Sonic Design - Excercises

24.9.2024 -  24/10/2024/ Week 1 - Week 5
Adriena Tan Yan Zi / 0351236 / BA of Design (HONS) in Creative Media
Sonic Design
Exercises

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Lectures 

Week 1:

For the first week self directed learning which we are not required to attend any classes but only to follow instructions to install Adobe Audition and create our reflective blog needed for this module. 

In our first practical class, he briefly walk us through the MIB explaining the content of of each task and what is required of us regarding each task, equipment and website we needed to access free sound effects. To make his explanation clearer he even showed us some past senior's example work for each task so we can better grasps the MLO of each task. 

We presented our earphone and headphone options to sir, who evaluated them to determine if they were suitable for moving on to the next task. He then instructed us to download a sample music file in ZIP format. Afterward, he guided us through importing the files into Adobe Audition and explained the requirements for the first exercise. He demonstrated how to apply the equalizer to each track to adjust and match them to the flat track for the first track. 

Paramatic equiliser: Left is the base sound and the right is treble. Pull down or up to increase or decrease the volume. 

Week 2:

1. Nature of sound 

Definition: Sound is a vibration of air molecules that stimulates our eardrums. Molecules vibration is called soundwaves. 

The speaker will vibrate when sound is being projected. 

• Propagation: The medium in which sound travels
• Perception: soundwaves captured and being translated by our brain 

• The outer ear: the external, visible portion of the ear and the ear canal 
• The middle ear: the paper thin eardrum and a small, air filled cavity containing 3 tiny bones 
• The inner ear: the cochiea, endolymphatic sac, semicircular canals. The cochiea vibrates in certain area depending of the notes of the sound. 

Sounds travels through longtitude waves.
Frequency is measured in hz. 

Psychoacoustics: the study of subjective human perception of sounds 

- includes how we listen, our psychological responses and the psychological impact of sounds

- traditional psychoacoustics includes pitch loudness volume and timbre.

Wavelength: the distance between 2 point 
Amplitude: the height of the wave, the higher the amplitude, the louder the sound would be. 
Frequency: the fadter the sound source vibrates, the higher the frequency. Higher frequency translates to higher pitch and vice versa.

Properties of sound

1. Pitch 

2. Loundness

3. timbre 

4. perceived duration 

5. envelope 

6. spatialisation 

2. How sounds can be captured 

3. How sounds can be processed

4. Analyse and use it 

6. How to convert to digital world 

7. Pro tools 

Week 3: 

1. Tools we use to create sound effects. 

(DAW) means digital audio workstation. The software you use to record and edit sound. 

a. layering 

- two or more sound placed on top of each other.

- allows you to blend and mix various sound 

b. time stretching 

- ability to take a sound that plays at a certain length 

- stretch the audio within set parameters without changing the pitch. 

- will change the pacing, tempo. speed of the audio without changing the pitch.

- can apply to any type of sound, not just voice.

c. pitch shifting 

- shifting the pitch higher can make the sound smaller, thinner and higher pitch.

- shifting the pitch lower can make it sound bigger and more base is added.

d. reversing 

- can give weird and unnatural sound. 

- the key is to layer it.

e. mouth it 

- vocalisation is an important tool in sound design. 

- can play around with the techniques mentioned to add an unique touch to your sounds.

Week 4: 

Onscreen

- source of the sound is visible on screen 

Diegetic

- derived from diegesis 

- the world of the film and everything in it

- everything only the character can experience is diegetic 

- everything only the audience can perceive is non-digetic

- usually refer to sound 

- atmospheric sound, vehicles, weapons, music form the film, dialog, some form of voiceover 

- establish and create the world around the characters 

Offscreen 

- unseen birds chirping 

Non diegetic 

- musical score characters can't hear 

- sound effects, musical score, forms of narration

- if character plays no role 

- verbal storytelling 

Trans diegetic

- what was first appear to be non-diegetic suddenly appears to be diegetic 

- background music to radio

- herrol countered brush strokes 

Creative expectation 

- someone else narrating the character's thoughts 

- assume to be music in his own head

This week, we learn about how to make the sound effects coming from the right to the left or vice versa with the L100 and R100 effect on the multitrack. 

R100 means the sound would be on the hard right and L100 means the sound would be on the hard left.

Under the read we can click show envelopes from volume to pan and set keyframe on the line. 

The yellow line is to adjust the volume.

The blue line is to adjust the hard left to right thine, so top is left and right is bottom. 

Jet Plane

Following sir's demonstration and instruction, I was able to experiment around with changing the read drop down bar from volume to Pan in order to play around with the keyframe. I also tried adding the EQ 4 gain to check what the difference is. 

  

Sample voice 

For the sample voice, I started switching the volume thing to pan and this time i made the voice come in from right to left which is vice versa to the prior jet plane one. I played around with the volume to find out the one that sounds the most natural in my opinion. 

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Instructions 

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Exercises 

Exercise 1: Equaliser 

We downloaded another zip file that Mr. Razif sent to our shared Whatsapp group which contain all the 6 tracks plus filter 1 and filter 2. Following his instruction and demonstration to use the parametic equaliser, we are required to complete exercise 1 with adjusting and applying the equaliser to each of the remaining tracks. 

Will careful listening and the explanation from sir, I am able to accurately identify each track's differences from the flat track; using the parametic equaliser and solo out track feature to switch between the original and the rest to adjust them back accurately. I had to go back a few times in between to make sure i capture all of difference in the base, the treble, chords and melodies. 

Final Exercise 1 (Screenshots of parametric equaliser for each track)

EQ 1 

Fig1.1 Parametic equaliser track #1

EQ 2 

Fig1.2 Parametic equaliser track #2

EQ 3 

Fig1.3 Parametic equaliser track #3

EQ 4 

Fig1.4 Parametic equaliser track #4

EQ 5

Fig1.5 Parametic equaliser track #5

EQ6 

Fig1.6 Parametic equaliser track #6

Filter 1 

Fig1.7 Parametic equaliser track #7

Filter 2

Fig1.8 Parametic equaliser track #8

Exercise 2 

Fig 2.1  Sound shaping example

Exercise 2: Sound shaping 

In this exercise, we were asked to experiment around more with the parametic equaliser and adjust the frequency of the original track to match a certain type of stalking sounds in different scenarios. However, before we start adjusting we had to select the whole track and copy to new. After getting the accurate results, we are to save the track in mp3 format. 

Sample rate: Resolution

- 48000: video

- Bit Depth: Colours 16 bit 

1. Telephone 

Fig 2.2  Parametic equaliser telephone

Fig 2.3  Final audio telephone

2. Muffled voice 

Fig 2.4  Parametic equaliser in closet

Fig 2.5  Final audio closet

3. Walkie Talkie

Fig 2.6  Parametic equaliser walkie talkie

Fig 2.7  Final audio walkie talkie

4. Bathroom

5. Stadium 

Exercise 3: SFX 

This week, we were shown in class how to make sound effects on our own and how to make the existing sound effects to sound a bit more full and complete by layering different effects of sound on each other. We were shown how to add a few different effects like:

• Paramatic equaliser 
• Chorus 
• Phaser 
• Time and stretch 
• Pitch shifter 
• Reverse
• Fade in fade out on the track 

1. Explosion SPX 

For the first part of the exercise, we were to make the existing explosion sound effects a bit fuller with the different techniques and effects being demonstrated earlier on. We can change the pitch of the explosion with the equaliser, and we are also asked to add time and stretch to the track so the explosion would drag on longer, with the phaser we can add a unique sound effect to the track. With the chorus we are able to make it make full and impactful. We added and edited the track one by one and only compile them together in multitrack session for the final version. 

Final explosion SFX 

2. Firecracker SFX 

For firecrackers, we were instructed to layer the explosion spx we made earlier on put make it pop pop and sound shorter as firecrackers tends to be shorter and sudden pop sound in a roll. In my case, I had to make 3 to 4 tracker including high pitch, lower pitch and the backing tracks of my firecracker sound effects. I even added a reverse explosion to give the firecracker more dimension. 

3. Punch and explosion SFX

For this sound effects, we were required to mix 3 punches and an explosion together. Sir gave us the freedom to do whatever we want with the sound as long as we include 3 punches and an explosion into the sound. 

Exercise 4: Stereo Sound

a) Environment 1

1. Two men talking with guns: In the middle left of the scene, we can see two military force office holding guns like they were guarding the place while casually making conversation. 

2. Advanced technologies: Most of the lower portion of this scene are covered with green neon light, advanced looking technology that looks to be at full operation even with no scientist monitoring it. It seems to keep and document data from some sort experiment in the middle. 

3. The main machine in the centre with fluid: The experiment chamber that holds some sort of mysterious objects with some sort of green liquid preserving it, that the liquid would make sounds whenever the tubes at the side pumps in something. 

4. Computer controls: The monitors at the side showing datas that seem to be constantly running. 

5. Soundproof vacuum room sound: In a room that is quiet and soundproofed from the outside, there will be sounds of machines and draining system operating being echoed through. 

6. Footsteps on a metal floor: I was planning on having scientists, walk from the outside and opening the metal door entering the scene. 

I started by aligning the sounds together and did the basic fade in fade out to see how well the track mix together, making sure there are no awkward overlapping. I also added some time and pitch to slow down the track, but it changes the pitch of the sound a little.

I used the parametic equaliser to start adjusting the pitch of some of the sound effects like footsteps, metal door closing and etc by increasing the base and decreasing the treble to make the objects seem heavier and bigger. 

Then finally I added the left ear to the right ear effect by adjusting it from the pan panel and creating keyframes. I did this effects to mostly the ambience sound and the background machinery sound. 

Final environmental sound 1

b) Environment 2

1.Metal floors, piped and walls: much like the last scene, the whole scene structure are made up of metals and pipes. 

2. Laser beam: The main subject in the middle which is the 2 laser beam shooting through probably making a loud sound. 

3. Holographic data: There 

4. Hight heels

5. scientist talking

6. Lever pulling

7. Machinery operating

8. Lab ambience 

I added echo to some of the sound effects like 2 different type of footsteps, metal floors to let the listeners know that the environment is huge and deep underground. 

I also adjusted the pitch of some of the more direct sound affects like the lever, machine starting up to indicate that it was a large scale heavy machine like the one shown in the picture. I also added reverse to one of the track cause i thought it sounded fuller. 

Added to left to right ear thing to the ambience sound once again and in this scenario is sound like there are constant data running in the background. 

Final Environmental sound 2

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Feedback

Week 2 / Exercise 2

Walkie Talkie: Not quite there yet, maybe i can take the one from the telephone and tweak it from there.  

Week 3 / Exercise 3
The explosion sound ok but it's a little loud. I can move on to work on the firecrackers sound already. 

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Reflection 

For the first exercise, I had no prior experience with Adobe Audition, so being introduced to the parametric equalizer and experimenting with its various controls was quite enjoyable. Our instructor only needed to explain the general concept of how it works and which knobs correspond to the bass and treble. Once we got the hang of it, trying to match the distorted sound to the original track was a lot of fun. I found it interesting that everyone's final result with the parametric equalizer turned out completely different. Overall, I enjoyed the first exercise, and although I found it a bit challenging to work with filters 1 and 2, I was still able to match the sound to the original track.

In the second exercise, we focused on sound shaping. By this point, we were more familiar with the parametric equalizer. This time, we were instructed to use it to adjust the controls and match the scenario prompts given by the lecturer. I have to admit, this was a bit more challenging because it required us to imagine how each sound should turn out, sometimes even adding echo effects to make the scenarios sound more realistic. I had some difficulty matching the original track to a walkie-talkie sound since I wasn’t entirely sure what it should sound like, but after a few attempts, I think I finally got it right.

In the third exercise, we were introduced to a wider range of effects that we could use to make the original sound fuller. We also learned how to stretch a track to make it longer or shorter without altering the pitch. I found it a bit challenging to keep track of what each effect did because they all had various switches and controls that could make subtle changes to the original sound, so I had to listen carefully to notice the differences. I struggled a bit with shortening the explosion sound to make it sound like a quick "pop pop." After doing some research, I learned how to shorten the track without changing the pitch, as the time and pitch effect tool was altering the original pitch. In the end, I managed to create a decent firework sound by combining the effects we learned. Creating the punching and explosion sounds was a bit easier since I already had the explosion sound prepared, and I only needed to adjust the punch sound.