Discover the latest industry news and audio post production.
Discover five essential Pro Tools mixing tips for audio post-production to improve your workflow, enhance sound design, and streamline the mixing process for film, TV, and commercials.
November 23, 2021
Check out this new blog post that we wrote for Pro Sound Effects:
https://blog.prosoundeffects.com/5-pro-tools-mixing-secrets-for-audio-post-production
A step-by-step guide for composers on arranging, recording, and mixing with a live string ensemble to elevate your film music projects.
November 23, 2021
The string family of instruments has long been the cornerstone of the orchestra. With their lush and expressive sound, it's easy to see why they have been such a prominent feature in both classical and film music. Working with a live string ensemble is the holy grail for most budding film composers, but it can be an intimidating task if its something you have never done before. In this article, we will guide you through the process of arranging and recording your piece with a string ensemble.
This seems self-explanatory, but first things first you need to get your track finished. This means making firm decisions on the structure, arrangement and musical elements that make up your piece.
Most string libraries come with ensemble patches meaning we can play in chords just like we would do with a synth pad. However, strings are for the most part single-line instruments, meaning they only play one note at a time. This means that we need to split up our parts into four voices. We recommend following this process:
- Create 4 new midi instrument tracks - Violin1, Violin2, Viola, Cello
- Copy down the midi from your string vst
- Go through each instrument one by one and delete the notes that you don't need.
For example, Cello only wants the lowest notes, Viola in the middle and then Violin 1&2 can play the top two lines.
Most DAWs should have built-in notation capabilities and will take the midi data and arrange it as notes on the stave automatically. Double-check that you have changed to the appropriate clef for each instrument, as most DAWs will default to a piano layout. You should be able to easily change this in the score editor in your DAW.
Cello - Bass Clef
Viola - Alto Clef
Violins - Treble Clef
Once you have split up your parts for the appropriate instruments, its time to get into the nuts and bolts and add in all the little details that make up your piece. Go through note by note for each instrument and input as much information as you feel relevant. Most DAW score editors will have functions built in that allow you to do this.
Articulations - Different playing styles. Is your piece all long flowing notes (Legato) or do you have short notes as well? Are the players using any non-bowing techniques such as pizzicato (Plucking strings like a guitar) You should go through your piece and mark down all of the articulations for each instrument.
Accents - An accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a particular note.
This is marked by a small downward-pointing triangle symbol that is placed above the note you want to be accented. Accents are most commonly used on rhythmic passages.
Dynamics - Dynamics refer to how loud or quiet a part is, and are marked with a p or f on the score. ppp is very quiet and fff is very loud. You can also add crescendos and decrescendos for parts that swell and recede in volume. Dynamics marking is very important as it will give your piece a better sense of movement and really ramp up the emotion during more intense sections.
Slurs - A slur is a symbol in musical notation indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation. For bowed string players, a slur means to play a group of notes in one bow. This means to play the notes without changing the direction of the bow.
You don't need to go overboard with all of this, but the ensemble will definitely appreciate having a few indicators of how you want the parts to be played. You can also have a chat with them on the day to finalise everything and they can mark this information on their scores with a pencil.
You should now have all of your parts laid out with all of the articulations, dynamic markings, etc. The next step is to find a group of players to hire for the recording. We recommend contacting conservatories and music colleges in your area, as they will likely have a number of string quartets and larger groups that are hungry for work. A quick google or Facebook search should be enough to find a group that is right for your project. Explain what you want to achieve with the recording session, the number of pieces, location of recording, etc and agree upon the hiring fee.
You should also discuss the logistics of the recording session, such as will they be bringing their own music stands? Will they use printed music or read from an iPad? How long will they need for lunch breaks?
Once all this is discussed and agreed upon you can send your parts as pdf files to the players for them to begin preparations.
Bounce out all of the different parts of your track as stems. This will allow for more flexibility when creating headphone mixes for the players on the day of recording. You can stem out your track in instrument groups, so if you have 6 different percussion tracks you can bounce them as one and call it "Drums"
The finished stems for your track may look something like this:
Synths
Choir
Drums
Guitar
Bass
FX
As well as creating stems, you should also make a bounce of just the metronome from your DAW. This is extremely useful as it will keep any tempo mapping or time signature changes that you have in your piece.
Create a space that will function as the "Control Room" for the session. This is where the composer and engineer will set up their equipment and run the session. Set up the players chairs in the spot that gives the best sound, which will usually be somewhere in the centre of your recording space. You can make adjustments once the players arrive and start running through the piece.In terms of microphones, we recommend using an XY pair to capture the room, with spot microphones to capture individual instruments. Be careful not to place the mics too close, as string instruments can have quite a harsh top end, especially the violin when playing in its upper register.
Let the players do a couple of run-throughs of the piece to work out any teething problems that there may be. Remember to ask for advice if this is your first time. The string players will have a lot more experience and will know how to get the sound that is the best fit for your music. Once everybody is happy with everything you can start recording takes.
Listen keenly and follow along with the sheet music as best as you can. Its worth having a notebook on-hand to write down any specific thoughts or ideas you have whilst recording.
Give direction to the players in between takes if there are any adjustments you want to make. Players will play what is written down so it's up to you as the composer to communicate your intentions for a specific phrase or section if they didn't quite play it as you have envisaged. String players fingers need time to warm up, so once they are in the zone It's a good idea to "strike while the iron is hot" and get a few solid takes in quick succession.
Remember to relax and have fun. Hearing your music played live in front of you is one of the greatest feelings as a composer, so be sure to savour the moment!
With the recording completed, you can now import them back into your DAW session and start mixing in the live strings with the rest of your track. You may still decide to use a string ensemble vst as a blend layer to add extra depth and fullness to the strings, or to fill in the bottom end that a double bass would usually occupy.
Although this guide was written with a string quartet in mind, these tips should apply to working with most instruments in small-medium sized ensembles. We hope you find this article useful. Have fun applying this guide to your own projects.
Record an orchestra by choosing the right space, planning microphone setups, hiring a conductor, organizing your session, and maintaining proper stage etiquette.
November 23, 2021
Recording your music with a live orchestra is a true milestone for composers, and is something that all should aspire to do at least once. However, assembling 50-plus musicians on stage and getting a high-quality recording is a serious challenge both technically and logistically. In this article, we will guide you through the process.
First things first you will need to scout out a few different spaces and see what works best for you. There is a lot to consider here such as background noise, accessibility, acoustic properties and of course the cost. Hiring a symphonic hall is definitely the best option in terms of sound, but it will come at a higher cost than other options. Cheaper options include town halls, schools, old warehouses, churches.
List the instrumentation for your pieces and work out how many microphones you will need, including mics for the Decca tree, outriggers, and room mics. For a full orchestra, you are looking at 30-plus channels so make sure you are adequately equipped to deal with a session of this size. This means having a rock-solid computer system, and a desk with the right pre-amps needed to power all those mics. Plan out all of this in detail and create stage diagrams showing the layout for the session, based in the space you have available.
The main content of your recording will come from the Decca tree mics, with the ambient and spot mics there to support. You will need 3 mics, one for the left, center and right channels.
Positioning is key for an accurate sound, so make sure you are meticulous in the spacing and angle of your mics. You want there to be a full, lively sound with a nice balance in the stereo image. For your microphone choice, we recommend using small-diaphragm condensers with a neutral response for the tree mics.
In terms of the Decca tree itself, you can buy one online, You can build your own DIY version using metal/wooden frames and sandbags as a counterweight.
A conductor is crucial to getting a great recording, so get one on board as soon as you can. Not only are they there to guide the musicians through the music, but they act as a leader for the orchestra who will keep things on schedule. Make sure they have been given as much information as possible for the session, as the more preparation they can do the better. A conductor will also look at the music and flag up any potential problem areas in the score, which can save you a lot of time of the day.
As the old saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing the fail, and this couldn't be more true with a large scale recording like this. Make sure you get all of the music parts printed and organised ready to go on music stands, as last-minute printing is the last thing you want to be doing. Plan out the day in fine detail and prepared for any problems that could arise over the course of the session. What if the fire alarm goes off? What if the musicians get lost? Where can people get tea/coffee? These are all things that you need to have a plan for if you want your session to run smoothly.
Once the orchestra has arrived and is finished tuning, you are ready to begin recording. If you've got this stage congratulations, as you are about to hear your music played by the orchestra which should be an incredible experience. However now is when you need to be extremely mindful of the stage etiquette of the players, as things like chair shuffles, coughs, page turns and stray pencils can spoil a great take. This is where having good communication with the conductor is crucial, as they will manage the conduct of the orchestra once they are on the scoring stage.
If you have followed these steps and planned accordingly you should have a fantastic recording experience! We hope that you find this guide useful.
Boost your film compositions by understanding themes, experimenting, listening widely, recording live musicians, and learning post-production processes.
November 23, 2021
Film music composition is a diverse craft that is equal parts technical and artistic.
However, It can often be confusing for newcomers looking to get started in film music.
This article is contains 5 tips that will help take your compositions to the next level.
Every story contains themes and ideas that are communicated through the characters and their actions. For example, Harry Potter is filled with magic, suspense and action sequences, but ultimately it is a film about friendship and family. When composing for a particular scene, always ask yourself how it relates back to the central themes of the story.
If you know what the core themes of the story are, then you can use them to guide your composition. This will help to get ideas down quickly, and establish motifs that you can use throughout the film.
Make time in your schedule to experiment and explore new ideas. This can be anything from creating your own sounds, trying out new musical styles/instruments, or researching a new topic. This is not only loads of fun, but is a great way to use down-time in your calendar. Keep learning and seeking out new musical avenues. Make an effort to approach things from new and unique perspectives. This will keep your creative muscles in good shape for when a new project comes along.
Ask yourself - what do I bring to the table that cant be found anywhere else? By taking time to research and experiment, you are shaping your individual voice and perspective as a composer.
Here are a few research/experimentation ideas to try during your down-time.
- Research the music from another culture and create a composition
- Record household objects and create your own sounds from them
- Compose a piece using atonal instruments
- Research an obscure musical style/genre
- Create a composition only using sound produced by your mouth
As a film composer, it is essential to be familiar with a wide range of musical styles and instrumentation. You never know what the next project may require, so make an effort to listen to a diverse selection of music. You should aim to build up a database in your head of what types of sounds align with certain emotions. A director may say something like "I want it to sound gloomy/sombre". If you already know what kind of instruments and sounds are associated with a particular feeling, then you are able to deliver what they are asking for much quicker.
Study the music from classic films so that you can draw upon what other composers have done before you. Listen with an analytical mindset and think about the musical and sonic devices that are being used. Identify what techniques are most effective and integrate them into your own compositions.
We are living in an age where the entire history of recorded music is only a few clicks away. This is an incredible resource that film composers of yesteryear didn't have access to, so use it wisely! Listen to classical, jazz, world music, electronic, folk etc. Basically anything that will expand your horizons and provide you with new musical ideas.
Even with all of the digital instruments we have available, There's nothing quite like recording with real musicians.
Recording with live musicians will bring your music to life, and give your tracks a level of expression that just cant be achieved when working in the box. Not only will your music sound much better, but the process of arranging all of your parts and hearing them performed is extremely satisfying, and will give you a deeper appreciation of your music. Planning and carrying out a recording session is also a great way to practice your people management skills, and will give you a glimpse of what is to come when you are working with larger ensembles and orchestras.
If you are working with small budgets, don't be afraid to reach out to students at music colleges. They generally play to a very high standard, and will cost a lot less than a professional ensemble. Even if its just a violin or cello, record your parts with live musicians. It will take your music to the next level!
You don't need to know every little detail inside-out, but having general sense of the post production process will make your life easier when working on a film.
There are many different audio roles in film production, each with a their own specific focus. As a composer, its very useful to know what all of the roles entail, and how your music fits into the bigger picture. You need to know what will happen to your music once it has been delivered for mixing, and how the mix engineer will balance your music against the other sonic elements in the film (Dialogue, Foley, Sfx etc).
Demonstrating this knowledge shows a level of professionalism, and will put you ahead of the competition when pitching for projects.
We hope this article has given you some great tips. Have fun composing music for your projects.
A structured process for creating professional sound effects libraries, from concept to final release, ensuring quality, efficiency, and market appeal.
November 23, 2021
Creating a sound effects library is a task that combines creative thinking, technical execution and project management skills. At 344 Audio we have developed an efficient and effective process that has been honed over countless releases and allows us to consistently generate new content over time.
In this article, we will share this process with you step by step, and give you all the tools you need to start creating your own sound effects libraries.
The first thing you need to figure out when creating a sound effects library is the concept. This can be anything you want, but it helps to focus on a certain theme, aesthetic or type of sounds that work together.
Some previous examples of our library concepts include:
Practical Doors - Practical Doors contains a range of interior and exterior door sound effects with common uses: open, close, creak, slam, keys, locks, latches, knocks and many more!
Trailer instruments Designed - Trailer Instruments Designed contains a variety of effects captured from instruments and manipulated into impacts, drones, stingers, risers and more.
The Burger Kitchen - The Burger Kitchen contains a wide variety of food preparation, eating and handling sounds captured in our foley suite.
As we can see, these libraries each have a unique theme and focus on different kinds of sounds, and would be useful in different contexts. Having a solid concept is key as it not only gives you boundaries to work within, but will help add some personality to your library and help it stand out in the marketplace.
Once you have your concept nailed down the next step is to decide on the structure of your library. This means how many sounds will there be in total? How will you organise the sounds within the library and how many subfolders will your library contain?
Let's use an "Impacts Library" as an example
80 files in total
Folder 1 - Electronic Impacts - 20 Sounds
Folder 2 - Organic Impacts - 20 Sounds
Folder 3 - Designed Impacts - 20 Sounds
Folder 4 - Crazy Metallic Impacts - 10 Sounds
Folder 5 - Sub Impacts - 10 Sounds
Using this structure as a reference, you can make a list of sounds that you will need to record to build the library.
Structuring your library in this way breaks up the content and makes it easier for the user to find the sounds they are looking for. It also helps you during the recording and editing phase as you know exactly what you are working towards in terms of the number of sounds and what is in each subfolder.
Now we are getting to the fun stuff. The recording phase is where the magic happens, so it's crucial that you get this stage of the process absolutely spot on!
A few things to consider before you begin recording are:
What kind of sounds are you recording? Are they more external "field recording" sounds or are you able to capture them in a controlled studio environment?
Do the sounds need to be in mono or stereo? Mono is most common for "spot fx" and stereo is more commonly used for atmos, or sounds with an inherent spacial element to them such as a car passing left to right, trains going past etc.
What kind of microphones and pickup patterns will you be using? Dynamic, Condenser, Shotgun, Cardioid mic etc.
Are the sounds being processed heavily during the editing & design stage?
Once you have given this some thought and have decided on your approach, it's time to start making some noise. Whilst the recording stage can most definitely be completed by one person, it is much easier when there are 2 people doing it, as one of you can take charge of recording whilst the other can "perform" the sounds. We recommend working in a team of 2 for maximum speed and efficiency during this stage of the process.
Operating as a pair, work through the list of sounds that you wrote during the structure phase until you have captured all of the source material that you need in order to build the library. As a general rule it's always more favourable to have too much source material over not enough, so make an effort to capture as much as possible. By taking a little extra time and capturing as many sounds as you can you will be giving yourself the most amount of content to work within the editing & design phase.
With the recording complete it's now time to move into the editing and design phase. This is where you will take your raw source material and start bringing them to life, either through editing or additional design and effects processing.
When editing your sounds, it's important to consider the end-user and in what context they will be using the sounds. For example, when editing our Practical Doors library, we specifically made all of the doors have a consistent level and frequency content, so that they would all feel right when placed in a scene together. You should edit your sounds in a way that makes things easy for the sound editor so that they can drop sounds into their project timeline and work within the scene with minimal fuss.
There is a lot more to editing than just chopping files, making fades and stripping silences. The editing phase is your chance to be really creative, and give your sounds that bold, dramatic feel that will make them stand out.
Some techniques to implement during editing include:
Play with extremes - Don't play it safe. Embrace large dynamics and make use of contrast between quiet and loud sounds to maximise their impact.
Heighten the drama - Try and edit your sounds in a way that conjures up an image, indicates some real-world physicality and motion or has a visceral effect on you when you hear it. For example, in our gore library "Slaughter" we were editing sounds for a human body being crushed. We spend a lot of time thinking about how this would actually play out in reality, and the different phase's of the body being broken down, skin, bones, blood, guts etc. Approach editing like this took our sound from "decent" to genuinely stomach-churning, which is exactly the effect a gore library needs to have.
Fill out the frequency content - Combine and layer different recordings together so that you can fill up the frequency spectrum and give each sound that big, bold weightiness that is so characteristic of modern movie sound effects. There may be instances where editing isn't enough and you must use effects processing to create the sounds required for your library. This is something we do quite often, especially on libraries with an otherworldly or Sci-Fi concept to them, or when we are constructing drones and atmospheres from everyday sound sources.
Some go-to processing methods that we love to use are:
Reverbs with long decay times.
Modulation effects - Flangers, phasers, chorus.
Crazy comb filters, LFOs and modulation delays.
Pitch and formant shifting.
Once you have completed the editing and design and have your effects sounding just as you want them it's time to move forward to the quality control phase.
The quality control phase is super important, as it is your last chance to address any errors in your library before release and make sure that everything is sounding perfect.
Firstly, you can export all of your edited and designed sounds out from your DAW and organise them into separate folders using the structure you came up with earlier. Once you have this done, listen through all of your sounds from start to finish and be attentive to any technical or aesthetic issues as you go. These may be things such as excess silence in the file, unwanted clicks and pops and sounds being cut off from improper fade ins/outs. Make notes as you listen through and then make any adjustments needed to the sounds which have unwanted elements or errors in them.
Most common issues can be avoided by paying close attention during the recording and editing phases, but it's always worth double and triple-checking in case any unwanted sounds have slipped through the cracks and made it all the way to this stage without being flagged up and corrected.
Once you have checked through all of your sounds and are happy with everything it's time to embed metadata into the files. Metadata are additional tags that you can attach to a file that makes it easier for people to find when they are searching through their sound libraries.
For example, we may have a bone-breaking sound called "Bone Break 01.Wav" but we would like to give it additional tags so that it appears in searches relating to "horror" and "gore".
There are several programs that will allow you to achieve this but we use the sound effects platform Soundly, as it has a great interface and is really helpful for organising your sound effects.Within Soundly, select the sound you want to add metadata, right-click and go "edit metadata". This will then bring up a window where you can edit both the file metadata and file originator (Author of the file, in our case 344 Audio). In the metadata section simply type your additional search tags each separated by a comma.
File Name: Bone Break 01
Originator: 344 Audio (In your case it might be "Johns Samples" etc.)Metadata: Bone, Break, Snap, Injury, Gore, Horror, Violent, Fall, Fracture
By adding the metadata it makes it much easier for the user to find your sounds and gives them a little bit more information about the context in which to use them.
The final stage before releasing your library is to create some killer artwork, write up an enticing description for use on online stores, and make a demo track to show off your library and get people hyped up.
Artwork - We think its best to keep things simple and consistent when it comes to artwork. Use an online tool to create some custom graphics that can be saved as a template for use across your future library releases. There is a range of awesome websites that allow you to make custom graphics. We use Adobe Spark as it has a large range of stock images to choose from and a user-friendly interface.
Choose a background image that links to the concept of your library and then overlay some text with the name of the library. You can then finish it off with your company or brand logo in the corner to let your users know who the library is from.
Descriptor - This covers all of the text that will be used to help sell the library and is broken down into product tagline and product description.
Your tagline should be short, sweet and enticing. Try and write something that will whet the appetite of a potential customer and get them intrigued about the sounds in the library. Our tagline for "British Soldier Voices" - "British Soldier Voices contains 800+ soldier vocalisations including orders, commands, shouts, grunts and more performed at different intensities. All recorded up close and personal for use in video games, film and other media content. Recorded in 24Bit 96kHz, allowing for further sonic manipulation."
Your product description goes into more detail and explains to the customer exactly what is contained within the library, and some specific technical information such as the number of files and sample rate etc.
Our product description for "British Soldier Voices" - Phrases include genuine language used by SAS, Army, Royal Navy and Paratroopers as well as exaggerated script elements. We consulted real British Armed Forces Personnel to ensure that our scripts were accurate and performed correctly by our voice talent. Both modern phrases and historical phrases are included, extending the libraries use beyond modern warzones.
Whether you are making an FPS game featuring the SAS, a film featuring the armed forces or need voice effects for training purposes, this library covers both real-life commands as well as phrases included for dramatic effect. All lines are included clean along with a processed version to add quick army radio comms to any project, perfect for video game implementation!
If you think your sound collection is in need of some reinforcements then this is the library for you!
Here are the included folders:
Whispering: Perfect for stealth mission and special forces operations, using the element of surprise.
Talking: Soldiers speaking at normal levels, perfect for instructing commands or for training exercises.
Shouting: Perfect intonation for heavy battle in close proximity with the enemy, lock and load!
Grunts: A collection of grunts and efforts perfect for close-quarters combat or when a soldier is hit.
Specs: 1600+ files • 1600+ sounds • 24 Bit / 96 kHz | 16 Bit / 44.1 kHz • 435 MB • Includes metadata
Demo Track - Most people are going to want to listen to some examples of the library before making a purchase, so here is where the demo track comes in.
The demo track should be about a minute in length and show off the full range of sounds within your library in an interesting and exciting way. Be creative and try and create something that is fun to listen to and links back to the concept of the library. Try and give your demo track a sense of rhythm and that it is building towards a climax. Even if the sounds in your library don't have a musical quality to them, injecting a bit of rhythm and bounce to your demo track will help your library stand out and give the potential customer a positive impression.
Whilst we have given you our step by step process in a general sense, below are a few extra tips that will help you turbocharge your workflow and generate consistent results over time.
Teamwork is king - There's nothing that you can do alone that wouldn't have been done in less time and to a better standard than in a team. Develop a team of people to work on your libraries and you can complete a more diverse range of projects in less time than alone.
Break up the workload - Split the different stages of the process amongst the different members of your team. Whilst one person is recording someone else can be preparing the pro tools session for editing. Or if one person is editing someone else can be writing the descriptions and creating the artwork.
Develop a repeatable process - It sounds like a no-brainer but develop a process for creating sound effects libraries that you can repeat time and time again. This way no matter what the concept or content of the library is, everyone will be on the same page and know where they are up to in the process, and what stage comes next.
Be consistent - By keeping things consistent you will be able to produce content as faster speeds. By working in the same studio, following the same step by step process with the same team of people and equipment you are eliminating unknown variables and will over time become a well-drilled and efficient unit.
We hope you enjoyed this article!
