ARTICLE: How to Make Horror Sound Effects

Happy Halloween humans! In today’s blog we’re going to give you some tips and tricks for making those spooky sound effects that send a shiver down your spine. There are many methods you can use to create these bone chilling sounds, but here are few of our favourites!

Veggies, Fruits and Meats

Vegetables, fruits and meats sound like human flesh. Snapping celery, crushing fruit and handling meat will give you an authentic fleshy sound. A word of advice before you go stabbing chicken breasts or smashing pumpkins; destroy with caution. Use a barrier between your veggies and the surface you are destroying it over. Opt for an old towel or blanket over anything noisy like a plastic tarp. This will help contain the mess and prevent stains. Not only is this a fun way to make sound effects, but its also a great stress reliever!

Play Instruments Atonally

One of the most common instruments used to create horror sound effects is the waterphone. Unfortunately, their uniqueness comes with a hefty price tag. Luckily, there are many other options! All instruments can be pushed beyond their intended use or played outside of musical scales to achieve creepy effects, especially with added reverb and pitch shifting. One of our go to instruments for horror is the violin, although the bow is a great tool in itself for making creepy sounds when used on any resonant object.

Use Your Voice

If you're in a pinch with no extra vegetables, fruits, meats, or instruments lying around, don't fret! Your voice can be one of the best tools for scary sounds. Screams, zombie vocalisations, ghostly moans and screeches.

Try pitching your voice down or processing with Krotos Audio's Simple Monsters plugin to achieve that monstrous effect. We've had a lot of fun with voice manipulation, and so can you! Head over to www.krotosaudio.com for 50% off today!

If you enjoyed this article please check out our ultimate guide to audio post- production: https://www.344audio.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-audio-post-production-sound-design

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