Sound design

Sound design is the art and practice of creating the auditory elements used in media. A sound designer specifies, acquires, and creates audio using various production techniques and equipment. This profession is essential across many disciplines. These include filmmaking, television, video game development, and theatre. It also applies to radio, live performance, and musical instrument development. Designers can perform and edit recorded audio, such as dialogue and sound effects. They may also use synthesizers to build entirely new sounds from scratch.

The process of sound design involves several complex layers of production. One method is Foley, which involves performing sounds to match visual actions. Designers also use digital audio workstations, or DAWs, to manage their work. A DAW is a software system used for recording and editing audio. These workstations allow for sample-level editing and provide an unlimited undo feature. This gives designers fine control over every tiny detail in a soundtrack. In video games, designers use audio engines to create interactive sound. This allows for dynamic audio, where sounds change based on what the player does. For example, footstep sounds can vary so they do not repeat.

Sound has been used to evoke emotion and reflect mood for a long time. In prehistoric times, sound was used in religious practices for healing or recreation. In ancient Japan, theatrical events called kagura were performed in Shinto shrines using music and dance. During the medieval period, Commedia dell'arte plays used music and sound effects to enhance the acting.

As theatre evolved, so did the tools used to create sound. Elizabethan Theatre used off-stage devices like bells, whistles, and horns. In 1913, Italian composer Luigi Russolo built mechanical devices called intonarumori. These machines were designed for futurist performances to simulate sounds like trains or bombs. Russolo also wrote The Art of Noises, an early document on using abstract noise in theatre. The use of recorded sound also changed history. In 1890, a London theatre used a phonograph to play a baby's cry. Later, in 1906, Herbert Beerbohm Tree used recordings in his production of Nero. These sounds were realistically reproduced using a gramophone.

In the 20th century, the role of the sound professional became more organized. Between 1980 and 1988, Charlie Richmond helped define the duties of theatre sound designers in North America. He served as the first Sound Design Commissioner for USITT. Modern technology has further transformed the field through digital control. In 1989, Disney opened its Disney-MGM Studios theme park using computerized sound systems. By 1991, the Magic Kingdom Parade became the first show to use the MIDI Show Control (MSC) specification. This is an open protocol that allows different digital devices to communicate with one another.

In the motion picture industry, the specific title of "sound designer" emerged in 1969. Francis Ford Coppola first gave this title to Walter Murch for his work on The Rain People. Before this, people used titles like supervising sound editor or re-recording mixer. Using the new title allowed one person to act as both an editor and a mixer. This helped professionals negotiate better salaries and legitimacy during studio downsizing. The role is now considered a principal member of the production staff. Their creative output is often compared to that of the director or the cinematographer.

High-fidelity sound systems have increased the importance of this role. The adoption of Dolby Stereo moved film sound beyond simple dialogue. In 2012, the immersive Dolby Atmos format was introduced. This system provides 128 tracks of audio. It uses a 7.1.2 bed, which includes two overhead channels. The remaining 118 tracks are audio objects that can be placed anywhere in a room. These positions are determined by metadata using x, y, and z coordinates. This allows sounds to move above, behind, or beside the audience, creating a massive creative opportunity.