2/27/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 5 pages today.  Continuing with "The Sound Effects Encyclopedia".  Today's topics included:

• crash sounds (cont.)

2/26/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 9 pages today.  Continuing with "The Sound Effects Encyclopedia".  Today's topics included:

• cartoon effects
• crash sounds

2/24/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 8 pages today.  Starting a big chapter called "The Sound Effects Encyclopedia".  Basically this chapter is going to be all about specific sound effects (and types of sound effects), and detailed instructions as to how to go about creating/designing them.  A really cool chapter that I've been waiting to read, and it'll probably last me for a quite a few posts.  Today's topics included:

• ambience sounds
• animal sounds

2/19/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 9 pages today.  Finished the chapter on sound design.  Topics included:

• exaggeration vs. reality
• layering
• offsetting
• looping/fading/blending
• reversing
• vocalizing
• pitch shifting
• sweetening
• mixing
• mastering

I need a lot more practice in all of these (though I think I'm pretty good at some), but I really want to learn more about the last three: sweetening, mixing, and mastering.  I think that's where I'm most lacking, and could be that final step for me between amateur and professional sounding audio.

2/14/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 4 pages today.  Starting a new chapter on sound design.  Topics included:

• starting with clean audio
• maintaining dynamics
• scratch tracks
• bouncing
• subgroups

2/13/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 7 pages today.  A full short chapter on suggestions for organizing and naming files, and using metadata to search.  I'm well acquainted with digital organization, and I've already developed my own style, but it's interesting to see someone's else perspective.  Though I don't know much about embedding metadata, so I'd like to look into that more.

2/12/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 8 pages today.  Finished the chapter on what the author calls "The Ten Sound Editing Commandments".  Read #9 and 10 today, which included notes on making clean cuts, good editing points, pacing, protecting your ears, suggested audio levels, and a mantra for editing good audio: L-I-S-T-E-N.

I won't explain what the letters mean here, but I'm definitely planning to revisit it when I start audio work on my film.  A great workflow (simple, yet detailed) that could solve some of the problems I've been having try to make my audio as close to a professional mix as possible.  I think "processing" is where I need the most work: compression, EQ, normalizing, etc.

Also, I just realized where one issue was happening all these years (these "pops" in my temp music): the zero line!  It all makes sense now!  :)

2/11/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 5 pages today.  Continuing the chapter on what the author calls "The Ten Sound Editing Commandments".  Read #5-8 today, which included notes on cropping sounds, naming/organizing sounds, managing stereo fields, zero points, and fading.

I'd like to learn more about how to manage zero points, because I recently encountered a problem with this myself and couldn't find a way to fix it.  Maybe I just need some more professional tools.  Will look into this.

2/10/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 5 pages today.  Starting a new chapter on what the author calls "The Ten Sound Editing Commandments".  Read #1-4 today, which included notes about file naming, file/session saving, and managing media files.

2/9/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 6 pages today.  A full short chapter on designing your own home studio.  Topics included:

• creating a good space for work (calm, focused, inspiring, etc.)
• recording space + control/editing room (if possible)
• wiring cables
• room acoustics
• noise reduction (both from outside, and in)
• lighting (an effect on your senses)

A lot of great info in this chapter.  A lot I would never even think of.  Unfortunately, I don't really have the space or budget to do much of it right now, but there's a few things I could try to improve my workplace for creativity and productivity.  I should come back to this chapter someday in the future when I really have the resources to actually start designing a studio.  There's a lot of subtle nuances involved to foster the best environment.

2/8/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 5 pages today.  Finished the chapter on studio equipment.  Topics included:

• storage
• store files on external drives
• backup
• more gear/fancier gear does not mean better end result
• control surfaces
• (never really had experience with these aside from MIDI keyboards and whatnot, but would love to try)
• monitor management
• Big Knob (Mackie)
• PreSonus Central Station
• functions:
• talkback
• dimming
• mono mixdown
• muting
• headphone cues
• input selection
• monitor selection
• power conditioners

2/7/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 5 pages today.  Continuing the chapter on studio equipment.  Getting a little more technical now.  Topics included:

• monitors
• like speakers, but for professional use, more accurate
• active monitors
• passive monitors
• placement of monitors
• far field
• near field
• headphones
• positioning
• playback reference
• (Boy, am I used to this one!)
• playback volume
• (And such a beginner at this one!  Both really…  But man, am I used to the frustration of hearing my mix so differently between different systems.)
• when to turn monitors on and off
• in relation to other equipment for safety

2/6/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 7 pages today.  Continuing the chapter on studio equipment.  Topics included:

• plug-ins
• insert silence
• limiter
• noise reduction
• normalizer
• pitch shift
• reverb
• spectrum analyzer
• time stretch/time compression
• plug-in chains
• sound cars
• audio interfaces

2/5/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 8 pages today.  Starting a chapter on studio equipment.  Topics included:

• DAWs
• five main components
• three types
• editing workstation
• loop-based workstation
• multitrack workstation
• plug-ins
• simulators
• automation
• channel converters
• compressor
• graphic equalizer
• paragraphic equalizer
• gate

Also learned an interesting bit about how Pro Tools (the industry standard) works differently than other software.  Tomorrow I'll continue with more plug-ins.

2/4/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 7 pages today.  A full short chapter on the technical aspects of digital audio.  Topics included:

• sample rate
• the author gives a really nice, concise description for this (complete with a very helpful diagram)
• the Nyquist Theorem
• bit depth
• a.k.a. quantization
• a nice description for this as well
• file size
• and how it's calculated from the aspects above
• professional file formats
• consumer file formats
• time code
• MIDI

It was cool learning the more technical (even scientific) aspects of audio recording (even if it was just a really brief overview).  Some of it went over my head a little (though that doesn't really affect my ability to record/create good sound), but it would be cool to research and learn more in depth about this stuff in the future.

2/3/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 4 pages today.  A short little bit on "tips and tricks" for Foley recording.  Topics included:

• Listening with your eyes closed
• Different ways of holding/using the prop
• Using proper safety equipment
• Wearing quiet clothes
• Don't let your stomach growl (haha)
• Turn off cellphones
• This one was interesting as it pointed out that even silent phones left on can cause interference.  I've never had trouble with this on set, but then again my equipment isn't as sensitive yet as a true professional setup, and I do every now and then get a frequency in the recording that I can't figure out where it came from.  Hm...
• Using sound dampeners
• List of suggested Foley supplies
• Man, some of these items sound like straight up demolition supplies… haha

2/2/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

Read 7 pages today.  All about the "art of Foley".  Topics included:

• Foley pits, various types (surfaces, textures)
• materials and props
• where to find props
• collecting/organizing props and surfaces

2/1/18 - Reading "The Sound Effects Bible"

I liked my new writing style from last time, so I think I'm gonna stick with it for posts like this from now on.  Also, of special note, with this post I have now matched my entire amount of posts for all of 2016!  Man, I'm doing good this year!  :D  Or maybe I just really slacked in 2016…  Lol

Read 8 pages today.  A full short chapter on building your own foley stage.  Topics included:

• Jack Foley
• foley stage
• sound stage
• reverb
• using a home garage vs. home basement
• doors, walls, floors, and ceilings
• sound blankets
• sound foam
• carpets
• air flow

I'm still not ready to really design my own foley stage yet, but these tips will be useful in my makeshift purposes for now.