THE AUDIO MANUAL IN THE MEDIA

COMMUNICATION
AUTHOR: STANLEY R. ALTEN
Editor and owner of the rights to the Spanish version throughout the
world with the exception of Canada, Puerto Rico, the United States of
America and its territories. sions and territories. Ama Kandida FILM
AND VIDEO SCHOOL s/n ANDOAIN Gipuzkoa SPAIN
ISBN: 84-920486-0-3

CHAPTER 1: SOUND DESIGN

With the sense of sight the idea transmits the emotion. While with
sound the emotion communicates the idea, which is more direct and
therefore more powerful.” So said the notable philosopher and
mathematician ALfred North Whitehead. Renowned film director Akira
Kurosawa put it another way: “The most exciting moment is when I add the
sound... (then) I shudder.”
Sound is a force: emotional, perceptual, physical. It can excite
feelings, express intentions and, if loud enough, vibrate the body. The sound
is omnidirectional; It's everywhere. The human eye can only focus on one
vision at a time. When the eye moves, the original vision shifts. Sound can
be placed – one sound can be added to another without displacing it. The
sound demands attention. When people communicate they must actively
participate to understand auditory information. The same does not happen
with visual information. Listening is a dynamic activity.
When we speak we say “watch” television or watch a movie. Radio
and recordings are often used as background for other media. Sound is taken
for granted or often ignored. The history of sound in film and electronic
media is replete with examples of audio and the people who produce it but it
is considered a secondary creative function.
It wasn't that many years ago, for example, that in most films only the
head of the studio's sound team appeared in the screen credits for sound,
without taking into account all the personnel who contributed to the sound
of the film. In fact, during the first forty years of talkies, the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded the Oscars for best sound to the
head of the production studio's sound team, regardless of his contribution to
the soundtrack of the award-winning film. Similarly, although television
traditionally gave individual program credits for sound, networks were
reluctant to give extensive recognition to all sound personnel who
contributed to a production. On one album, if any production credit
appeared, it was the producer's. Even radio, which in its heyday was a
medium completely dependent on all types of sound, rarely identified those
responsible for audio production.
Fortunately, times have changed to the artistic and financial benefit of

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media and audio personnel. Since 1971, when the Oscars were the first
awards for sound mixers in particular, film credits for sound production
have expanded to include, among others, boom operators; recording
technicians; sound effects, music, room effects and dialogue editors; original
music producers; and ringing and mixing operators. And in 1979 the
Academy recognized the great importance of sound by awarding an Oscar to
a specific sound designer. Since then, the term sound designer is a name for
the profession of those who are dedicated to creative licenses.
Television sound credits are also now more generous. Additionally,
most compact discs (CDs) credit the producer, mixer, and mastering
engineer. Sometimes recording assistants are also placed on the list. Micro-
CDs now credit at least the producer. The recording engineer frequently also
appears. On public radio, many programs identify those who have
contributed to the audio production.
All of this has affirmed in principle what all media professionals and
the general audience have long known: that the planning and production of
effective sound design deserves as much recognition as the crafts of
screenwriter, editor, head of production, director of photography, set
designer and costume designer. Just like these other roles, sound design and
production requires talent, artistry, imagination, meticulousness, and time.
The impact of sound in media communication, just as in life, is vital,
powerful and fundamental.

The sound designer

Sound design represents the overall artistic style of the sound
material in an audio production. Similar to the director of photography who
is responsible for the overall visual aspect of a video or film, the sound
designer is responsible for the overall sound of a video or film (after the
producer and the director). This responsibility may be led by a sound
designer who coordinates the artistic activities of the sound staff, or may be
carried out without a sound director appointed by the different members of
the sound staff. These people have various titles and perform tasks such as
selecting and handling microphones, operating the production console,
recording the production, creating and recording sound effects, producing
music, recording dialogue, editing and mixing.
Typically smaller facilities require one person to perform more than
one function. In larger operations each individual performs a single function,
generally due to the contract signed with the unions.
Throughout this book the term sound designer is used inclusively.
This is not to downplay the various functions previously mentioned,
especially in light of the facts that the term is not routinely applied yet, but
to better understand the notion that the person involved in the production of
sound, regardless of their function, is involved in sound design.
For example, suppose that when filming a romantic scene, the director
wants there to be a feeling of inevitable collapse of the relationship, without
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visually showing it crudely, that is, without obviously showing the
incompatibility of the couple. The sound designer can handle this in many
ways, depending on the choice of microphone, its placement, or the use of
room acoustics.
Microphones (“micros” for short) can affect the tonal quality of a
sound source. One microphone can highlight a melodious sound, another
can emphasize fragility, and still another can give the sound more body. In
this scene a microphone that made the couple's voice sound more
penetrating or harsher would convey an emotional point to the dialogue,
regardless of its content.
The location of the microphone in relation to the sound source also
affects the sound quality. A microphone placed close to the couple would
help create a warm, intimate sound; On the other hand, a distant microphone
will help create a feeling of distance and perhaps coldness.
Adjusting room acoustics is another way that can affect auditory
perception. A room filled with upholstered furniture and thickly pleated
curtains will absorb sound, therefore creating an intimate and comfortable
texture. On the contrary, to help overshadow the couple's breakup, the space
where they are acting out the romantic scene should have hard surfaces such
as wood and glass, which reflect sound, and therefore create a harder and
less comfortable auditory texture. . Additionally, the sound designer could
use sound effects, music, and signal processing to obtain the desired effect
in this scene.
A condemned prisoner passes through a steel door that squeaks when
closed. Instead of any screeching, the sound could be mixed with an
agonized human moan.
In another scene, a footballer who has been fired from the team after
years of stardom. When leaving the locker room, walk around the playing
field. A distinctive wind sound is added to enhance the sense of loneliness.
To intensify the effect, the sound of the wind can be subtly mixed with the
din of the crowd.
Suppose a manager wants to communicate, with sound, a sense of
alienation and dehumanization in a high-tech office. One way to approach
the theme would be to orchestrate the scene using futuristic-tinged ringing
telephone sounds, the whispering stream of laser printers, monotonous
tempo machine hums, and synthesized Muzac in the background.
Or in a hotel room suitable for a nervous breakdown, a mosquito
buzzes and the wallpaper tears off. Overhead comes the sound of an ax
hitting something disgustingly soft. In the hallway outside, the wind howls
like demons in a high-speed chase.*
A sound design can be developed at high speed for an entire movie,
TV show, radio commercial, or musical recording. Suppose the overall
visual quality of a film is clear and the director wants the sound design to
complement the visual effect. This can be achieved with a soundtrack that
has, for example, an ethereal and impressionistic quality. In a television
police drama, the sound intensity is transmitted through the grinding and
clattering of the background, the sound of telephones, sirens and screeching
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of tires to convey the urgency in the police world. The sound design in a
radio advertisement comparing electric shavers may use the soft, quiet sound
of a motor when the advertiser's brand is running, and plaintive-sounding
motors when those of competitors are running. Furthermore, the
screenwriter might be instructed to use nice words for the sponsor's brand
and bad words for the competitors' brand. In a musical recording, the
producer can design the overall sound to express any feeling: epic, romantic,
simple, dense, rich, saturated, contrasting, abrasive, sad, heavy, funky, wall
of sound, melodious, etc. And all the audio personnel involved, from the
people who choose the microphones (usually the first stage of audio
production after the pre-production plan) to the people who mix the sound
(usually the final stage), affect the design of sound somehow.
Of all the skills necessary in audio production, none is more important
than perceptual acuity in shaping the sound you want to hear. In sound, there
is nothing more important than having good “ear”. This requires at least two
basic tools: the ability to listen discriminately and an understanding of the
fundamental effects of sound on human communication.

Listen
The stimulus that makes us listen every day is not an exceptional
phenomenon. We can pay special attention to a particular sound, a siren or
an explosion, but in general the sound function is a little more than the
background in our comings and goings. For a sound designer, however, his
ignorance would be professionally ruinous.
A sound designer must be sensitive to all sounds, pleasant or
unpleasant, exciting or non-exciting, significant or non-significant, well
executed or poorly executed. The more attention you pay to sound, the better
you will be able to articulate the literal aesthetic sound requirements of a
production.
Innate sensitivity to sound changes, and everyone does not have the
same perceptual acuity. Therefore, some skill can be acquired with training,
and listening guidelines can be very helpful.

What listening is and what it is not

Listening is perceiving sound carefully and with sensitive
discrimination. It is thinking about sound, analyzing its quality, style,
interpretation and nuance. It is trying to understand what motivates a sound.
It is participating in new sound experiences regardless of their rarity. It is
examining the reaction to sound in relation to feelings and emotions.
Listening is not reading while playing music. It's not talking or
shouting during a concert. It's not just paying attention to the image of the
movie or TV show. It's not riding a bike while listening to a “Walkman”. It
is not walking through the field and observing. If not heard, the sound
remains part of the environment; It does not become part of your
consciousness.
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 It can be argued that most sounds are part of the environment and that
they offer many small aesthetic satisfactions even if they are not heard.
Some sounds are quite annoying. Listening to unpleasant music from an
adjacent apartment, in an elevator, in a supermarket, or in an office, or
listening to the sound of chatter, gunshots, traffic, an airplane, a tractor, or a
jackhammer, can desensitize hearing acuity and make it difficult to hear.
pleasure of a sound that is worth it.
Therefore it seems reasonable to conclude that listening must be
selective. Such a conclusion should be appropriate for the majority, but it
may not apply to the sound designer.

How and why to listen

Saying how and why you should listen is an easy task. The difficult
part - listening - is yours; Ear training requires effort and years of practice.
You learn how to listen by paying attention to sound where and when
it happens: in different rooms, in traffic, or at sporting events; when
showering, dressing, eating or walking; during a conversation; at a concert;
Resting on the bed. You learn why to listen by analyzing the components
that make up a sound and the relationship of a sound with its environment.
Take the sound of a dog barking. A bark is generally a harsh, harsh
sound. But barking varies completely in tone, loudness, rhythm, and context.
For example, low-pitched barks are longer than high-pitched barks; some
barks begin with a guttural sound, others with a pronounced attack. Within a
bark there may be a whine, yelp, growl, howl, or a bellow. Also some barks
have a regular rhythm while changing the beat and producing an irregular
rhythm. Each of these sounds tells you something about the dog and its
situation.
The sound a chick makes as it hatches may seem obvious: the gradual
breaking of the egg shell and then chirping. But listening to an incubation
reveals more. The chick chirps into the egg before breaking it; the chirping
is deaf. The shell gradually begins to break with short tentative sounds,
intermittent sounds that increase in power. With increasing strength it
gradually increases in clarity, power and speed. The final crack of the shell
sounds more like shattering as the chick goes out into the world. Once out of
the shell, the chirping is not muffled, it is clear, and loud but not as loud as
just before birth.
The sound also changes with the environment. The size of the room,
furniture, wall surface and ceilings; in the open field, in the city center or on
the seashore, cold and warm, everything affects the sound in some way.
Television sound varies from program to program. With the credits,
you can identify certain sound design with certain sound designers. In
sports, for example, you can distinguish different styles of how sound
sources are captured, which sounds are well balanced, and which sounds are
emphasized. Some sound designers like to keep the crowd sound levels and
the announcer's voice levels even to maintain interest. Others prefer to keep
the level of people relatively low so that when action warrants it it can be
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raised to improve interest.
Most sound designers have their own style. Some sound technicians
can identify who produced a particular sound, the movie or show in which it
was first used, or the collection of prerecorded sounds from which it was
taken.
Listening to sound in a speech. Words may have a meaning, but the
sound defines them. On paper the meaning of the words “good morning” is
clear. Their meaning changes, of course, when the tension in certain words
changes, or when they are said in a monotonous, whiny, or stammering tone;
or said by an old man, a young man or a child.
The sound of the speeches should be of the quality of confidence,
fear, anxiety, arrogance, humor, self-esteem, and interest. A person can
appear confident in an interview, but if the tone of the sentences rises at the
end, or if he or she makes strange pauses between words or phrases or has a
poor quality as a speaker, the person's speech is forgotten due to appearance.
Perhaps music presents the greatest challenge in listening. The sound
combinations are infinite, and their aesthetic value meets human needs.
Musical taste is intensely personal; Two people listening to the same music
can respond in two very different ways, both valid.
A single note on an acoustic guitar can produce a variety of sounds
and responses depending on whether the string is gut or steel, whether it is
plucked by the finger or with a pick, whether the pick is plastic or metal, the
strength with which the string is strummed, the type of wood and finish used
to make the guitar, the acoustics of the room and everything else. Violins
played in warm air have a better sound than violins played in a cold
environment; Therefore violins played in a cold environment have a harder
sound than violins played in a warm environment. Two large concert pianos
may be of the highest quality, but one has a harder sound suited for Baroque
or “Jazz” music, while the other has more tonality, more recommended for
Romantic music.
When listening to music, notice how small changes in starts and
sustains affect accents, how speeding up or slowing down notes for a
fraction of a second more or less alters the rhythm, how slight differences in
pitch change the balance of the music. sonority, how the bass line, the drum,
the fill, the lyrics, the arrangement, the production and the musicalization
add interest and meaning.
Listen to various recordings of, say, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony . Try
to get the best possible factors, such as the quality of the discs, the recording
format (stereo, mono, digital, analog), the audio system and the room. You
may be surprised at all the differences in sound and performance. You may
prefer the sound on one recording and the performance on another. Which
does not mean that one is necessarily better than the other; What it means is
that based on your perception, one is preferable to the other for various
reasons. Even some of them can be unpleasant.
Because the response to sound is personal, it is difficult to determine
norms and guidelines so listening is the key to capturing auditory
discernment. The ear is capable of constant development in its ability to
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analyze complex sounds. The way you develop your hearing sensitivity, so
will your level of audience capture. One way to accelerate the achievement
of this goal is by understanding the elements of sound structure and their
effects on response.
Sound structure and human response
For most of us, sound is elemental in our lives. He gives us all kinds
of cognitive information, information related to the mental process of
knowledge, reasoning, memory, judgment, perception and affective
information, information related to emotion, feelings and way of being.

sound categories
All sound can be grouped into three categories: music, sound and
speech. About music, philosopher Susanne Langer has written that it is an
analogous tone that forms the relations of human response, “a logical
similarity to conflict and resolution, to speed, arrest, terrifying excitement,
calm, the voids of the dream..."*. Music can also suggest a locality, a town,
a period in history. Similar features can also be made with sounds and
speech.
A fire or police car racing down the street creates a sense of
emergency even if the siren is not sounding. The loudness and ringing of a
church bell gives a sense of celebration, different from a slow and steady
“gong.” A pitcher warming up on his mound is often reminded of the
hardness of his pitch by the sound of the ball getting caught in the catcher's
glove. Thus, pitchers are not accustomed to the acoustics of a particular
position and have more difficulty correctly interpreting the impact of that
sound. Some hospitals install special types of whistlers on the gas tubes in
operating rooms so that anesthetists can ensure that the flow of gas or gas
mixture is correct for the patient. For example, helium is lighter than oxygen
and therefore its speed is greater, so the beep emitted by the valve will be
louder for helium than for oxygen. A mixture of the two gases will result in
a beep between the highest of helium and the lowest of oxygen. One purpose
of the so-called black box of airplanes is to record the sounds of the engines
so that a recording of the sound and its execution will be interesting in the
event of an accident. Bird watchers listen for a special trill or chirp that
indicates the presence of a particular bird. Most sounds tell us something.
The sound category that is most appreciated of those that give us
information is the spoken word. But appreciation of the meaning of the
unspoken sound in speech, that is, inflection, also plays an important part in
the interpretation of spoken words. When someone says, “Do you know
what I'm talking about? We understand what the phrase means. But by
putting the inflection in specific words, the meaning of the sentence can
change from a question, to worry, to condescend, to defense, to petition, to
anger. Previously, we read the phrase, “Good morning,” which on paper
means cordiality. But depending on how the words sound we will know if
they have a sincere meaning or a sense of commitment.
Sound design Stanley R. Alten Page7 of 11
 Although there are clear differences in how music, sound and speech
come together, they constitute the fundamental basic elements for the
structure of sound and for the derivation of meaning.

Components of sound structure

Among the most significant common elements for different types of
sound are pitch, volume, timbre (or tonal quality), time, rhythm, duration,
attack, and decay. Each element contains certain characteristics that affect
our response to a given sound, since these characteristics are part of the
music, sound, or speech.
Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is. The high-pitched sound
often suggests something delicate, bright, or elevated; The low-pitched
sound can indicate something sinister, harsh, or peaceful.
Volume describes the sound in terms of loudness or softness. The
loud sound can suggest closeness, strength, or importance; the soft sound
can describe distance, weakness or tranquility.
Timbre (or tone color) is the characteristic of the tonal quality of a
sound. It not only identifies a sound source, fluted, metallic, timbalic, but
also has sonic qualities such as richness, sharpness, edge, and metallic. The
reedy tonal qualities produced by a clarinet or oboe, for example, can
suggest something longing, lonely, or sweet. A metal sound can imply
something cold, hard, fierce, bitter, strong, martial, or grand. A timpani or
percussion sound can indicate drama, importance, or power.
Tempo simply refers to the speed of a sound. Fast tempos can agitate,
excite, or accelerate; slow tempos can suggest monotony, dignity, or control.
Rhythm , which refers to a sound timing pattern, can be simple,
constant, complex, or changing. A simple rhythm can indicate deliberation,
regularity, or a lot of complications. A constant rhythm can imply stupidity,
depression or uniformity. Complex rhythm can suggest complication or
elaboration. Changing rhythm can create a feeling of uncertainty, vigor or
confusion.
Attack – the way a sound begins – can be hard, soft, abrupt, or
gradual. Harsh or abrupt attacks may suggest violence, excitement, or
danger. Mild or gradual attacks imply something gentle, dull, or dull.
Duration refers to how long a sound lasts. A short sound in duration
may indicate restlessness, nervousness or excitement; More sustained
sounds can create the sense of peace, persistence or tiredness.
Decay (the rate at which a sound decays from a certain volume) can
be fast, gradual or slow. A rapid decay can create a sense of confinement,
confinement or definition; Slow decline may indicate distance, softness, or
uncertainty.
Other aspects of sound such as change in pitch and volume and
acoustic interference also affect the response. Of course, all these elements
are not heard individually but in combination.
Someone speaking in a high pitch, powerful voice, and at a fast pace
indicates excitement, regardless of the meaning the words may have. Low
Sound design Stanley R. Alten Page8 of 11
pitch, reducing volume and slow tempo can also indicate excitement, but
this combination of sounds suggests something deeper. Words spoken at a
deliberate time and in a reverberant, i.e. acoustically live, room may indicate
heavier content than the same words in an acoustically dead environment.
These same factors can be applied to music and sounds. A trumpet or
violin played high, loudly, and quickly may suggest excitement, agitation, or
joy, perhaps agitation in muted acoustics and joy in lively acoustics.
Knocking on a wooden or metal door can suggest agitation or joy.
And again, lowering the pitch, reducing the volume, and reducing the tempo
changes changes the response to something more serious, whether the sound
source is a trumpet, a violin, a wooden door, or a pile of metal cans.
That these characteristics are elemental in the structure of sound does
not suggest that sound design is prescriptive or developed by applying
formulas. In fact, all these tips may have many exceptions. They serve to
introduce and define the building blocks of sound from which the sound
designer models the auditory structure and meaning. Some of these
descriptions are not used in the fields associated with science and
engineering, whose correlation we will see in chapters 2 and 3.

Main points
1. Sound design represents the overall artistic style of the sound work in an
audio production.
2. A sound design can be developed and produced by a nominated sound
designer or by several people on the sound team, or by both.
3. Sound personnel have various titles and perform their duties such as
production console operators, microphone boom selection and operation,
production recording, sound effects production and recording, music
production, dialogue recording and re-recording. , editing and mixing,
also provide the necessary technical support to be able to execute these
operations.
4. It is essential that the sound designer is aware of the sound environment
and knows how to listen, how to perceive sound with careful and
sensitive attention.
5. Sound provides cognitive information (information related to the mental
process of knowledge, reasoning, memory, judgment or opinion and
perception) and affective information (information related to emotion,
feeling and way of being).
6. Sound can be grouped into three categories: music, sounds, and speech.
7. The basic components of sound structure include pitch, volume, timbre,
tempo, rhythm, attack, duration, and decay.

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