Discover the latest industry news and audio post production.
Budget-friendly equipment for aspiring sound designers.
July 17, 2023
In the ever evolving technological landscape of 2023 there can be an overwhelming amount of product choice and opinions within the audio marketplace. Whether you're a young freelance sound editor forging your future in the industry or a Sound Design veteran in Pro Tools, we all need a range of equipment to complete our projects. Today on the 344 Audio blog, we're going to throw our hat into the ring and put forward 2 suggestions for each piece of gear we believe essential in enabling you to begin your audio journey with the strongest possible foundation.
There are many pieces of equipment that are crucial to our craft. One such thing, is the audio interface. An interface allows you to record into your DAW of choice and more importantly, monitor the sound coming out of your system. There are a few things to have in mind when deciding on an audio interface. Things such as; How many inputs/outputs do I need? Which microphone type(s) will I be using?, will govern the specifications and features that you require. Here's our recommendations for audio interfaces we feel give some incredible value for money and are used by engineers at a wide range of stages in their careers.
Focusrite 2i2 - £120 - This option will more than likely be the first and most common recommendation, for good reason. Focusrite offer these beginner friendly models in a variety of in/out configurations dependant on your needs while remaining fair with their price points. The 2i2 is also a very sturdy interface known to last most people who invest in one a very generous amount of time. Provided you like the colour red, we're confident you wont be disappointed if you decide on a Focusrite interface.
Audient iD4 - £120 - Recently, Audient have been shaking up the home studio gear market with some of their offerings. The incredibly sleek and compact design will no doubt make these units look the part with other modern equipment setups and set them apart from most other competitors, whilst also offering the same functionality and specification with a common compliment they receive being how quiet the pre amp is. Although the Audient offering isnt as tried and tested as Focusrite, It's still a solid call and maybe a better option for you if aesthetic is an important part of your setup.
Now, studio monitors are something which have and always will be a subjective matter. The acoustic conditions of your room will also have a heavy role to play in how monitors can sound so what works for one person, may not for another. It's incredibly easy to hide behind fancy bells and whistles on certain gear in this day and age. Thankfully, monitors are not something this seems to have happened with (yet), making researching which monitors have stood the test of time and which have disrupted the status quo easier than other pieces of equipment. Before buying monitors we strongly suggest listening to something you're familiar with where possible. Getting a feel for the tone of the sound produced will be a huge help in your decision without much thought of the technical aspects.
ADAM Audio TV7 - £330 - ADAM Audio have been making waves since releasing their T series, a budget friendly version of their renowned AX and S series monitors. The impressive sound quality along with the well made and durable nature of these make them a worthy purchase for us.
JBL LSR 305 - £229 - These monitors are widely recommended as your first. To get such great detail on all frequency ranges for this price is very rare, with the biggest downside to these being some of the build materials feel a little low quality and wouldn't be as durable as other options.
The next area we're going to look at today is microphones. There will be thousands of options in every different price point here, and inevitably you will move on at some point and upgrade to the universally loved and used microphones when the time is right. Having said that, there are some budget friendly microphones which are extremely well made products and can give some of the biggest companies in the industry and good run for their money.
Aston Origin - £195 - Aston are a relatively new company on the scene (est. 2015) and their first microphone was released to almost universal acclaim. The Origin not only looks fresh and stylist, but delivers a very clean sound on a range of sources including instruments, vocals and props. We firmly believe this is one of the best budget friendly microphone options available market wide.
Sennheiser MKE 600 - £235 - Shotgun microphones can be incredibly expensive, whilst being incredibly important if you work in production sound. Having a good quality boom can make or break the dialogue quality of a project, put simply there are lots of shotgun mics aimed at videographers or YouTube creators (this one included to an extent). However for the price point, the specs and sound quality this short shotgun mic offers can't be overlooked.
Similar to studio monitors, headphones are a subjective matter for slightly different reasons. Comfort is a hugely important aspect, different job roles prefer or require different frequency responses, where you'll be recording/working may mean you require noise cancellation are some common issues to have in mind when considering which headphones are best. One thing we always look out for and be mindful of when considering headphones is if there is a wired option available. As with monitors, we suggest listening to something you're familiar with through any headphones you're considering before buying.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro - £110 - Most people seem to agree that the DT770's give a very solid performance in terms of sound quality and durability. Where they may fall down a little bit is their size, being quite bulky means they could get tiresome to wear after long periods of time and doesn't make for easy transportation.
Audio Technica ATH M50x - £130 - Similar to our other recommendation, the M50x headphones give a great all round sound quality, although a complaint we have heard a couple of times is the low end lacks a little punch. These headphones are incredibly comfortable to wear for a few hours at a time and can be folded up into a pouch for transport whilst compromising none of the build quality.
Being ready to record at the drop of a hat is crucial in any field recordists workflow. As much as we'd love to carry a fully kitted out recording setup at all times, there are many practical issues that would come with it. There are 2 sides to the portable recorder spectrum. Handheld recorders that come as an all-in-one unit with built in microphones, usually at the cost of noisier pre amps and some missing features. Then we have portable recorders which are small, lightweight recording devices that come with no built in microphones but commonly have better pre amps and recording format options. The most noticeable difference between handheld and portable recorders is often the price range, with handhelds being aimed towards the entry level needs and portable recorders aimed at higher end productions.
Zoom H6 - £300 - The H6 is a great tool to have in your arsenal. The changeable mic capsules (Mid-Side, XY included. Shotgun can be purchased) are a great addition. Plus, the inclusion of 4 external XLR inputs allows you to achieve a portable stereo or multi microphone set up without anywhere near as much bulk. We felt the biggest downside of the H6 were the slightly noisy pre amps when trying to record some quiet sources.
Sony PCM D100 (D50) - £600-£700 (£150-£250) - This option might be both a little harder to get your hands on and more expensive than the previous option. But the Sony PCM recorders are notoriously well crafted pieces of kit that field recordists have loved and sworn by for years. The only thing missing from these units are the ability to connect external XLR's, but the built in microphones are that sensitive (occasionally a little too sensitive) most of the time you wont be thinking about additional microphones.
Sound Devices MixPre-3 II - £999 - Some won't consider this a budget or beginner friendly option. If you're a look to the future type of person and know this is an industry you will still be around in 5 years to come. Investing in a Sound Devices MixPre is something that might be of interest to you.
Once you've decided which gear is going to be best for your career path, it is essential that you acquire accessories to allow for the capture of clean recordings and keep your gear in good condition. Important accessories to purchase are; Pistol Grip, Windshield(s), Microphone Stands, Carry cases/bags (For microphones, recorders, headphones) and Spare XLR cables.
Acquiring gear is just the start of your journey. Learning how to best use it and how to make sonic magic after the recording process is another path completely. Reading through instruction manuals, especially on electronic gear is something we cannot suggest strongly enough for safety and ease of use. Being able to efficiently navigate, use and export from your chosen DAW is another essential part of the process. If you're interested to learn more about this side of the process, our sound design course at 344 Audio teaches the professional skills to efficiently use Pro Tools and perform any role in the post-production craft. All from within an active UK Audio Post workplace. For more information on our Audio Post Essentials Course, book a free call here.
We delve into the current and possible future uses of artificial intelligence in audio post.
July 3, 2023
In the realm of audio post-production, the fusion of innovative technology and artistic creativity has always been at the core of delivering captivating sonic experiences to audiences the world over. With the recent boom of AI (Artificial Intelligence) development evolving at an unprecedented pace, the audio post-production landscape is witnessing a transformation exciting to some, but worrying to others. Today on the 344 Audio Blog, we delve into the current and possible future uses of artificial intelligence in audio post. Exploring the ways in which this fascinating yet controversial technology is reshaping the industry, and the steps you can take to future proof yourself in an ever-changing digital era.
As we all know in this craft, time can be a precious resource, and the integration of sophisticated algorithms into software has already had a profound impact on our daily workflows. This evolution gave birth to an array of remarkable tools, exemplified by Accentize’s reverb plugin Chameleon 2, and renowned noise reduction/restoration products like; Izotope RX, Acon Extract:Dialogue, and Cedar DNS One to name a few. Even Audio Editing software like Adobe Audition now incorporates built-in algorithms for tasks like noise reduction and dialogue enhancement, eliminating the need for third-party software.
By harnessing machine learning, these advancements enable sound designers to significantly reduce the time and resources required for intricate processes, unlocking newfound efficiency and freedom to focus on the creative tasks at hand.
Looking ahead, there are a multitude of tasks that could be streamlined with the advancement of machine-learning. Whether some of these tasks should be performed by or with the help of Artificial Intelligence will differ dependant on each individuals views on the matter, but the future certainly promises a fascinating interplay between AI automation and human creativity, leading to ever-evolving possibilities.
Mixing
AI has the potential to automate certain aspects of audio mixing. By analysing audio content and using predefined rules or learning models, Algorithms can intelligently balance audio levels, pan sounds, and apply effects to create a cohesive mix. One huge area we see potential for innovation is mixing templates. AI can learn from expertly mixed tracks and create mixing presets or templates for similar projects. By analysing the characteristics and common occurrences of a specific genre or style, AI could suggest or automatically apply mixing settings, serving as a starting point for further adjustments fuelled by the emotional decisions of the audio engineers and filmmakers.
Sound Design & Foley
Heavily creative areas such as Sound Design and Foley are seeing the largest debates within the community. The big question being, can machines replicate our nuanced, creative decision making considering human emotions heavily dictate the choices we make? While we think AI being put to use in this context is far in the future, if at all. We do believe that some tasks within these areas could benefit from some AI integration. For example; The development of an algorithm that analyses video footage, lets say a temp cut of your project. Then by learning from extensive databases of content, recordings and any libraries you own or have access to, AI could suggest or automatically generate an appropriate pool of sound effects for specific visual or environmental cues. This could save time and most importantly, allow sound designers or editors to fully delve into the world building process.
With the development of AI happening so quickly, having a wide range of skills has never been more important. Which is why we think that upskilling yourself is the strongest option to lay any worries about automation to rest.
Learning how to perform roles in other areas of Audio-Post would be the most logical approach, already working within the industry could allow you access to contacts or other opportunities to explore. If you wanted to branch out yourself, one huge advantage of modern technology is the amount of information available to consume almost instantly. With resources ranging from hours of video essays or tutorials, to blog posts and informative articles, all the way up to both degree courses or industry educational courses. The sound design course we offer at 344 Audio teaches the professional skills to efficiently use Pro Tools and perform any role in the post-production craft, within an active UK Audio Post workplace. For more information on our Audio Post Essentials Course, contact us here.
Alternatively, you could delve into a role within a similar sector to Audio-Post, A great example of this could be the visual side of the process. Like audio, there are many stages to the visual post-production craft, Editor, Colourist (Colour Grading) or VFX Artist to name a few. Having your irons in a fire that goes hand in hand with the skills you already have whilst remaining a separate skill is a trick as old as time to help bring in a more stable income.
Whilst Artificial Intelligence has made significant advancements in creative industries, it's important to acknowledge the indispensable role of human expertise and creativity in audio post-production. Financial implications usually result in such tools often being designed for other industries (i.e Music, Writing) and later adapted to assist us streamline workflows or specific tasks, helping us achieve the highest quality outcome for a project. This formed part of our conclusion that AI will not supplant the need for human judgment and artistic interpretation for many years to come. Emotional response is also vital for our craft. At each stage, narrative fuels our process. The connection between story, characters, and human emotions is the essence of a successful narrative. Something that, as of now, Artificial Intelligence cannot replicate.
A review of DopplerPRO by TONSTURM, a precise and intuitive Doppler effect plugin designed for quick and high-quality sound design, offering streamlined controls for realistic motion-based audio effects in film, games, and music production.
June 26, 2023
The Doppler effect is an audible phenomenon responsible for the change in perceived frequency or pitch of a sound when the source is in motion, and the observer is static. For example, an ambulance siren passes by. As the ambulance approaches, the pitch of the siren sounds higher, and as it moves away, the pitch sounds lower. TONSTURM have produced some game-changing design software in previous years, and today, we'll be taking a look at their Doppler-specific offering, DopplerPRO.
Company: TONSTURM
Product: DopplerPRO
Price: £95
Our Rating: 4/5
The TONSTURM DopplerPRO Plug-in is a powerful and versatile tool that gives users the power to recreate the sonic experience of objects passing by accurately, be it a car zooming past or a spaceship soaring through the cosmos. Using a 'vastly improved' Doppler engine, TONSTURM's focus here is to bring you a simplistic tool of inspiration. Allowing users to craft the best quality effects in the quickest timescale. Whether you're working on film sound design, game audio, or music production, DopplerPRO offers a comprehensive set of features that make it a valuable addition to your toolkit.
In their own words:
DopplerPRO revolutionizes your workflow with its powerful spatial engine. By offering precise rescaling of the space for the approach and away phases, it enables you to have ultimate control over the timing and speed parameters of the Doppler effect...DopplerPRO adds energetic movement and depth to your audio, creating captivating and engaging experiences for your audience.
When firing up DopplerPRO we were immediately struck by the well-designed, user-friendly interface. A simple layout makes the plug-in easy to navigate, allowing for quick and efficient adjustments. Minimal use of colour helps draw your attention to the most important parameters while sitting very nicely in a dark-themed Pro Tools session, making it easy on the eyes after long periods of time. The only downside here is some controls may have a little too much space to themselves. At the bottom of the window, below your parameters, is a scrolling bar which you'll need to access all changeable parameters (Gain and panning included). Admittedly this isn't a huge issue, as the rare ability to expand the plug-in window is included, but it did take us a couple of minutes and a little peek at the manual to spot said bar.
The plug-in comes with a reasonable amount of presets, both aimed at Post-Production and Music Production. And offers a wide range of customizable parameters, giving you the ability to shape the effect to suit a wide variety of needs. You can adjust the shape of the Doppler curve (Viewed in grid form, giving a great visual representation of the sound's movement), the duration, direction and speed of the effect, and even apply fade-ins and fade-outs to help smooth transitions.
While using this tool and thinking about other Doppler Effect offerings in the marketplace, we were struck by the realization that TONSTURM also produces TRAVELER, another Plug-in that has the ability to replicate the Doppler effect. Now, while both plug-ins offer exceptional capabilities, TRAVELER focuses on overall spatial movement with the ability to cater to environmental effects alongside being able to create Doppler effects too. Whereas DopplerPRO specifically hones in on achieving precise and convincing Dopplers, which are most commonly applied to individual or specified objects.
DopplerPRO will be an invaluable tool when it comes to everyday audio design workflow improvements. In comparison to other products, the simplicity and laser focus of this offering puts it in the running to be a go-to tool for artists. We would use this plug-in when looking to make some quick and straightforward Doppler effects for situations such as vehicles or creatures passing by.
TONSTURM may have become a victim of their own success with this release. Aside from a slight need for some layout refining, DopplerPRO is an incredibly solid offering.
Its specific use case allows them to streamline included features and keep only the most important options, allowing users to focus wholly on the creative outcome while making no compromises to the quality of your end product. Where DopplerPRO may fall short is that it carries the same price tag as TRAVELER while offering less variety of use cases.
DopplerPRO requires a compatible DAW and is available as VST, AAX and Audio Suite/Audio Units.
For more from TONSTURM and the purchase information for DopplerPRO follow these links:
Explore whether a sound design degree, industry course, self-education, or mentorship best suits your career goals and learning style.
June 19, 2023
Deciding a career path is a huge life decision we all face. For the next generation of sound professionals, there's a multitude of choices and decisions to take into account in this early stage. One of the big questions is whether pursuing a sound design degree is the key to unlock success. Sound like a tough call? Well, fear not! Today on the 344 Audio blog we'll weigh the pros and cons of various pathways into the industry so you can navigate this decision with confidence.
Aside from the possibility of student finance to cover the bulk of the upfront costs, one of the primary advantages of pursuing a sound design degree is the structured learning environment it provides. A University program offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers the technical aspects of sound engineering and digital audio production (some even include a number of Pro Tools Courses), along with more practical elements such as Foley artistry, mixing and more. Having tutors still active within the industry to analyse your work and feedback can be an incredibly powerful early-stage tool. Through hands-on experiences you can learn the fundamentals of sound manipulation and gain expertise in industry-standard software and equipment all while networking with fellow students and creatives within your local community to get those crucial first projects.
This incredibly in depth style and technical approach to learning is not the best path for everyone, the sound design degree path does bring with it some disadvantages. One of the most prominent is the huge time investment associated with the academic route. Usually taking 3 years (Sometimes 4) to complete, having to work along side studying can be problematic for some mature sound enthusiasts. Not to mention upon completion the obligation of repaying any student finance could begin. Personal preference to learning styles is a big part of whether this is the right choice for you. You may want to specialise in a certain job role within the industry and find spending time researching relevant information more efficient.
A degree isn't the only path to sound design greatness. Many successful sound designers have crafted their careers through alternative means. Industry Courses are becoming increasingly popular (and is the route I personally took) for young professionals. Mostly based around hands-on experience within active workplaces and sometimes including Pro Tools lessons too, these can equip you with a huge array of practical skills and a strong portfolio in a much shorter timescale with much less of a long-term financial investment. Having a heavy focus on practical skills and learning, Industry Courses do a great job at preparing you to navigate the often intimidating first steps in Freelancing and give you a more realistic view of what working in the industry entails. Another huge advantage to the Industry pathway is the opportunities that can come out of them. Most of these courses will take place with tutors who still actively work in audio post, and will be delivered in educational institutions.
The course we offer at 344 Audio has students learning in an active UK Audio Post workplace. Which means that students learn along side actual projects taking place.
For more information on our Audio Post Essentials Course, click here.
As a heavily practical based career path, the biggest downside of an Industry sound design course is arguably be the inability to get as in depth with the theoretical side of learning. While some of the scientific information isnt crucial to fulfil audio post roles, there is some level of understanding needed. An easy fix for this could be plugging theoretical gaps with some self-education and online research.
The internet has not only revolutionised how we live and work, it's also evolved how we learn and absorb information. In todays digital era, the wealth of online resources available is incredible once you've done a bit of digging. Including videos, Podcasts, Blogs/Articles and much more in-between there's a way of taking in the information which will work for you at a time and pace suitable for you. Putting yourself out there speaks for itself in 2023, it can be time consuming but consistently updating your social media and online presence through Show reels etc will offer opportunities to showcase your talent and catch the attention of employers.
As mentioned, the sheer amount of information available leads into one of the biggest downsides with this option...timescale. Now, to get to a place where you can deliver projects to a professional standard will take the longest amount of time out of all the options we discuss today and bring with it the most risks. Having no tutor or mentor to discuss things with can lead to bad habits and inconsistent workflows.
The final path is for those who may think an audio design course is not the right option for them. This may seem like a rare opportunity compared to 10 years ago, but there are still opportunities and people who are passionate about passing on their knowledge to the next generation of sound designers. It will take some level of prior commitment and knowledge to be able to hold your own in professional environments but working as part of a team is a skill that remains relevant for personal creative growth and learning how to do so in active workplaces with mentors invested in you can make a huge difference.
At 344 Audio we noticed that mentorship seemed to be missing from most available courses, so we kept this at the forefront of our mind when designing the Audio Post Essentials course. Our Course Leader, Alex offers unlimited guidance to students along with one-to-one mentoring sessions outside of scheduled lessons.
We spoke to a student currently studying a degree whilst completing a placement with us here at 344 Audio about his journey so far, here's what he had to say about the Degree vs Experience debate:
"Studying at University means I have access to great quality facilities and a huge amount of networking opportunities to take advantage of...But I've learnt a lot more practical skills and techniques to improve my workflows efficiency through my placement which is great to put to use in day to day tasks."
So, should you follow the degree path? Ultimately, It's a personal decision. A degree program offers a well-rounded education, providing you with a strong foundation to pursue a career in sound design. But it can also be a hefty long-term investment in terms of time and money. Whilst the Industry course path can give you a stronger practical skillset, with the trade off of less academic understanding. Overall, remember you should carve out your sound design journey with your long term goals in mind. There is no one size fits all approach, your end goal and learning style will determine the best path for you. The only thing you will need no matter the path you choose, is passion, and investment in yourself.
FeedSpot has included our blog in their '25 Best Sound Design Blogs and Websites' list
May 12, 2023
Welcome back to the 344 Audio blog. In today's post we are delighted to share that our blog has been included in FeedSpot's '25 Best Sound Design Blogs and Websites' list. Read below to find out more!
FeedSpot used a variety of metrics to come up with this comprehensive list of resources for anyone looking to plug some Sound Design knowledge gaps. Also included are some audio-post heavy hitters such as; 'The Pro Audio Files', 'George Vlad Blog', 'Pro Sound Effects Blog' and 'A Sound Effect Blog'.
Huge thank you to FeedSpot for the mention in this article. You can read the list in full here: https://blog.feedspot.com/sound_design_blogs/
