elevate your sound design with the unmistakable authenticity of South African walla!

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  • Cold Weapon Sound Effects Anime Weapon Play Track 681 sounds included, 21 mins total $99

    Anime Weapon Sound Effects – 681 Stylized Sounds for Your Game!

    Bring your game to life with 681 high-quality anime weapon sound effects, carefully designed for easy implementation in any project. Whether you’re crafting an anime RPG, action-packed hack-and-slash, or futuristic mecha shooter, this sound pack delivers everything you need to create satisfying and immersive combat audio.

    Each weapon type comes with game-ready, clearly named files, making it simple to drop them into your project and features variations from light to heavy, critical, and epic, giving you full control over intensity and impact:

    🔹 Swords & Spears – Swings, swooshes, impact hits, and special skills
    🔹 Bows – String draw, arrow release, and impact sounds
    🔹 Lasers & Mecha – Power-up charges, shots, impacts, and skill effects
    🔹 Guns – Designed anime-style gunshots with skill variations


   

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