Sonic Design / Exercises (Audio Fundamentals)

21/04/2025 -  xx/05/25 / Week 1 - Week x

Eng Yan Ling

Bachelor's Degree in Creative Media (Hons) - (Taylor's University)

Sonic Design / Exercises (Audio Fundamentals)

TABLE CONTENT

<span id="LIST"></span>

1. Instructions

2. Lecture

3. Exercises

    3.1 Exercise 1

    3.2 Exercise 2

    3.3 Exercise 3

    3.4 Exercise 4

4. Feedback

5. Quick Links

INSTRUCTION


LECTURE
Week 1 - 21/04/2025
Week 1 : Sound Fundamentals
Reflection :
Reflecting on the lecture videos from this week, I have learned and gain a solid understanding on the fundamentals in sound design in terms of its terminologies, transmission and how we process and identify sound from production to propagation to perception. Besides that, I have also learned the properties of sound in identifying its frequency/pitch, loudness, space and more. All in all, this week's lecture has opened new fields that I am unfamiliar and gaining a solid base understanding towards sound design in general.

Lecture Notes :
Learning Outcomes :
  1. Nature of Sound (what it is, behavior, what constitutes to the creation of sound)
  2. how it can be captured
  3. how it can be processed
  4. analyze, usage
  5. converting to digital world
  6. pro tools - digital audio work station (DAW) / Adobe Audition
---

  • Definition - vibration of air molecules that stimulates the ear drums / sound waves-transverse (right angle to direction wave), longitudinal (vibration parallel to direction of wave = sound)
  • number of wave passing through a point = Hz
  • bouncing back of sound = echo / detect depth of sea 
  • wavelength - distance between 2 consecutive compression or rarefaction

Figure 2.1 Sound Travel
3 stages of how sound travels

1. production - source

2. propagation - medium of where the sound travels

  • sound waves-transverse (right angle to direction wave), longitudinal (vibration parallel to direction of wave = sound)
  • number of wave passing through a point = Hz
  • bouncing back of sound = echo / detect depth of sea 
  • wavelength - distance between 2 consecutive compression or rarefaction
Figure 2.2 Compression & Rarefaction of Sound

3. perception - sound captured and translated
process
  • outer - captures sound as vibration
  • middle - eardrum
  • inner - cochlea; liquid inside vibrates and generate electric signal/pulse travel to brain - translate

psychoacoustics - study of human perception on sound

  • property of sound wave = wavelength
    • amplitude - loudness
    • frequency - how many complete cycles

properties of sound :

1. pitch
- vibration per second = frequency
- less vibration, low pitch = low frequency ; more vibration, high pitch = high frequency range of human hearing - 20Hz - 20kHz

Figure 2.3 Units in Sound

2. loudness
3. timbre (quality of sound)
4. perceived duration (how do you perceive the pace of the sound)
5. envelope (structure of a particular sound; when does it maintain go fast/slow?)
6. spatialization (location of sound in space; left right up down)

Week 2 - 28/04/2025
Week 2 : Basic Tools in Sound Design
Reflection :
Reflecting on this week's lecture content, I gain a more in depth understanding to work around the tools in sound design in order to achieve the best possible outcome. Apart from that, there were also additional tips to gain from the lecture videos in sound designing. One of the tips that I find helpful is that in sound design, the process requires a lot of experimentation to achieve a desired result and adding more layers to your sound does not necessarily mean that the results will be better. Less is more. Apart from that, trying to focus on an object in the scene and building the sounds around the main focus also helps in avoiding too much layering in the scene. Overall it was an insightful lecture for this week that allows me to expand my knowledge in sound design and improve my skills in this field of expertise.

Lecture Notes :
5 Steps in Sound Design (not used simultaneously) :
1. Layering
- layer to create a new sound


2. Time Stretching/Compression

- ability to take certain sounds to stretch without changing its pitch
used to fix pacing but used sparingly

3. Pitch Shifting

- changing pitch without changing actual length correlation between pitch and appearance of object

Figure 2.4 Pitch Shifting
4. Reversing

5. Mouth it
- if sound can be found, do it through voice

Tips in Sound Design :
  1. experimentation
  2. observe objects in the shot - find a main subject in the scene and build the sounds around that object
  3. adding sound to dynamic movement - timing it to the movement to create an impact, ex. daniel schiffer’s work
  4. less is more
  5. set your volume at 60-70%
  6. sound design in movie does not always represent accurately its sound; slight exaggeration/effect to be able to distinguish easily
Week 3 - 05/05/2025
Week 3 : Diegetic vs. Non-Diegetic
Reflection :
Through the lecture videos in this week, it focuses on sound in cinema that we may or may not have heard, the diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Through this lecture video, I have learned the different categories and terms used to identify the different sounds we hear from a movie whether it is the background music, narration, and others. Apart from that, I was able to expand my knowledge in sound design through the different application of sound in a movie that contributes to an important rule in conveying a movie or scene, allowing viewers to fully experience and understand it.

Lecture Notes :
  • diegetics - act of telling a story and how the narrator tells it
  • non-diegetic
    • title cards
    • cairens??

Diegetic vs Non-Diegetic = sound

3 Categories :

  • Diegetic
    • can be heard by characters + vehicles, weapons, music from the film, dialogue, vo, atmospheric sound
    • internal diegetic - inner voice of the character
    • creating a world around the characters
    • manipulated to hear what they hear
    • comprised mental state of characters conveyed through sound
  • Offscreen
    • can inform setting of the movie
    • expand the world beyond the frame itself
    • onscreen
  • Non-Diegetic
    • cannot be heard by characters, forms of narration, fx, musical score
    • narrator that plays no role in the film - verbal storytelling
    • enhance motion and movement - increasing intensity
  • Trans-diegetic sound
    • diegetic to non-diegetic = transitioning into the character’s radio audio
    • blurring lines between fantasy and reality
  • Creative exceptions
    • bg music switching to character’s mind audio
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1
1. Headphones Testing
Before we touched on the exercises for this module, we were required to test out our headphones/earphones to ensure the output throughout the exercises and projects meets the standards and requirements of this module.

To test out our headphones/earphones, we played around with the frequencies of each points and at the same time identify and familiarise ourselves in identifying the frequency settings and its waveform as mentioned in throughout the lecture videos.


2. Original Track
To carry out this exercise, all tracks will solely base on this track to retune into a similar output of this reference.

3. Amended Tracks

Figure 3.1 Comparison between Referenced Track  and Track 2 Sound Wave


Figure 3.2 Comparison between Referenced Track and Track 3 Sound Wave



Figure 3.3 Comparison between Referenced Track and Track 4 Sound Wave

Figure 3.1-3.3 shows the comparison of the final soundwaves between the referenced track and the remaining tracks amended according to the reference. Each track is retune according to the sound it needs to enhance the required aspect. Based on my observation, identifying and familiarise myself with the sound of each point on the graph will help in finding the sound each respective track requires. Each point is identified as the following based on my observation and hearing of each point :

L - Bass
1 - Drums/beats
2 - Looser wavelength sound
3 - Tight wavelength sound
4 - Electric Guitar
5 - Compression of Entire Track, Increase/Decrease of the instruments frequency
6 - Light beats ("chk" sound)

Each track has undergo several attempts of trial and error to achieve the most similar outcome of each track.

Final Amended Tracks (Compiled) : https://on.soundcloud.com/G3pR6oJ7Zrkr9v2f7


EXERCISE 2 
SOUND SHAPING
Before shaping each sound, I ensure to have brief description and understanding of the sound to shaped into based on my own understanding and interpretation on how it should sound like to get a general idea on how I should shape the sound.
 
The entire process to achieve to best outcome undergoes a numerous times of trial and error with the most accurate results to its description. Trials and errors include tuning and understand the effects of each node towards the audio and the effects of reverb from a lower to a higher value. Finally with the value that does not add too little or too much effects, the tracks are finalized into the results as listed below alongside image captures of the parametric equalizer graph and values in the reverb tab.

1. Telephone
Description : Slightly Muffled, Thin, Crisp, Spacious/Slight Echoing

Figure 3.4 Parametric Equalizer - Telephone

Final Telephone : https://on.soundcloud.com/niy9Hm9R75B86Bok8

2. Closet
Description : Muffled, Compressed
feedback - sounds more like a deep closet

Figure 3.5 Parametric Equalizer - Closet

Final Closet : https://on.soundcloud.com/WNJYw179ofgZTtHY7

3. Walkie-Talkie
Description : Muffled, Crisp, Slightly Distorted, Thin
feedback - start with altering to a telephone sound and add distortion to create walkie-talkie sound.

Figure 3.6 Parametric Equalizer - Walkie-Talkie

Final Walkie-Talkie : https://on.soundcloud.com/odWhU1DefsX8WwMF7

Output Settings :
(demonstrated by Mr Razif)

Figure 3.7 Output Settings

4. Bathroom
*decay - how long voice stays in room

Description : Echoing + Bounce Back, Spacious, Thin
a. Parametric Equalizer

Figure 3.8 Parametric Equalizer - Bathroom

b. Reverb

Figure 3.9 Reverb - Bathroom


5. Airport
Description : Slightly Muffled,  More Echoing + Bounce Back, Very Spacious ; General Idea - Similar to an announcement audio
a. Parametric Equalizer

Figure 3.10 Parametric Equalizer - Airport

b. Reverb

Figure 3.11 Reverb - Airport


6. Stadium
Description : Muffled, Crisp, Extra Echoes + Bounce Back
a. Parametric Equalizer

Figure 3.12 Parametric Equalizer - Stadium

b. Reverb

Figure 3.13 Reverb - Stadium




EXERCISE 3
Tools Introduction :
- stereo balance - changes in the spatial sound effect; placement of the object
- volume
- sustain (in a track) - flat continuous amplitude

1. Left to right
(Parametric Equalizer on Track)
- advantage : syncs to track however you move it
- disadvantage : retune/reapplied effects if track is required to switch

Figure 3.14 Pan on Track

(Parametric Equalizer on Envelope)
- advantage : replace tracks without effects needing to be reapplied
- disadvantage : keyframes have to moved separately from track, resync areas that require the effects

Figure 3.15 Pan on Envelope



2. Effects on Envelope
Effects are applied on the general track effects to gain an idea how much effects to apply on each node as a guide.
Once achieved desired eq, the eq is reset and envelope activated to adjust the specific section based on the guidelines set earlier. Specific nodes and required effects selected as seen in Figure 3. below.

Figure 3.16 EQ on Envelope

Direction & Volume

Figure 3.17 Direction & Volume Graph


(EQ) Direction & Volume

Figure 3.18 (EQ) Direction & Volume Graph


(EQ) Freestyle

Figure 3.19 (EQ) Freestyle Graph


3. Scenario-Based Audio
- direction of the person and goes into a cave (reverb)
(Back & Forth) Going nearer and further away from left to right, slowly entering a cave audio(slightly muffled and echoing audio), reduced in audio and out of the cave with audio going to normal volume. Lastly going from near to far back to near.

Effects :

Figure 3.20 Effects Rack

Figure 3.21 Scene-Based Graph


4. Auditory Imaging
- environment given, analyze image and identify sounds to include - items, objects, & etc in the image.

Images Provided :

Figure 3.22 Scene 1 Image

Figure 3.23 Scene 2 Image

Scene Breakdown :


Progress : 
Scene 1
Scene Playout :
- In a secret base somewhere in the forest involving the military guarding an ancient tree, rare to the world. It is known to make an unusual creature-like sound through its hollow yet thick trunk on a windy day. On a regular day where soldiers were on duty, they had the rare opportunity to hear its unique voice that can only be heard during a windy day.

Figure 3.24 Scene Playout - Guideline
(Not entirely set scenes, fx is adjusted according to the suitability of each part)


(a) BGM
- EQ applied on Node 3, 4 to sound/signify its spaciousness
- Volume : -38.4 (End : Fade Out)

Figure 3.25 BGM Effects

(b) Computer/Bubble 
- Volume : -12.8 ; -25

Figure 3.26 Computer/Bubble Effects

(c) Creature-like Fx 1
- Lower Volume in comparison to creature-like fx 2 to build up its sound 
- EQ applied on Node 3, 4,5 to sound/signify its spaciousness/echo
- Volume : -20 (End : Fade Out)

Figure 3.27 Creature-like Fx 1 Effects

(d) Walking 
- Direction : Right (73.1) to Left (L68.8)
- Volume : Gradually fades out at the end of the track (-15)

Figure 3.28 Walking Effects

(e) Chatter
- Volume : Gradually goes from soft to loud to soft as the foot step walks pass the "chatter" (0 - +12 - -22.5)
- EQ applied on 3, 5

Figure 3.29 Chatter Effects


(f) Plot
- Volume : Each beat with specific volume nodes keyframed right before each beat to build up a "signal" of something "big" after the computer calculates something unusual. (-20.4 - -14.9 - -10 - -7.5)
- A sound that builds up the plot of the entire scene
- Full reverb : Decay = Echo

Figure 3.30 Plot Effects

(g) Creature-like Fx 2
- Louder than creature-like fx 1 to represent its majestic "call" 
- Reverb : Decay, Wet
- Volume : Soft and gradually goes louder (-5 - +5.2)
- Direction : Left (L79.6) to Right (R73.6) ; as if sound is surrounding the entire environment

Figure 3.31 Creature-like Fx 2 Effects

Multitrack Overview :

Figure 3.32 Scene 1 - Multitrack Overview

Scene 2 :
Mad scientists all over but not as mad as these two. In a hidden lab down to the ground, these 2 scientist join hand in hand to create deadly laser beam that could kill a person through its' steaming hot beam in a matter of 1 second. On a lab test day, both scientists gather to run a test with full confidence in the success of their invention. All was good. Until buttons were pushed, engines were running, and...a bright beam shoots out but to their disappointment, it failed causing the entire system to launch its emergency shut down for safety reason.

Figure 3.33 Scene Playout - Guideline
(Not entirely set scenes, fx is adjusted according to the suitability of each part)

(a) Computer/Chatter/Bg Chatter
- Volume : -25 / -9 / +15

Chatter
- Direction : Right (R86.7) to Left (L68.3)

Figure 3.34 Computer/Chatter/Bg Chatter Effects

(b) Power up/beam/glitch
Power up
- Direction : Left (L82.9) to Right (R100)
- Volume : -15 - 0

Beam
- Direction : Left (L66.7) to Right (R78.3)
- Volume : -3.3

Glitch
- Volume : 0

Figure 3.35 Power/Beam/Glitch Effects

(c) BGM
- EQ : L, 2, 3, 4, H

Figure 3.36 BGM Effects

(d) Initiation/Pew/Shut Down
- Volume : +5 / 0 / +5

Shut Down
- Volume Keyframe : +5 - +5.5 - 0

Figure 3.37 Initiation/Pew/Shutdown Effects

Multitrack Overview : 

Figure 3.38 Scene 2 - Multitrack Overview



EXERCISE 4
1. Explosion
Effects on Destructive Editing
(a) Effect 1 - Stretch & Pitch + Pitch Shifter

(b) Effect 2
Pitch Shifter
(i) Low Pitch
(ii) Low Pitch + Chorus (Rich Chorus) + Stretch & Pitch

(c) Effect 3 - 

(d) Effect 4 - Reversed + Stretch & Pitch

--
Layering + Effects on Non-Destructive Editing

(a) Original Track & Effect 2(a)

Figure 3.39 Original & Effect 2(a) on Multitrack

Original track + Effect 2(a) layered and volume adjusted with several attempts of trial and errors to ensure both layers result in a combination that complements each other.
Volume : -5

(b) Effect 2(b)

Figure 3.40 Effect 2(b) on Multitrack

Effect 2(b)
Outcome : Slightly low pitch with bounce back. 
Volume : -5

Reverb, EQ
Outcome Direction : More spacious, Echoing/Bounce back of the explosion.

Figure 3.41 Effect 2(b) on Multitrack

Figure 3.42 Effect 2 on Multitrack

(i) Without any further alterations on destructive editing
(ii) Chorus, Reverb, Volume applied
Chorus - Chaos Pit
Volume : -10

Reverb : 

Figure 3.43 Reverb on Effect 2(ii)

(c) Effect 3 - Phaser, Pitch Shifter, EQ

Figure 3.44 Effect 3 on Multitrack

Volume : -15 (Bg Fx)
Phaser - Log Drummer

Pitch Shifter

Figure 3.45 Pitch Shifter on Effect 3


EQ

Figure 3.46 EQ on Effect 3

(d) Effect 4 (Start Track)
Reversed, Stretch applied.

Figure 3.47 Effect 4 on Multitrack

Final
Overall Multitrack

Figure 3.48 Multitrack Overview

2. Monster
(tracks are not exactly referenced from any source but completed through trial and error alongside my understanding and interpretation of the sound)
Pitch Shifter 
- Stretch
- Pitch Reduced

Multitrack Effects - Pitch Shifter, EQ, Flanger

Figure 3.49 Effects Rack on Multitrack

(a) Pitch Shifter, EQ

Figure 3.50 Pitch Shifter, EQ

(b) Flanger - Hell's Chorus

Figure 3.51 Flanger

Overall Track Wave/Frequency

Figure 3.52 Track Overview

3. Alien
(tracks are not exactly referenced from any source but completed through trial and error alongside my understanding and interpretation of the sound)
Stretch : 55%


FINAL TRACKS (COMPILED) :


Google Drive :


FEEDBACK
Week 4 - 13/05/2025
Exercise 3
Airport is a bit too muffled, can reduce on that part. The rest is good.

Week 5 - 20/05/2025
Exercise 4
All sounds good, as long as it does not sound a normal human voice how it is edited or interpreted can be different.

QUICK LINKS

Google Drive : Click Here

Blogs
Project 1 : Click Here
Project 2 : Click Here

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