Freesound Forums

A little tip for you guys. To get your very own zap sound that feels more satisfying - hang a metal slinky from a high point so it dangles freely, then attach a contact microphone to the top and record yourself tapping/striking the metal.

You can get some cool effects changing the distance from the top in which you strike.

This is actually a sound design technique (perhaps a trade secret) employed by some designers to get a laser sound in films. If you don't have a contact microphone, attach a regular microphone so the vibrations can travel through the solid part of the microphone head and into the capsule (remember to have lower gain though!) - this will work, but a contact microphone will give you the best results.

Once you have recorded the raw audio, you will then need to process the sound, and add some effects to 'fatten' the sound; or even better layer some other electronic sounds to get something special.

Good luck!

Headphaze Audio Labs

That's an excellent tip, Headphaze. Takes me back to my youth when spring reverb was exactly what it said on the label - a real metal spring inside a wooden box. It noticeably "boinged" if you gave it a gentle thump.

@Diboz, thanks for the comment on my new vocal I really appreciate it.

You're most welcome, brah. After a hard day's earhole pounding, VSTi wrangling and copious fader bashing the freshness of your vocal totally refreshed my head.

lol glad to say you liked and it helped your nerves XD

Diboz wrote:
That's an excellent tip, Headphaze. Takes me back to my youth when spring reverb was exactly what it said on the label - a real metal spring inside a wooden box. It noticeably "boinged" if you gave it a gentle thump.

Same - I was always exploring what sounds I could get if I jump on this metal thing, or smack this object. I was always making noise, and subsequently I now work as a sound designer; who would have thought it.

Hi, Headphaze.

Going to put you on the spot here.... What the heck are you using to obtain your signature sound in the high midrange? Your remixes glimmer like no others.

I'm ok with being on the spot!

But I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe specify what exactly you are listening to and I will try to describe my means of creation.

lol, its funny that we started at a new trick on how to make lasers and now we are just talking about other stuff that don't relate to the first subject, we have gone off track big time. I don't mine though, I'm enjoying it.

18hiltc wrote:
lol, its funny that we started at a new trick on how to make lasers and now we are just talking about other stuff that don't relate to the first subject, we have gone off track big time. I don't mine though, I'm enjoying it.

Well although it's not directly related to the OP, it is relevant - considering that it will also be highlighting a production technique. That's the title of the sub forum after all

lol, I know I was just saying that its funny that you brought up a good tip/trick and then we lead into another conversation some how.

Isn't that what usually happens on a forum consisting of human beings and not Cleverbots? :-/

So... if you are so concerned why don't you attempt to put the train back on the rails?

No I don't mine and I am not concerned I was basically saying its sort of funny, sorry for not being specific again lol

@headphaze: In your robot sounds, for example, I hear a harmonic phase distortion sweet spot in the high mid range similar to that produced by psychoacoustic aural exciters of days gone by.

@18hiltc: apologies for the blatant thread hijack. I promise to refrain from derailing any of yours - honest!

Wait which thread are you inferring to?

All. Past, present, or future. Ubiquitous Dibozification of your posts won't ever happen.

ok Diboz.

Well It's difficult for me to explain this phenomenon you are hearing, because the method was quite extensive. However, i will write the production flow:

Sounds generated in Native Instruments Reaktor >>> recorded about an hour of experimentation with sound generators that give weird electronic timbres e.g. Skrewell, Metaphysical function, Krypt etc.

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Loaded sequences into Cubase >>> cut audio into good sections of no more than 5 seconds long.

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Used a Reaktor Ensemble called Grain Cube by Richard Devine and co - this unit is a 4-way grain cloud sampling unit, with the functionality of mashing up samples in an extreme way with hundreds of independent automation parameters. >>> Loaded the audio samples cut from previously and loaded them into 4 seperate sample banks running simultaneously.

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Recorded long audio streams from the unit then processed audio in Soundforge, using pitch stretch functions and reverb chains to obtain different timbres and sound colourations. I also exhibited some use of reverse once I had processed.

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Added mastering processes like EQ, multiband dynamics (probably the quality you were referring to that makes it sound like harmonic phase distortion), then limiter.

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Finally, I then had to cut up the long versions of the audio into about 150 segments with fades. I chose the best bits out of the entire files.

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UPLOADED

Thanks, Headphaze. Much obliged to you.

Yep, I see how it works. Grain Cloud plus slight phase amplitude distortion via the pitch shift resampler, coloured by the EQ and nailed into place with multi-band compression - and *no* pumping. Man...., you're good!

You following along ok, 18hiltc?

Uh sort of I am kind of confused because I do all of my recording with the audacity recorder.

18hiltc wrote:
Uh sort of I am kind of confused because I do all of my recording with the audacity recorder.

Much to learn young Padawan there is...