When I first began field recording, I captured any sound I could point my microphone at. It didn’t matter what it was. A shrieking kettle? Sure. Light switches? Done. Traffic from my balcony? I have dozens of tracks. Beginning field recording is an exciting time. It introduces a way of thinking about the world that […]
Continue ReadingMastering
The Reaper Blog: How to Master Sound Effects
A few weeks ago I linked to an article from The Reaper Blog about using metadata in the Reaper editing app. Of course, adding metadata is one of the last steps before publishing field recordings. There are many steps before that, including sound effects mastering. That is why I was intrigued when reader Carlos tipped […]
Continue Reading
A Quick RX Tip for Mastering Sound Effects
iZotope’s RX noise-reduction software has received ample praise from throughout the pro audio community. It’s well deserved; RX’s suite of powerful tools can eliminate clicks and pops, remove buzz, and diminish noise. There are dozens of these “modules.” In fact, it can take hundreds of hours to master them all. That’s why it was just […]
Continue Reading
2 Techniques for Setting Sound Effects Library Mastering Levels
Last week I saw an interesting conversation appear on Facebook. Field recordist and sound designer Charles Maynes created a post in the Independent Sound Effects group to discuss establishing a standard for audio levels in sound effect libraries. It’s a valuable idea. In fact, I’ve received a handful of messages from readers about this in […]
Continue Reading
A Blueprint for Mastering Long Field Recordings
You finally scored a spot at a field recording nature workshop. All weekend you recorded tracks of wind, water, and wildlife in the mountains hours from home. Every morning you woke at 4 a.m. and captured hours of dawn chorus field recordings. You let the recorder run all night gathering the sounds of insects and […]
Continue Reading
How to Beat the Sound Effects Mastering Grind
A year and a half ago I sold everything I owned, jumped on a plane, and arrived in Southeast Asia. Why? To capture field recordings, of course. I’ve travelled through Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia recording the sounds of the cultures in those places. I’ve wandered into obscure corners of Bangkok, Siem Reap, Kuala Lumpur, […]
Continue Reading