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SONIC DESIGN | PROJECT 1 — AUDIO FUNDAMENTALS


Week 1 – Week 4 | 21/04/25 – 18/05/25
Emily Soh Ching-Ling | 0359478
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Sonic Design | Section 01 | VSA60304
Project 1 — Audio Fundamentals

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1.0 LECTURES 

1.1 WEEK 1 — SOUND FUNDAMENTALS

Sound Fundamentals

  • Sound Waves:
    • Definition: The vibration of air molecules that stimulates our eardrums.
    • How sound is formed:
      1. The vibration of an object causes the surrounding air molecules to vibrate.
      2. The vibrating air molecules cause the eardrum to vibrate.
      3. The brain interprets this as sound.

Figure 1.1-1: The Three Stages of Sound
  • The Three Stages of Sound:
    1. Production: Sound is created.
    2. Propagation: Sound travels. Air molecules are compressed and refracted.
    3. Perception: Sound is captured and perceived by our brains.

Figure 1.1-2: The Human Ear
  • The Human Ear:
    • The Outer Ear: The external, visible part of the ear and the ear canal.
    • The Middle Ear: The eardrum and a small, air-filled cavity containing three small bones (malleus, incus, and stapes).
    • The Inner Ear: The cochlea (hearing canal), endolymphatic sac, and semi-circular canals. Certain sounds trigger certain parts of the cochlea.
  • Psychoacoustics:
    • Definition: The study of subjective human perception of sound.
    • Psychoacoustic Concerns: The perception of pitch, loudness, volume, and timbre.
  • Properties of Sound Waves:
    • Wavelength:
      • Definition: The distance between two points on a sound wave.
    • Amplitude:
      • Definition: The height/strength of a sound wave.
      • The higher the amplitude, the higher the volume.
    • Frequency:
      • Definition: The number of times a wavelength happens in a second.
      • The faster the sound wave vibrates, the higher the frequency.
      • Higher frequency = higher pitch.
      • Measurement unit: Kilohertz (kHz).
  • Properties of Sound:
    • Pitch:
      • Definition: The highness or lowness of a sound.
      • More vibration = higher frequency = higher pitch.
      • Less vibration = lower frequency = lower pitch.
      • 1 cycle = 1 Hz.
      • Range of human hearing: 20–20,000 Hz.
        • Lows (bass, sounds like "ooo"): 20–250 Hz.
        • Mid range (sounds like "ahh"): 250–6,000 Hz.
        • Highs (treble, sounds like "eee"): 5,000–20,000 Hz.
    • Loudness: The volume of a sound.
    • Timbre: The quality of a sound.
    • Perceived Duration: The perceived length of a sound.
    • Envelope: The structure of a sound. E.g. When does the sound get louder? Softer?
    • Spatialisation: The location of a sound in space.

Reflection

This lecture provided an in-depth overview of sound and its properties. It's interesting to see the complexity behind how we perceive audio. I hadn't realised how much thought and consideration went into sound design, or why certain sounds sounded that way. A lot of it is psychological and up to individual perspective. 

1.2 WEEK 2 — SOUND DESIGN TOOLS

Sound Design Tools

  • Digital Audio Workstation (DAW):
    • Definition: Software used to record sound.
    • All DAWs have a common set of tools.
  • Most Common Sound Design Tools/Techniques:
    • Layering:
      • Definition: Placing two or more sounds on top of each other.
      • Most professionally designed sounds are layered.
    • Time Stretching/Compression:
      • Definition: Stretching the length of a sound.
      • Pacing/tempo/speed is changed.
      • Pitch is not changed.
    • Pitch-Shifting:
      • Definition: Changing the pitch of a sound.
      • Length is not changed.
      • Higher pitch = more treble = sound sound smaller = suitable for small subjects.
      • Lower pitch = more bass = sound sounds bigger = suitable for big subjects.
    • Reversing:
      • Reversing a sound can give it a weird, unnatural quality.
      • Often paired with layering.
    • Mouth It/Vocalisation:
      • Definition: Creating your own sound.

Reflection



1.3 WEEK 3 — SOUND IN SPACE

Types of Sound in Film

  • Diegetic Sound:
    • Definition: Everything the characters in a film perceive.
    • Purpose: 
      • To establish the world around the characters.
      • To create suspense (thriller).
      • To show to characters' mental state.
    • E.g. Atmospheric sounds, vehicles, weapons, in-film music, dialogue, V/Os/narration (if the narrator plays a role in the film).

Figure 1.3-1: Non-Diegetic Sounds
  • Non-Diegetic Sound:
    • Definition: Everything the characters in a film can't perceive, but the audience can.
    • Purpose:
      • To enhance motion and movement.
      • To tell a punchline to a joke (comedy).
      • To set the mood.
    • E.g. SFX, musical score, narration (if the narrator doesn't play a role in the film).
    1. Acousmatic Zones:
      • Sounds we can hear, but can't see the source.
      • Offscreen Sounds: E.g Birds chirping.
      • Non-Diegetic Sounds: E.g. Musical score.
    2. Visualised Zone:
      • The source of the sound is visible on screen.
  • Trans-Diegetic Sound:
    • Definition: Sounds that change between diegetic and non-diegetic.
    • Non-diegetic to diegetic:
      • To subvert expectations. 
      • E.g. Piano music thought to be non-diegetic is actually diegetic.
    • Diegetic to non-diegetic:
      • To smooth over a transition/time jump.
      • E.g. Music on the radio turns into a montage scene.
      • For comedic purposes.
      • E.g. Fourth-wall breaks in Deadpool.

Reflection



1.4 WEEK 4 — SOUNDSCAPE

Soundscape

  • Definition: A scene created by sound.
  • Things Conveyed by Soundscape: Distance, space, direction, temperature, weight, time/era, emotion, and nostalgia.

Reflection



2.0 INSTRUCTIONS 


3.0 PROJECT 1 — AUDIO FUNDAMENTALS 

3.1 EXERCISE 1

Instructions:
  1. You are given a flat sound file and four equalised sound files.
  2. Re-equalise the four sound files to sound as similar as possible to the flat.
  3. Software: Adobe Audition.

Figure 3.1-1: EQ #1, Week 1 (22/04/25)
Bass too low | Solution: Increase bass

Figure 3.1-2: EQ #2, Week 1 (22/04/25)
Treble too low | Solution: Increase treble

Figure 3.1-3: EQ #3, Week 1 (22/04/25)
Mid-range frequency too low | Solution: Increase mid-range frequency

Figure 3.1-4: EQ #4, Week 1 (22/04/25)
Bass too high | Solution: Decrease bass

I had a bit of trouble navigating Adobe Audition. Many thanks to my classmate for pointing out the location of the solo function.😅 Minor hurdle aside, I diagnosed the issue with each sound file and re-equalised them in Parametric Equaliser accordingly. 

Final Submission



3.2 EXERCISE 2

Instructions:
  1. You are given a sample voice sound file.
  2. Create the following sound effects:
    1. Telephone.
    2. Closet.
    3. Walkie-Talkie.
    4. Bathroom.
    5. Airport announcement.
    6. Stadium announcement.
  3. Software: Adobe Audition.

Telephone Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-1: Telephone — Parametric Equaliser, Week 2 (29/04/25)

Telephones have a limited bandwidth of 300–3,400 Hz, which means higher and lower frequencies get filtered out. I heavily decreased the bass and treble to flatten the sound, then increased the mid-range frequency to create a crackling effect.

Closet Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-2: Closet — Parametric Equaliser, Week 2 (29/04/25)

Closets are small and enclosed spaces but filled with sound-absorbing material (clothes). I decreased the treble to reduce the harshness and increased the bass and mid-range frequency to give it a muffled and slight nasal effect. 

Walkie-Talkie Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-3: Walkie-Talkie — Parametric Equaliser, Week 2 (29/04/25)

Walkie-talkies sound similar to telephones, but harsher, thinner, and louder. Using the telephone SFX as a base, I heavily increased the treble and mid-range and decreased the bass to amplify the volume and crackling.

Bathroom Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-4: Bathroom — Reverb, Week 2 (01/05/25)

Bathrooms are enclosed spaces with reflective surfaces. I focused on the Decay Time, Pre-Delay Time, and Diffusion for the echo, and kept the Wet output lower than the Dry to simulate slight spaciousness. 

Airport Announcement Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-5: Malaysia Airlines Announcement, Week 2 (01/05/25)

Figure 3.2-6: Airport Announcement — Parametric Equaliser, Week 2 (01/05/25)

Figure 3.2-7: Airport Announcement — Full Reverb, Week 2 (01/05/25)

I referenced the Malaysia Airlines announcement video to better understand the spatialisation and quality of an airport environment. I kept the Parametric Equaliser similar to the telephone SFX (high mid-range frequency, low bass and treble) to mimic the PA system, then added the echo in Full Reverb.

Stadium Announcement Sound Effect

Figure 3.2-8: Stadium Announcement — Parametric Equaliser, Week 2 (01/05/25)

Figure 3.2-9: Stadium Announcement — Full Reverb, Week 2 (01/05/25)

Figure 3.2-10: Stadium Announcement — Attempt #1, Week 2 (03/05/25)

In my first attempt, I intended to position the listener closer to the speaker, i.e. louder, clearer voice with less echo. However, I realised the size of the stadium wasn't captured when compared with the airport announcement SFX. To remedy this, I increased the Perception and bass and decreased the mid-range frequency to create a more prominent, further-off echo.

Final Submission



3.3 EXERCISE 3

Instructions:
  1. You are given a jet plane and a sample voice sound file.
  2. Create an envelope of the jet plane approaching the listener, then flying off.
  3. Create an envelope of the woman walking past the listener into a cave.
  4. Software: Adobe Audition.

Jet Plane

Figure 3.3-1: Jet Plane — Envelopes, Week 3 (06/05/25)

We were introduced to the envelope function in Multitrack Editor, which controls the change in direction and volume of a soundtrack. To give the illusion that the plane is rapidly approaching the listener from the left and flying off to the right:
  • I steeply increased the volume (yellow line) when the plane was closest to the listener, then gradually faded out the volume as it flew away.
  • I started the pan function (blue line) all the way at the top and decreased it completely around the midway point of the audio as the plane heads from left to right.

Woman Walking into Cave

Figure 3.3-2: Woman Walking into Cave — Envelopes, Week 3 (06/05/25)
Reverb Settings Adjusted: Width, Diffusion, Decay, Wet Output

Similarly to the jet plane exercise, the woman approaches from the left, passes by the listener, then enters the cave. 
  • I gradually increased the volume as she approaches the listener (around the ⅓ point of the audio), then decreased it as she walks further away. 
  • I increased the Diffusion, Decay (echo), Width, and Wet Output (room size) levels as she enters the cave. 

Final Submission



3.4 EXERCISE 4

Instructions:
  1. Tell two stories through audio based on the illustrations provided.
  2. Length: Less than a minute.
  3. Software: Adobe Audition.

Environment #1 — Bio Lab

Figure 3.4-1: Environment #1, Week 3 (06/05/25)

Observations:
  • Large tree and various other plants in glass tanks → Muffled leaves rustling.
  • Tubes coming out of the tanks, transporting water(?) → Water trickling.
  • Artificial lighting → Light flickering/humming.
  • Computers and holograms → Sci-fi beeping/humming.
  • Soldiers with guns → Footsteps against stone and mechanical clicking for the guns.
  • Natural environment outside of the lab → Distant birds chirping. The environment looks warm; hot air ambience?

Figure 3.4-2: Environment #1 — Audio Breakdown Spreadsheet, Week 3 (08/05/25)

I made a spreadsheet of the SFX and ambience used based on my observations. All audio files were sourced from Pixabay and Freesound. My idea was that this scene took place in a semi-outdoor lab, in a fantasy/futuristic setting. A pair of soldiers enter the lab, activate the plant watering system, and then leave. 

Figure 3.4-3: Environment #1 — Multitrack Timeline, Week 3 (10/05/25)

Figure 3.4-4: Environment #1 — Detailed Process, Week 3 (10/05/25)

My process is cut and dry. It more or less looked like this:
  1. Boost/cut frequencies to match the atmosphere + create certain effects (e.g. muffled effect) in Parametric Equaliser.
  2. Add echoes to simulate spaciousness in Reverb.
  3. Layer and adjust timing. Visualising the soldiers' actions helped me realistically time the pause between each action.

The keynotes below are the noteworthy parts. The detailed process for each and every audio is in the PDF.

Keynotes:
  • I started with the lab ambience to set the tone of the final audio before editing any of the SFX.
  • Certain SFX, like the footsteps and chain jiggling, have a clear and muffled version. The muffled version is used when the soldiers are outside the lab.
  • I panned the soldiers' actions to create a sense of space and direction. Audio is louder whenever they approach the listener, quieter whenever they move away, etc.

Environment #2 — Industrial Lab

Figure 3.4-5: Environment #2, Week 3 (06/05/25)

Observations:
  • Giant laser → Laser charging, then shooting with a pronounced echo.
  • Metal pipes → Air conditioner/ventilation.
  • Holograms → Sci-fi beeping/humming.
  • Multiple scientists → Muffled talking and footsteps against metal.
  • General environment → Very spacious with many reflective metal surfaces. The place looks warm; hot air warbling.

Figure 3.4-6: Environment #2 — Audio Breakdown Spreadsheet, Week 4 (11/05/25)

Like Environment #1, I made a spreadsheet of the audio used. The story goes as so: A scientist enters an industrial lab from the left and activates the lasers. The lasers go off, and the audio ends.

Figure 3.4-7: Environment #2 — Multitrack Timeline, Week 4 (13/05/25)

Figure 3.4-8: Environment #2 — Detailed Process, Week 4 (13/05/25)

My process for this environment is the same as Environment #1. Only difference is that I have used Pitch Shifter and Time Stretch/Compression for some of the audio.

Keynotes:
  • In the Multitrack Timeline, the laser echo SFX is not perfectly aligned with the laser shooting SFX. This is to create the second, further off "pew" from the laser at the back of the illustration.
  • I initially planned on using the air conditioner and machine running SFX (greyed-out audios in the spreadsheet) as part of the ambience, but the low hum and machines' clanking distracted from the other SFX and cluttered the audio, so I cut it out from the final audio entirely. 

Final Submission



4.0 REFLECTION 

4.1 EXPERIENCE


4.2 OBSERVATIONS


4.3 FINDINGS



5.0 FURTHER READING 

5.1 WEEK 2 — REVERB

Figure 6.1-1: Reverb effects by Adobe
 
Reference: Adobe. (2021, April 27). Reverb effects. https://helpx.adobe.com/audition/using/reverb-effects.html. 

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