Today sound is being used in more and more fields of media production. So is there software to make it easier for us to work in these different fields?
My first introduction to sound design, like most people I guess, was through film, after all who doesn’t like a good sounding movie. That introduction started my long fascination with the power of sound and how it can be applied to different mediums.
Today’s digital technologies open up all sorts of possibilities in productions of all types. Sound design software can allow us to successfully apply audio design to one or a combination of production fields such as;
Film
Multimedia
Live Theater
Installation
Therapeutic
Interactive Gaming
So, although I have not worked in all of these areas, I have been lucky enough to work in a few and have formed associations with professionals from others. I have put together a small essential list of design software and the fields that they may be used in.
Film/Video/Soundtrack/Multimedia
Logic Pro – Sound designing, editing and composing platform. (Mac)
Protools – Industry standard recording and editing platform. (Mac & PC)
Uses
Choosing one of these software will enable you to;
- Mix and produce music tracks
- Design individual sfx
- Record foley and live performance
- Score to film or video
Live Theatre/Multimedia/Interactive
Qlab – Multimedia and live show automation (Mac)
Cricket – Live Theatre sound design (Mac)
SCS – Show Cue System: Multimedia and live show automation (PC)
SFX – Live Theatre sound design (PC)
Uses
Choosing one of these software will enable you to;
- Cue music and effects to live action for theatre
- Cue music and effects for installations
- Cue audio to be triggered via midi
- Cue video for projection
Sound design – Soundtrack/Music/Noise
Alchemy – A sample manipulation software platform for designing specialized sound effects from your recordings.
Uses
- Designing stylized or custom sound effects
- Great for creating highly detailed sample manipulations
Gaming/Interactive sound design/Therapeutic
Fmod Designer and API – Gaming audio design, Fmod is a library and toolkit package for composing and playback of interactive gaming audio.
Uses
- Creation of soundtrack for interactive media
- Create layered effects
- Design interactive soundscapes
- Produce non-linear music compositional structures
- Audition and profile your final game soundtrack, mixing it live while in testing phase of game
There are many software solutions out there, some good, some not so good. This list of sound design software will help you to realize your creative vision in whatever field(s) you choose!
