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Sound design

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Sound design is the art of creating everything we hear in media. It is a way to make stories feel real through sound. Designers work on many things like movies, TV, and video games. They also work in theater, radio, and even on musical instruments. A designer might record real sounds to use in a project. They can also use a synthesizer to build sounds from scratch.

Tainted blue studios control room
Tainted blue studios control room

There are many steps a designer takes to build a soundtrack. They can perform sounds themselves using a method called Foley. This means making sounds that match what is happening on screen. They also use software to edit and mix different audio parts. Some use a digital audio workstation, or DAW, to control everything. This tool lets them edit sounds at a very tiny level. They can even undo mistakes with just one click.

People have used sound to share feelings for a very long time. In ancient Japan, Shinto shrines had dances called kagura with music. In medieval times, Commedia dell'arte plays used sound to help the acting. Later, Elizabethan theater used bells and horns off-stage to make noise. Around 1913, Luigi Russolo built machines called intonarumori to make noise. These machines could sound like trains or even bombs.

KDujardinsCommedia
KDujardinsCommedia

New tools changed how sound works in the modern world. In 1989, Disney opened its Disney-MGM Studios theme park. They used computer systems to control sounds at the park. In 1991, the Magic Kingdom Parade used a special digital language. This helped many different machines talk to each other. Video games also use special tools called audio engines. These engines help sounds change while you are playing a game.

Sound design is now a very important job in movies. The term "sound designer" became popular in the film industry in 1969. Walter Murch was the first person to get this title. He worked on the film The Rain People with Francis Ford Coppola. Today, sound can surround you from every side. Systems like Dolby Atmos can use 128 different tracks of audio. This lets sounds move above, behind, or beside the audience.

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