Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “DIY Sound Effects”.
This week, i’m going to give you a basic introduction to the art of sound effects. Let’S start by looking at how a few classic sound effects are made. First, there’s a creaking door. My favorite way to make this sound is with a creak box. This is a basic wooden frame with a dowel going through the center. The dowel is held under tension by a loop of ropes and an eye bolt when the dowel is turned it rubs against the frame and makes a loud creaking noise. You can change the sound by adjusting the eye bolt to change the tension on the ropes another classic. Sound effect is breaking glass to make this sound first find a bunch of small glass objects of various sizes. You want objects that will make a variety of sounds. I took a bunch of glass vials and filled some of them with different amounts of water. Next find a bunch of small metal objects of various sizes.
An assortment of small bolts and coins can work pretty well, then put them all into a fabric bag. Now gently drop the bag into your open hand. This should make the sound of breaking glass without actually breaking anything. Then there’s the sound of wind to make this sound, professional, sound artists, often use a wind machine, called an ayola phone.
This is basically just a rotating drum that’s covered in fabric to make a simplified version of this turn your bicycle upside down and hold a cloth up to the tire you can try out different materials for different sounds. My favorite is an old windbreaker. These are just a couple of sound effect techniques. I’Ve included a few links where you can find many more examples.
Now you need to record your sounds. The most difficult part of this is finding a quiet place to record that’s free of ambient noise. If you don’t have access to a professional, sound studio, then the next best thing is a large pillow fort just surround yourself with pillows and loose blankets.
They do a great job of muffling. Sound sound effects make a great addition to movies and radio, but you can also use them at live events such as theaters and haunted houses. All you need is a simple controller circuit.
There are a lot of micro controllers that you can use, but for a simple application like this, i decided to go with a peekaboo controller. A peekaboo controller is a record playback system, rather than coding the exact timing of each of the functions you program, the controller by manually activating each function at the appropriate time. The controller is then able to play back this sequence whenever it’s triggered by a sensor.
First hook up your computer and speakers to the peekaboo controller, then record up to two minutes of audio next hook up your trigger. This can be anything that connects the end, pin to the ground. Pin you can use a switch, a pressure plate or even a motion sensor. Whenever the trigger is activated, the peekaboo will play your sound effect. Automatically playing clips of your sound effects can be really useful, but you can take it one step further and set up a system that will automatically create sound effects.
Live this lets you make sounds that are fuller and richer than anything that you could play out of a speaker. Many sound effects can be automated using the exact same methods that you would use to make them in a recording studio. The only difference is that the human operator is replaced by a motor to drive the motors. You can again use a peekaboo controller. The only difference is that this time we’re connecting to the output relays instead of the audio plugs you’d, be amazed at how many different kinds of sounds you can automate. For example, you can use a motor to turn your creak box or your wind machine. A motor can also easily scrape two pieces of metal together or drag chains across the floor. Use your imagination, creating sound effects is a fascinating and diverse art form.
So why not try it out for yourself thanks for watching and check back next week for more diy hacks and how to’s .