For this post I decided to break away just a smidgen from the sound designer topic and focus on something related but still different. In my stunning Toyota Camry, I have a pair of 12" subwoofers that provide a soothing shaking effect that tends to deafen my backseat passengers and rattle my car apart. My subwoofers are four years old and have been decreasing in quality over the years. Therefore I have decided to show you two examples of subwoofers I have found: one good and one just plain gross.
Lets take the bad news first. The Audiobahn AW121T Flame Excursion is a reasonably priced subwoofer with one selling for around the $50 mark if you can find it. It seems to have been discontinued and probably for good reason. At lower volumes the AW121T can hold its own rather well. But crank that volume to more elevated levels and problems begin to erupt. The buzzing and rattling can cause headaches. Trust me here since my four year old subwoofers are having the same problem. Unfortunately these subwoofers blow out at a low wattage load as well so you many get a bang for your buck; just not the one you want. Brand new subwoofers should not be having the same problems as four year old subwoofers. This here is a problem.
But we have good news! The MTX Audio TR4512-04 is a slightly heavier and more expensive subwoofer that is worth the extra money. Now available for around $70, the TR4512 is a powerful subwoofer that can handle up to a 400 watt load. With a slightly smaller magnet than the AW121T, the TR4512 can still handle a wide variety of musical styles with ease. I think I will be choosing the TR4512 as my replacement subwoofer. Unfortunately the bank account of a college student seems to remain barren at all times. XP
Audiobahn aw121t flame excursion subwoofer. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.buy.com/prod/audiobahn-aw121t-flame-excursion-subwoofer-550w-rms-1100w-pmpo/q/loc/111/203305413.html
Evans, D. (2010, March 25). Best and worst: car subwoofers. Retrieved from http://blogs.smarter.com/gadgets/2010/03/25/best-and-worst-car-subwoofers/
Mitek thunder round tr4512-04 subwoofer. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.buy.com/prod/mitek-thunder-round-tr4512-04-subwoofer-250w-rms/q/loc/111/213517591.html
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Love This Guy.
In my many years of video gaming, a multitude of games have crossed my path. None have been as influential as Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft saga. My personal exposure to the Warcraft games began with Warcraft III and has continued through World of Warcraft and its multiple expansions. Warcraft has always appealed to me through its epic storyline, breathtaking cinematics, and thought provoking gameplay. However I never noticed the complexity and accuracy of the sound design until I began to seriously consider sound design has a career. Through some research I happened upon the blog of Blizzard's own Kris Giampa who is now working on Diablo 3 and W.o.W Cataclysm. His blog seems to speak directly to me. His posts are extremely helpful with topics ranging from get one's own music into a video game to how to break into the industry of sound design for video games. Although the blog itself is still rather small with only a few posts, the information is amateur sound designer gold.
In his post "Native Instruments Komplete 7 - teh awezome deal," Giampa gives his positive backing to Native Instruments gargantuan sound library. This library is compatible with any DAW one could use and provides professional quality sounds at a reasonable price. Giampa also has background in the music industry with his releases under the name Red Eye. Kris Giampa's blog has made its way into my favorites and I am salivating waiting for the next post. I will be able to look at W.o.W Cataclysm in a much more analytical light knowing the background of its sound designer. Unfortunately December feels so far away..
Giampa, K. (n.d.). Kris giampa's blog. Retrieved from http://krisgiampa.wordpress.com/
In his post "Native Instruments Komplete 7 - teh awezome deal," Giampa gives his positive backing to Native Instruments gargantuan sound library. This library is compatible with any DAW one could use and provides professional quality sounds at a reasonable price. Giampa also has background in the music industry with his releases under the name Red Eye. Kris Giampa's blog has made its way into my favorites and I am salivating waiting for the next post. I will be able to look at W.o.W Cataclysm in a much more analytical light knowing the background of its sound designer. Unfortunately December feels so far away..
Giampa, K. (n.d.). Kris giampa's blog. Retrieved from http://krisgiampa.wordpress.com/
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Nope, Can't Hear You.
In any recording situation background noise can quickly become a problem. Completely removing background noise from a recording can become a chore that is best avoided. For example, in the previous sound design class I attended many of my fellow classmates had to redo their entire recording because the background noise from the air conditioner in the next room was too great to be removed manually. Luckily I was reminded to turn it off. Soundproofing is a vital part of any sound designer's set up that can remove headaches and future stress. I am going to touch on a few techniques and materials that can greatly reduce the amount of sound that enters or leaves a room.
The first step to effectively sound proofing a room is to take a through look at where air enters and leaves a room. This includes air vents, spaces under doors, as well as any cracks that allow for air to travels through. The trick is to make a room as air tight as possible while still allowing for needed oxygen to enter it. Next it is important to understand what materials a room is constructed from. Thin walls, floors, and ceilings can create easy access points for unwanted sounds. Oftentimes if the room is not constructed with soundproofing in mind a multitude of access points for sound to enter through are going to be present. If one is constructing a room to be sound proof extra thickness can be added to the walls as well as constructing an air chamber between two walls or two doors in order to more efficiently reduce sound.
If you are like me, the room you wish to sound proof was not built specifically for it. A plethora of sound proofing materials is available including mass loaded vinyl and "Green Glue". Mass loaded vinyl works by absorbing the sound and softening it in the process. This vinyl as well as other dense foams can be installed anywhere on a wall or even inside of one. Rubber underlayments can also be installed under the carpet or under the entire floor. Recently Green Glue has come onto the market which instead of just absorbing sound actually completely deadens it. When applied to drywall, the glue stops the drywall from resonating effectively killing the mobile sound.
Soundproofing can be quite the home improvement project but it is vital in recording excellent quality sounds. Not doing recording in a soundproof environment is just not smart in the long run. It also makes that long run a lot longer since removing background noise is a tedious and oftentimes ineffective process.
Kivi, R. (n.d.). How does sound proofing work?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4683237_sound-proofing-work.html
Soundproofing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/
The first step to effectively sound proofing a room is to take a through look at where air enters and leaves a room. This includes air vents, spaces under doors, as well as any cracks that allow for air to travels through. The trick is to make a room as air tight as possible while still allowing for needed oxygen to enter it. Next it is important to understand what materials a room is constructed from. Thin walls, floors, and ceilings can create easy access points for unwanted sounds. Oftentimes if the room is not constructed with soundproofing in mind a multitude of access points for sound to enter through are going to be present. If one is constructing a room to be sound proof extra thickness can be added to the walls as well as constructing an air chamber between two walls or two doors in order to more efficiently reduce sound.
If you are like me, the room you wish to sound proof was not built specifically for it. A plethora of sound proofing materials is available including mass loaded vinyl and "Green Glue". Mass loaded vinyl works by absorbing the sound and softening it in the process. This vinyl as well as other dense foams can be installed anywhere on a wall or even inside of one. Rubber underlayments can also be installed under the carpet or under the entire floor. Recently Green Glue has come onto the market which instead of just absorbing sound actually completely deadens it. When applied to drywall, the glue stops the drywall from resonating effectively killing the mobile sound.
Soundproofing can be quite the home improvement project but it is vital in recording excellent quality sounds. Not doing recording in a soundproof environment is just not smart in the long run. It also makes that long run a lot longer since removing background noise is a tedious and oftentimes ineffective process.
Kivi, R. (n.d.). How does sound proofing work?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4683237_sound-proofing-work.html
Soundproofing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/
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