Help with Sound Effects

I'm reasonably close to completing my current project.

http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=69008

It's fully playable and just needs the front end and a couple of editors before I'm done. The later are currently being worked on.

Sound Effects always seem to be the biggest issue for me with most of the projects I've worked on over the years. I know that there are quite a few sites which offer free sound effects but as you'll know there's no consistency to them so are difficult to integrate into your projects. They are good for placeholders but most are probably not free for commercial or shareware titles.

I have a couple of questions.

1. Is there any free software out there which is useful for making your own effects?

2. What do all you guys do for sounds?

3. Are there any sound specific sites where I could negotiate with sound engineers?

4. Does anyone here fancy collaborating with me?

Cheers
Stevie

I don't know if this is of any good but it's a cheap app that produces some really nice SFX.

http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=65932

It's cheap as chips and very usefull. I don't know of any free apps that can produce soundFX that work properly.

:)

The only free software that I occasionaly use is Audacity, but that's basically a wave editor and a format converter.

The other stuff that I bought are the Apple Jam Packs and third party packs, Apple Logic Express, Apple Soundtrack Pro and Propellerhead Reason. I do not have it, but Ableton Live also is an awesome tool; for must things it could basically replace both Logic and Soundtrack. But I don't know of any free software that could replace those commercial products and/or the commercial sound libraries that allow you to use them in your own projects.

If you need music, you could check www.jamendo.com and either try to find some works that come with a compatible licence for your project or you can try and contact the artists and ask them for their permission to use their works. There are some VERY good musicians on Jamendo, and it definitely is worth a try.

For soundeffects, however, I don't know. Try to find some commercial samplers with compatible licences, like the Apple Jam Packs (yes, they do also contain effect samples). But really read the licence carefully - for example, the Star Trek effects sampler would NOT allow you to re-use the samples on it.

The other option: Buy a microphone and a portable recorder and walk around a bit. Elevators in subway stations, for example, create some very spooky windy sounds, and there is an unbelievable amount of other great locations out there that you could use as a sound source. You would also be amazed how far one can get with a rather simple tool like Audacity and the "right" samples.

I'm at the same stage, Steve. I have amazed myself with the quality of sound I have produced with nothing more than the mic on my webcam and sndrec32 that comes with windows, eg: Splattering baddie sound from a rasperry overlaid with the sound of crushing pasta.

How about starting a sfx archive for Blitz users? To get access you have to provide say 10 sfx, deemed to be of suitable quality. You can then use any effect from the archive for free, including commercial projects.

I just remembered how they made the "unscrewing of the (martian) cylinder" in Orson Welles' radio play of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds: They actually held a thermos flask and a microphone in a toilet seat and then recorded how somebody opened the flask. At least that's what they showed in the movie based upon the mass hysteria event that the radio show caused when it was first broadcasted. Pretty cool. ;-)

Audacity is good.. To do any kind of foley work you are going to need a good mic tho.

I've done some, and a lady-friend of mine just got outta school for it. So if you know exactly what you need shoot me an e-mail and I'll tell you if I can help out.

I might do it for free... But If you want someone who knows what they are doing, hehe, then you might have to pay that lady-friend I mentioned.

Depending on what you need, I should be able to help..

Hi Stevie,

The only real response I can give is to no. 4:

4. Yes I would like to collaborate with you. By this I mean I work for a fraction of the royalties you receive from a completed project. I really enjoyed your demo and I have good experience creating music + sfx for several developers on this forum. I would like to see you complete something with what you have done, and I'd like to help if I can.

Myself, I work in a fairly relaxed manner, as I do have a day job, but I believe quality matters to me above rushing something out. I will work to deadlines if you have them.

If you want me to help, I'd be happy to - and I can supply samples of my music work. E-mail at sonicfactory.co.uk :) cheers Chris

Stevie,

I am busy, but I like to compose music and play with sounds in my spare time. I am not *fantastic* however I have done contract work before and if I create anything you can use, you're free to use them. (no need for a contract here, I'd just like to see if I can help!)

Drop me an email and i'll see if I think I can help :)

If you can afford to hire someone, Go for that route.

what sort of sounds are you looking for?

Thanks for all the responses folks - I've sent a couple of e-mails.

Cheers
Stevie

http://www.cromdesign.nl/sfx/

With regular paper you would be able to make any sound possible. The vibrating things in sound boxes are made of paper like stuff.
Record paper in front of the mic. Roll it. Blow thru it. Talk thru it. Rip it apart. Whister thru it. Go banana's.

Get a banana box at a local store and take the thick paper out of it and start experimenting. There was a old CU Amiga article on it. "The horse's head"

Playing with yer voice is also a good way of increasing the ways to get sound effects quickly(own). Talking with the people or things in a movie really helps train your voice.
Removing characters from words and speaking them changes the accent. Accents are also present in sound effects. You can actually hear accents and language in sound effects. In music to.

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