SONIC DESIGN // Lectures & Exercise
Week 1 - Week 12 (23/08/2021 - 08/11/2021)
Fann Man Ling - 0344623 (BDCM)
Sonic Design // Mr. Razif
Lectures & Exercises
LECTURES
WEEK 1 // 23.08.2021
INTRODUCTION
Today, Mr. Razif briefed us about the module and the projects that we are going to work on later on. He also briefed us about the accessories that will be used for this module, such as software like Adobe Audition and Premiere Pro, as well as he recommended some headphones for us to buy. He then uploaded the lecture and tutorial video on Times and Facebook group.
📼 W1 Tutorial: Equalizer
SOUND FUNDAMENTAL
3. ECHO
SOUND FUNDAMENTAL
NATURE OF SOUND
sound is produced when an object's vibrations move through a medium until they enter the human eardrum.
Fig 0.1: Nature of Sound (Source: Lecture Video)
Propagation 传播 (sound waves): the medium in which the sound travels.
Perception: sound captured and translated by ear.
PSYCHOACOUSTICS
is the study of subjective human perception of sound.
(the branch of psychology is concerned with the perception of sound and its physiological effects.)
e.g.: some people can study well in a noisy environment but somebody doesn't.
e.g.: feeling uneasy when hearing a loud honk.
2 TYPES OF WAVES:
1. Transverse
2. Longitudinal (Sound waves)
Fig 0.2: Longitudinal vs Transverse (Source: Google)
TRANSVERSE 〰️
cause the medium to move perpendicular 垂直 to the direction of the wave.
LONGITUDINAL ⬅️
cause the medium to move parallel to the direction of the wave.
* Sound travel quickest through Solid, following with Liquid, and lastly Gas.
PROPERTIES OF SOUND WAVES:
Fig 0.3: Wavelength (Source: Google)
1. WAVELENGTH
the distance between 2 consecutive compressions/ rarefactions (expansion) (measured in mm).
the length of one wave cycle (from peak to peak)
2. FREQUENCY (Hertz)
the number of waves passing through a point in a second.
Low Frequency (<500 Hz):
Rumbly sounds that you feel as much as hear (bass drum, thunder, man's deep voice).
Medium Frequency (500 Hz - 2000 Hz):
Often have a tinny / horn-like quality (Human speech).
High Frequency (>2000 Hz):
High-pitch sound (chirping birds, child's voice, lady's voice).
Fig 0.4: Frequency (Source: Google)
bouncing back of sound.
4. AMPLITUDE (dB)
loudness of sound. (height of the sound wave)
Fig 0.5: Amplitude vs Frequency (Source: Google)
5. PERIOD
the time it takes for a single cycle to occur. (From the start of the cycle to the start of the next cycle.)
Fig 0.6: Period & Amplitude (Source: Google)
PROPERTIES OF SOUND:
1. Pitch (low or high frequency)
2. Loudness (how loud?)
3. Timbre (quality of the sound - sharper)
4. Perceived Duration (how do you perceive the pace of the sound - fast? slow?)
5. Envelope (structure of particular sound - when the sound gets loud? is it softer?)
6. Spatialization (the location of the sound in space - left? right? close? further away?)
🎙 *A cycle = 1 Hertz
🎙 * Human hearing (20-20): 20 Hz - 20 kHz (20,000 Hz)
FURTHER READING:
WEEK 2 // 30.08.2021
SOUND EFFECT TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
5 TECHNIQUES:
1. Layering
- Combine multiple individual sounds to create a more complete, depth, and complex sound.
2. Time Stretching
- extends / contracts the duration of a sample or sound.
3. Pitch Shifting
- the original pitch of a sound is raised / lowered. (The sound becomes deeper or chipmunk-like sound)
4. Reversing
- Create an unrealistic sound or special effects to the sound. (layer it!)
5. Mouth it
- If can't find the desired sound, just mouth it (vocalization). Then, it can play around with the above techniques.
WEEK 3 // 06.09.2021
TRACK & CLIP AUTOMATION
PANNING
make sounds appear to come from different places in the left-right spectrum of the stereo.
creates interest, width, and a sense of space in a stereo mix.
*Can be done either in clip or track.
Clip Automation (no matter the clip moves, the effects stays)
- apply effects to a certain sound clip.
- using 'show envelope' and can play around like enabling 'EQ'.
Track Automation (the effects applied in the timeline)
- apply effects to a certain timeline.
WEEK 4 // 13.09.2021
VOICE RECORDING & PROCESSING
NOISE REDUCTION
Methods can be used to reduce the noise:
- 'Noise Reduction' (capture noise and apply)
- 'Adaptive Noise Reduction'
- Leveling (highlight a certain part and lower its volume)
- 'Silence' applied for the part that you want completely silent.
* Sometimes the shape of audio frequency looks consistent, but it may sound unnatural. Thus, manual adjustment is needed.
WEEK 5 // 20.09.2021
* Project 1 Progress Feedback & SubmissionIn today's class, Mr. Razif shared with each of us a google drive link, which is for us to upload all of our projects works in this particular folder.
WEEK 6 // 27.09.2021
* Project 1 Final Feedback2 TYPES OF MICROPHONES:
- Dynamic
- Condenser
1. Dynamic Microphones 🎤
- normally used for live singing and speeching.
- tough.
- durable.
2. Condenser Microphones 🎙️
- commonly used for radio broadcasting, studio recording, music, and podcasts.
- very sensitive.
- very fragile.
MIC POLAR PATTERN
Essential to know polar patterns to get the perfect recording of the microphone.
Right pattern can avoid unwanted sound sources to:
- bleed into your signal.
- adjust the mix between dry and room sound.
- change the frequency response.
- influence the proximity effect (too close to the mic leads to an increase in low-frequency response (bass boost)).
A polar pattern defines how much of the signal will be picked up by the microphone from different directions.
Fig 0.7: Mic Pickup Patterns (Source: Lecture Capture)
Most Common Polar Patterns:
1. CARDIOID
- most sensitive at 0°, least sensitive at 180°.
- ideal for most recording applications.
- easy to get a dry signal (it blends a bad-sounding room, a noisy fan in the background, etc.)
2. SUPER-CARDIOID
- more directive than the cardioid pattern
- has a bit more side rejection (amount of dB the signal is reduced at 90° angle).
- has a bit less rear rejection (amount of dB the signal is reduced at 180° angle).
- good in a live situation (it allows for high gain before feedback).
- keeps the signal very dry. (get mainly the direct signal from the sound source).
3. HYPER CARDIOID
- highly directional mic polar pattern. (focus more on the front)
- most sensitive in a single direction at 0°.
- has less sensitivity at the sides and only sightly more directly behind.- a popular choice in video production as both boom mics and camera mics.
- frequently used in situations where a lot of isolation is desired between sound sources.
4. OMNIDIRECTIONAL (360°)
- has the same sensitivity to sound pressure coming from any direction.
- provides the best bass response, flattest frequency response.
- shine in good sounding rooms and time-based stereo recordings.
- the least sensitive to handling & wind noise in comparison to all other polar patterns.
5. BI DIRECTIONAL (Figure-8)
-has the same sensitivity at 0° and 180°.
- has the least sensitivity at 90° and 270°.
- often used for various stereo recording techniques (Mid, Side, Blumlein)
- good in situations where you do not want a signal coming from a 90° angle to bleed into the mic.
- useful to deal with signals bleeding into the mic coming from the side.
- In live recording situations: one can achieve dry recordings (although many instruments are recorded in the same room at the same time).
- has the least bass response, most sensitive to wind & handling noise.
6. HEMISPHERICAL
- place a capsule near-flush with a boundary (solid surface) to record sound in a phase-coherent manner.
AUDIO CONNECTOR (Common types:)
1. Headphone Jack
- widely used on portable devices because of its size.
2. XLR cable:
- standard for professional microphones.
- has a female and male end.
FURTHER READING:
WEEK 11 // 01.11.2021
FILM AUDIO & GAME AUDIO
FILM AUDIO
- linear. (sounds occur very precise at a specific time)
- depend on the scenes, then decide the sound.
- can be planned through an audio storyboard.
GAME AUDIO
- not linear. (can't predict the sound occurred as it happens based on the action)
- much more elements than Film Audio.
- using 'Event Mapping' technique (predict what will happen in games based on "Trigger".)
- "Trigger": represents something that happens in the game that requires a change in in-game sound,
- e.g: walk (action/ trigger) → footsteps sound (sound)
TYPE OF AUDIO
1. Music Video
2. Podcast
3. Commercial & Films
4. Sound On Tape (SOT)
5. Sound Effects (SFX)
6. Background Music (BGM)
MIC SETUP
* always have a backup recording (put more mics).
SYNCING AUDIO
- professional software, namely, Pluraleyes 4 (can effectively sync a lot of audios and cameras)
STOCK MUSIC SITE
- Epidemic sound
- Splice
- Envato Element
- Filmstro (Premiere Pro's Plug-in)
EDITING AUDIO
Method to shorten / lengthen the music or audio:
- Properties - Enable Remix - Target Duration (change to the desired duration)
^ this method will cut the audio automatically and connect it to be seamless.
Method to make the sound more interesting, dynamic, and richer:
- Layering (not just duplicate the audio track, but adjust their 'EQ' & 'Pitch Shifter' respectively).
- 'Automatic Pitch Correction' (can use this if the audio sounds dull)
INSTRUCTION
Module Information Booklet
EXERCISES // PRACTICAL
WEEK 1 // 23.08.2021
EXERCISE 1: Equalizer
Our first exercise is to adjust each eq audio given by Mr. Razif and make them sound the same as the original (flat) audio. The purpose of this task is to get ourselves familiar with Adobe Audition's Parametric Equalizer tool. There's a recorded tutorial video as a guide for us to do this exercise.
PROGRESS
Fig 1.1: Multitrack_Progress_Adobe Audition (23/08/2021)
Fig 1.2: Change Solo Track Setting
Final Work:
Fig 1.3: EQ 1
Fig 1.4: EQ 2
Fig 1.5: EQ 3
Fig 1.6: EQ 4
Fig 1.7: EQ 5
Fig 1.8: EQ 6
WEEK 2 // 30.08.2021
EXERCISE 2: Soundscape
We were tasked to design suitable sounds for the images provided by the lecturer.
Final Work:
Fig 2.1: Soundscape 1 (09/09/2021)
Fig 2.2: Soundscape 2 (09/09/2021)
WEEK 3 // 06.09.2021
IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Track and Clip Automation & Distance Effects
Today, we were taught about the new features of Adobe Audition which are Pan, Volume, and Show Envelope which allows us to adjust the effect in track. All of these features are helpful for making distance effects to the audio.
We were tasked to do this in-class exercise and post the works on our blog. I adjusted their volume, pan, and parameter equalizer in the track to produce a distance effect.
Fig 3.1: Progress_Audition
Final Work:
1. Jetplane (departing from right to left)
Fig 3.2: Jetplane
2. Woman that speaks as she walks closer and far away
Fig 3.3: Woman that speaks as she walks closer and far away
WEEK 4 // 13.09.2021
IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Noise Reduction
We were tasked to do a voice recording based on the script given by Mr. Razif, and do noise reduction on the recorded audio.
The techniques shown by the lecturer during the tutorial session were:
'Noise Reduction', 'Adaptive Noice Reduction', Leveling, 'Silence' (in the 'Effects' bar).
PROGRESS
I opted for the third one (Event Planning) and recorded the script using iPhone 6. Also, I edited the audio by removing the noise such as breathing sounds in Adobe Audition. Plus, the volume of some parts of the audio was also adjusted to make the audio sounds consistent.
Fig 4.1: Progress_Noise Reduction_Audition
Recorded Audio:
Fig 4.2: Recorded Audio
Final Work:
Fig 4.3: Final Work_Noise Reduction_In-Class Exercise
FEEDBACK
WEEK 2 // EXERCISE 1: Equalizer Exercise
No feedback.
WEEK 3 // IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Track and Clip Automation & Distance Effects
No feedback.
WEEK 4 // IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Noise Reduction
The breathing sounds in the footage clip are obvious, they may need to be adjusted.
REFLECTION
Week 1 // EXERCISE 1: Equalizer Exercise
I got more familiar with the Equalizer than before after doing the exercise. I realized that instead of dragging the representative number in the Equalizer, I can drag the (1) to the area that closes to the expected effect. Also, I learned the different things about the Equalizer which is the Q/width that can make the sound sharper (louder) and muffled (deeper).
Week 2 // EXERCISE 2: Soundscape
Observation is important before deciding on the audio to be inserted for the images. I learned more in this exercise, especially about using Adobe Audition.
Week 3 // IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Track and Clip Automation & Distance Effects
More techniques were learned through this exercise, and I believe this will be very useful for the projects that employ story-telling.
WEEK 4 // IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Noise Reduction
Since the recordings can only be conducted at our place rather than the studio, noise is inevitable to infiltrate our recordings. Hence, I think learning this technique regarding noise reduction is extremely helpful to produce decent sounds that need to be used in our project works.
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