SONIC DESIGN - EXERCISES

Week 1 - Week 12 (23/08/2021 - 08/11/2021)

Farissa Eryna (0336814)

Sonic Design

Lectures and exercises 

INSTRUCTIONS

LECTURES 

Week 1 Lecture (23/08/2021)

For our first class for this module, Mr. Razif briefed us on the module as well as the projects that we will be working on. As we will be heavily working on audio, he also briefed us on the accessories such as microphones and headphones that we should be using to complete the exercises and projects for this module. He also mentioned that we will be editing and using Adobe Audition and Adobe Premiere Pro so we were told to download those software beforehand. 

Sound Fundamentals 

• Nature of sound - Sound is produced when an object's vibrations move through a medium until they enter the human eardrum.
• Perception: sound captured and translated by ear.
• Propagation (sound waves): the medium in which the sound travels.

Fig 1.1 Nature of sound

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.). For example, some people can study well in a noisy environment meanwhile some might find it difficult to do so. Some people also get an uneasy feeling when they hear a loud honking coming from a car. 

2 Types of Sound Waves:

1. Transverse

2. Longitudinal (Sound waves)

Transverse waves causes the medium to move perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

Longitudinal waves causes the medium to move parallel to the direction of the wave.

Fig 1.2 Longitudinal and Transverse waves

Properties of Sound Waves:

1. Wavelength is the distance between 2 consecutive compressions/ rarefactions (expansion) (measured in mm). 
2. Frequency (Hertz) is 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 1.3 Frequency of sound

3. Echo is the bouncing back of sound.

4. Amplitude is the loudness of sound (height of the sound wave).

5. Period is the time it takes for a single cycle to occur. (From the start of the cycle to the start of the next cycle.)

Fig 1.4 Amplitude, wavelength

Week 2 Lecture (30.08.2021)

Sound effect tools and techniques

Week 2 Lecture: Basic sound designing tools

For week 2, Mr Razif gave us a lecture on the sound effect tools and 5 techniques such as layering, time stretching, pitch shifting and so on. 

5 Techniques:

1. Layering - To 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 - To 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). 

Week 3 Lecture (06.09.2021)

Track and clip automation 

Week 3 Lecture

Panning make sounds appear to come from different places in the left-right spectrum of the stereo.

It creates interest, width, and a sense of space in a stereo mix which 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 Lecture (13.09.2021)

Voice recording and processing

Week 4 Lecture - Voice recording and processing

For this week, Mr Razif gave us a lecture on voice recording and processing. We learned a few methods on how to reduce noise.

Noise Reduction methods:

- 'oise 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.

Week 5 (20.09.2021)

 

There was no lecture for this week. However, we did a progress feedback session instead. We were told to upload our work on Google Drive. 

Week 5 Progression feedback

Week 6 (27.09.2021)

There was no lecture for this week. We had a final feedback session for project 1. 

Week 6 - Final feedback session for Project 1

Week 7 (04.10.2021)

Microphones and Polar Patterns

This week, Mr Razif gave us a lecture on the topic of "Microphones and polar patterns". 

Week 7 Lecture - Microphones and polar patterns

2 Types of Microphones: Dynamic and Condenser

• Dynamic Microphones are normally used for live singing and speeching. It is more tough and durable.
• Condenser Microphones are commonly used for radio broadcasting, studio recording, music, podcasts. It is very fragile and sensitive.

Polar Pattern 

A polar pattern defines how much of the signal will be picked up by the microphone from different directions.

Types of Polar Patterns:

1. Cardiod

2. Super Cardiod

3. Hyper Cardiod

4. Omnidirectional

5. Bi Directional

6. Hemispherical

Fig 1.5 Types of polar patterns

Week 11 (01.11.2021)

Film and 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-game sound,

- e.g: walk (action/ trigger) → footsteps sound (sound)

Week 1 (23.08.2021)

Exercise 1: Soundscape editing

For our first exercise, we are given two different images to create environmental audio based on these images. We were told that we could find free suitable audios online. 

Editing process in Adobe Audition:

Fig 2.1 Layering the audio clips

Fig 2.2 Applying "surround reverb" effect

After I was done with the sound editing, I exported the multitrack and imported it into Adobe Premiere Pro to include the image as well. 

Final outcome:

Exercise 1 - Soundscape 1

 

Exercise 1 - Soundscape 2

Feedback: Soundscape 1 - Mr Razif said sounds okay and everything is fine but maybe I could try enhance the building up sound of the laser to make it more dramatic. 

Soundscape 2 - All good no changes needed. 

Reflection: This exercise was really fun for me because I had to really pay attention to the small details to imagine what kind of sounds they would produce. Finding the suitable sounds for it were quite challenging but other than that everything else went pretty smooth.

Week 4 (13.09.2021)

Exercise 2: Noise Reduction 

For our second exercise, we were tasked to do a voice recording based on the script given by Mr. Razif, and apply the noise reduction on the recorded audio. The techniques showed by the lecturer during the tutorial session was:  'Noise Reduction', 'Adaptive Noice Reduction', Leveling, 'Silence' (in the 'Effects' bar).

Editing process: 

Fig 2.3 Editing process - Noise reduction

Final outcome:

Feedback: No feedback given.

Reflection: This was my first time recording my own voice as well as applying the noise reduction effect. I had to refer to Mr Razif's tutorial video beforehand. I am glad to have learned this particular technique as I know it will be really useful for my future projects!