Video and Sound Production

Posted by Jasmine Teoh May 06, 2019

Video and Sound Production - Task 1

1/4/19 - 22/4/19 (Week 1 to Week 4)

Jasmine Teoh Lee Suan (0331993)

Video and Sound Production

Task 1: Audio

Instructions:

Module Information Booklet:

Lecture Notes:

Week 2 (8/4/19)

We had a lecture on sound by Mr Razif, these are the notes that I took down during the lecture:

Nature of Sound

Sound - A vibration of air molecules around you that stimulates our eardrums.

Wavelength: distance between any point on wave and the equivalent point on the next phase.
Amplitude: represents loudness
Frequency: number of times wavelength occurs in one second
Higher frequency = higher pitch

Properties of sound:

Pitch
Loudness
Timbre
Perceived Duration - something you feel about the tempo
Envelope
Spatialization

Adobe Audition:

Effects rack
Filter
Parametric Equalizer
Can use to do noise reduction, remove hum, just need to find out the frequency

Quality - balance of the frequency (base/treble)

Explosion:

Copy to new - amplitude and compression - pitch shifter
Reverse, stretch and pitch, pitch bender
Modulation - flanger - eliminate quality of echo
Best way to learn is exploration

Task 1:

Week 2 (8/4/19)

Flat Equalizer

We started our audio class by learning the basics of Adobe Audition. I had no idea how to function the software at all and I felt so lost at the start of this class. I've only touched Audacity before but that was only for simple sound file trimming and editing. I was actually really excited to learn about sound production as it has always been one of my interests.

Our lecturer, Mr Razif, gave us 4 sound files for our first exercise, and told us to edit the second, third and fourth files so that they would sound like the first one. First, we imported all the files into the software and created a multitrack mixdown, then slotted all the files into each track.

After that, we listened to the original first sound file, then the others. Mr Razif guided us along the way as we were still beginners at this, and taught us that we could use the Parametric Equalizer in the effects rack to change the bass and treble balance in the sound files so that they would sound like the first one.

I think I started to get the hang of it, even though I didn't know what I was doing at first. I realized that the higher the left side, the higher the bass; and the higher the value for the right side, the higher the treble. As for the centre, I think that it's for the melody or volume of the track but I wasn't sure about that.

This is my first attempt for editing the sound file EQ 3:

Figure 1.1 Screenshot of Editing EQ3 in Audition

This is my first attempt for editing the sound file EQ 1:

Figure 1.2 Screenshot of Editing EQ1 in Audition

This is my first attempt for editing the sound file EQ 2:

Figure 1.3 Screenshot of Editing EQ2 in Audition

This is my second attempt for editing the sound file EQ 3:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Editing EQ3 in Audition

#FEEDBACK: Mr Razif said that I got the areas correct for each track but the values needed to be adjusted.

After feedback I adjusted the equalizer effect and these are my results of the adjustments:

Final Equalizer Effect of flat:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Final Equalizer Effect of flat in Audition

This is the sound file for flat.mp3:

Final Equalizer Effect of EQ1:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Final Equalizer Effect of EQ1 in Audition

This is the sound file for eq1.mp3:

Final Equalizer Effect of EQ2:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Final Equalizer Effect of EQ2 in Audition

This is the sound file for eq2.mp3:

Final Equalizer Effect of EQ3:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Final Equalizer Effect of EQ3 in Audition

This is the sound file for eq3.mp3:

This is the multitrack mixdown where I put all the files in:

Figure 1.4 Screenshot of Multitrack Mixdown of EQ Exercise in Audition

Thunder and Punch Sound Effects

After completing the eq exercise, we learned different effects like stretch and pitch.

Figure 2.1 Screenshot of Stretch and Pitch Effect in Audition

We also learned one of the Rack Effects, which is called Flanger.

Figure 2.2 Screenshot of Flanger Effect in Audition

We used these effects, alongside the explosion sound file that were given to us to create a thunder sound effect:

Figure 2.3 Screenshot of Thunder Sound Effect in Audition

This is the sound file for Thunder.mp3:

We also created a three punch sound effect from using only one punch that was given to us as well. I layered the punches and adjusted the timing of the punches so that they would sound more realistic. I also changed the pitch of the punches to make them more low pitch instead of high pitched. I used delay, amplify and echo effects as well in my punches. And I also used the parametric equalizer.

Figure 2.4 Screenshot of Three Punch Sound Effect in Audition

This is the sound file for Three Punch Exercise.mp3:

Week 3 (15/4/19)

Sound Editing

This week, we were given an audio of someone talking and were told to create different situations and atmospheres of that voice based on different settings, like an airport announcement, bathroom and stadium. I experimented a lot with the parametric equalizer, echo and compressor settings.

Here are my first attempts on creating the sounds:

Airport First Attempt

Bathroom First Attempt

Stadium First Attempt

#FEEDBACK: The bathroom one should be hearing people talking in the bathroom from outside. For the airport you might want to make it sound more treble because it's an announcement. The stadium one is fine.

After feedback, I made changes and these are the results of my changes:

Airport Final

Figure 3.1 Screenshot of Airport Sound Effect in Audition

Bathroom Final

Figure 3.2 Screenshot of Bathroom Sound Effect in Audition

Figure 3.3 Screenshot of Bathroom Sound Effect in Audition

Stadium Final

Figure 3.4 Screenshot of Bathroom Sound Effect in Audition

Here's the multitrack mixdown for this exercise:

Figure 3.5 Screenshot of Multitrack Mixdown of Sound Editing in Audition

Monster Voice

We were also given the task to work on a monster voice by distorting the sound file of the voice recording with many different effects and settings on Audition.

This was my first attempt at creating a monster voice. I played around with the parametric equalizer, flanger, delay and pitch shift.

This is the sound file for Monster Voice 1.mp3:

Process of editing Monster Voice 1:

Figure 4.1 Screenshot of Monster Voice 1 Editing in Audition

#FEEDBACK: Hmm, it's okay lah for a monster voice, but maybe a bit too much echo.

After feedback, I made changes to the sound file and I think it sounds more like a monster/demon voice now.

This is the sound file for Monster Voice Final.mp3:

Process of editing Monster Voice Final:

Parametric Equalizer:

Figure 4.2 Screenshot of Monster Voice Final Editing in Audition

Flanger:

Figure 4.3 Screenshot of Monster Voice Final Editing in Audition

Pitch Shifter:

Figure 4.4 Screenshot of Monster Voice Final Editing in Audition

Compilation of effects:

Figure 4.5 Screenshot of Monster Voice Final Editing in Audition

Week 4 (22/4/19)

Panning and Volume Adjustment

For this week, we learned about how to pan and adjust the volume in a single track. We could actually do this in the file itself or outside of the file, doing it inside ensures that when we move the file, the settings will stay within the file.

To control this setting, we had to select the read part at the side of the track, and click on show envelopes. We can choose from different areas to edit on, like the volume, pan, bass and treble, etc. When the volume is selected, there is a yellow line at the clip and we can move it up and down to adjust the volume. We can also select on the line to change the volume at any part that we want. The same goes for the panning mode, except that the line is blue for panning instead of yellow.

Jet Plane Right to Left

For the exercise, we first learned how to edit with this function by using a jet place sound file and controlled the panning of the sound from the right to the left.

Here's the sound file for Jet Plane Panning Right to Left.mp3:

And this is the process of editing the panning in the sound file:

Figure 5.1 Screenshot of Jet Plane Panning Edit in Audition

Voice Clockwise

We were also told to edit the voice recording from last week with panning and volume adjustment, so that it would feel like the person speaking is walking around the listener in a clockwise motion while speaking.

#FEEDBACK: Mr Razif gave us some tips for this one and said that the EQ, the bass and treble could be edited as well because our ears are supposed to hear different qualities at different positions.

Here's the sound file for Voice Clockwise.mp3:

And this is the process of editing the panning, volume, bass and treble in the sound file:

Figure 5.2 Screenshot of Voice Clockwise Panning, Volume, Bass, Treble Edit in Audition

Iron Man Blaster

For the last exercise of Task 1: Audio, we were to create a blaster sound effect and impact sounds for this video with no sound:

I downloaded the sound effects and files that I needed to create the blaster sound and impact sounds from www.freesound.org. These are the files that I downloaded and used while making my sound effects:

Figure 6.1 Files downloaded and used for Iron Man Blaster

When I first thought of the sound effect for the blaster, I didn't know what sound to use to create the blaster, but after thinking about it, I felt that the sound of a dental drill sounds like the blaster sound when it's being charged up. Therefore I decided to use that for the blaster. I also layered the effect with laser sounds.

As for the first impact, which is the shot being fired, I used the shots from a machine gun and a pistol gun. The second impact on the shot hitting the person and then rebounding on the wall was created with a punch sound and a wall crushing sound. Of course, all these sounds went through the parametric equalizer, panning and volume adjusting, and individual effects for each of them.

#FEEDBACK: Mr Razif said that the impact for my first attempt on this could be more impactful, if not it's all okay.

After feedback, I increased the volume of the impact and this is how the final edit sounds like.

Here's the sound file for Iron Man Blaster.mp3:

And here's the sound along with the video: