When we discuss what makes the sound in any medium: film, music, video game, theater, etc. effective, it usually boils down to one of four aspects, and often all four: the detail in the design, the emotion conveyed, the way the sound meshes with the visuals, and the mix of the sonic elements. When sound design exists on its own, with visuals and voiceover removed or non-existent, we lose some of these key elements (or should we call them … [Read more...]

There’s no doubt that the art of audio mixing has become much more of a visual affair than ever before. There’s certainly more visual content that aids our understanding of mixing concepts, but to what extent do visual cues actually help us mix? Where should we draw the line in trusting our eyes over our ears? While I think visual content is invaluable for understanding how mixing works, I think it’s good to ‘mix’ it up a bit sometimes. So in … [Read more...]

Several common questions are often asked related to loudspeaker sound reproduction, such as: 1. Why does a loudspeaker sound different when moved to another room? 2. Why does my new bookshelf loudspeaker sound terrible at home? They were great in the showroom! 3. Why does the loudspeaker sound muddy/bassy inside a room? It was great when I listened to it outside. There are other questions, but readers can get the point from the examples … [Read more...]

In space, no one can hear you scream ... because there is no air or other medium for sound to travel. Sound needs a medium; an intervening substance through which it can travel from point to point; it must be carried on something. That something can be solid, liquid or gas. They can hear you scream underwater ... briefly. Water is a medium. Air is a medium. Nightclub walls are a medium. Sound travels in air by rapidly changing the air … [Read more...]