Sonic Design — Exercises

26.04.2024 — 24.05.2024
Rachel Madeline Purwanto / 0356994
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 1— Audio Fundamentals 

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❥INSTRUCTIONS 

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❥LECTURES 

WEEK 2 — PROPERTIES OF SOUND

Wavelength - distance between any point on a wave and equivalent point on the next phase. 

Amplitude - strength or power of a wave signal. Height of a wave when viewed as a graph. Higher amplitudes are depicted as higher volume.

Frequency - number of times the wavelength occurs in one second, measured in kHz or cycles per second. Faster the sound source vibrates, higher the frequency. Higher frequency depicted as higher pitch.

There are 6 properties of sound 

1. Pitch 

• frequency : vibration per second 
• less, vibration, low pitch, low frequency 
• range of human hearing is between 20Hz to 20kHz

2. Loudness

3. Timbre : quality of sound 

4. Perceived duration

5. Envelope

6. Spatialization : location of the sound source

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❥TASKS 

WEEK 2 — EXERCISE 1 

Fig 1.1 Equalizer 1

Fig 1.2 Equalizer 2

Fig 1.3 Equalizer 3

Fig 1.4 Equalizer 4

Fig 1.5 Equalizer 5

Fig 1.6 Equalizer 6

Fig 1.7 Equalizer 7

Fig 1.8 Equalizer 8

WEEK 3 — EXERCISE 2 

For this week, we were experimenting with the equalizer to achieve certain sounds through different locations or scenarios. 

Fig 2.1 Telephone

The sound from inside the closet sound should sound more muffled.

Fig 2.2 In the closet

The walkie talkie is similar to telephone but the sound should be louder and a bit more distorted. The more the knob is pushed up the louder it gets. 

Fig 2.3 Walkie-talkie

For the bathroom sound we tried experimenting with the reverb to achieve the echo-y bathroom sound effect. Avoid having an echoey voice or a ping pong sound effect where you could hear your own voice since the bathroom is a smaller room. 

Fig 2.4 Bathroom reverb

Fig 2.5 Bathroom equalizer

For stadium since its a much wider space, there should be more of a echo-y or ping pong effect on the sound, thus having more decay time. 

Fig 2.6 Stadium reverb

Fig 2.7 Stadium equalizer

Final Audios

Fig 2.8 Telephone voice

Fig 2.9 Closet voice

Fig 2.10 Walkie-talkie voice

Fig 2.11 Bathroom voice

Fig 2.12 Stadium voice

WEEK 4 — EXERCISE 3 

This week we were taught how to play around with the track automations to alter the speed and the volume of the audio. 

Fig 3.1 Experimenting with track automations

Next, we were told to make an environmental audio for the picture below.

Fig 3.2 First environment photo

I added 2 audios for a sci-fi lab ambient background noise to make it sound crowded and added reverb on it. I also added 2-3 people's echoed out whispers/voices as well as a few footsteps and used reverbs to give a sense of vastness since the lab is huge. Sir also suggested me to add another audio of the laser but further away so I played around with its EQ and reverb and added 2 other laser sound effects. 

Some items in the scene that could produce sound include :

1. Laser beams (the focal point being the loudest but also include the sounds of the laser beams in the background)
2. Two scientists conversing with each other and walking in the distance
3. Machinery/technology
4. Ambient noise with echoes since the space is vast

Fig 3.3 Progress on making the audio

Fig 3.4 First Environment Audio

The second environment photo also appears to be in a vast lab therefore I added similar audios and added a few whispering voices audio and combined them to create ambience noise for the photo.

Fig 3.5 Second environment photo

Some items in the scene that could produce sound : 

1. Focal point being the trees submerged in the liquid 
2. Ambient noise in the background due to vast space
3. The two guards conversing as well as taking a stroll around

Fig 3.6 Second Environment Audio