Written by Randy Thom
Very often when I’m complaining about the lowly position of sound in the film universe someone will agree by saying something like “Absolutely……. what would they do without sound? Try looking at the movie without any sound and see how you like it… ”
When I hear that sort of comment I always agree, of course, but I also think… Man, the bar is pretty damn low. It’s like saying to a cinematographer “Visuals are important in a film because without visuals you wouldn’t see anything.”
Yes, it’s important to “have sound,” but that is rarely an issue. Even skinflint producers understand the importance of “having sound.” The real question is WHAT sound there will be, and even more important: Will sound ideas and themes be allowed to influence creative decisions in the other crafts as full collaborators?
Certain combinations of sound and visuals can evoke what neither can do alone.
Sound is important because it can tell us about character, place, and time. It’s important because it informs us and moves us in ways visuals can’t, and because certain combinations of sound and visuals can evoke what neither can do alone. It’s also potentially important because it can help to determine what we see. But why be shy?…. Visuals are sometimes important because they help to determine what we HEAR.
A big thanks to Randy Thom for letting us share this insightful post from his blog here on A Sound Effect!
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Pipe Noise & Flow is a sound effects library built around the hidden voices of pipe systems, large and small. Captured over several years across industrial plants, residential buildings, factories, sewers, underground tunnels, caves and public infrastructure, this collection brings together a wide range of sonically rich material.
You’ll hear water, gas, and air moving through pipes made of metal steel, copper, aluminium, plastic, glass, concrete, and stone. There are massive flows and subtle trickles, bursts of pressure, hollow resonances, eerie whistles, and the strange tonalities that emerge when systems crack, leak, or fail. Many recordings feature broken or deteriorating pipes, full of texture and unpredictability. While there is plenty of industrial and subterranean grit, you’ll also find more subtle sources like kitchen sinks, bathroom plumbing, and everyday interior systems; sounds that can lend realism or eeriness to intimate scenes.
This library is designed to be flexible and inspiring. Use it to create detailed ambiences for sci-fi, horror, and post-apocalyptic settings, to build layered mechanical textures for machines and user interfaces, or to design unique elements for hybrid weapons, alien devices, strange creatures or abandoned environments. Whether you need the realism of urban infrastructure or the surreal qualities of a forgotten machine, Pipe Noise & Flow offers an unexpected toolkit full of possibility.
What’s inside:
- Flowing water, rushing air, and gas movement through pipes
- Large industrial pipes, small tubing, and flexible hoses
- Pipes made of metal, iron, copper, aluminium, plastic, glass, concrete, and stone
- Broken, leaky, and deteriorating pipes with rich textures
- Interior plumbing: kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, home radiators
- High-pressure bursts, trickles, drips, and hissing valves
- Tonal and pitched pipe resonances, drones, and hums
- Mechanical rattles, clangs, gurgles, and thumps
- Subterranean ambiences and underground utility spaces
- Studio performances exploring controlled flow and resonance
- Eerie whistles and howling vents for otherworldly design
- Abstract textures and tonalities ideal for creature sound design
- Inspiring source material for sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and surreal soundscapes
- Useful elements for user interface design, machine textures, and hybrid weapons
- Ready-to-layer assets for creating atmospheres, backgrounds, and special effects
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Footsteps Sound Effects MachinEra: Robotic Movements Play Track 166 sounds included, 3 mins total $54A dynamic collection of robotic sound effects capturing the essence of synthetic motion—from heavy mech footsteps to agile servo twitches. Organized into Robot_Big and Robot_Small, this pack delivers detailed mechanical gestures that give life and character to any robot—ideal for film, games, animation, and futuristic sound design. Bring your bots to life with authentic movement, precision, and personality.
🤖 What’s Inside?
✔️ Robot_Big: Heavy robotic footsteps, mechanical stomps, structural clanks, and full-motion sequences for large-scale machines.
✔️ Robot_Small: Servo-driven motions, nimble joint movements, mechanical twitches, and intricate robotic details.Useful for films, video content, and games, this pack provides ready-to-use, professionally designed sound effects, tailored for creators who need polished sounds without extra processing. The Ultra High Resolution version may contain more variations and audio files than the High Resolution pack, with pristine 192 kHz quality that ensures excellent flexibility for projects requiring additional processing.
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A high-octane collection of sci-fi engine sounds designed to power futuristic vehicles, starships, drones, and advanced machinery. With layered boosts, charged accelerations, and energetic propulsion, this pack delivers cinematic engine sounds with punch and scale—perfect for games, trailers, film, and sci-fi storytelling. Give your machines the roar of tomorrow.
🚀 What’s Inside?
✔️ Engine Boosts: Aggressive power surges, acceleration bursts, energy charges, and propulsion blasts.
✔️ Sci-Fi Motions: High-velocity thrusts, futuristic drives, and stylized engine pulses.Useful for films, video content, and games, this pack provides ready-to-use, professionally designed sound effects, tailored for creators who need polished sounds without extra processing. The Ultra High Resolution version may contain more variations and audio files than the High Resolution pack, with pristine 192 kHz quality that ensures excellent flexibility for projects requiring additional processing.
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