SOUND DESIGN
These definitions of sound design skill levels are to help you decide whether you’re at the right stage in your development to get the best from and keep up with the rest of the group should you join one of our short courses. They relate only to our short courses, and are not intended as a more generalized scale of competency for the entire discipline of sound design.
FRESHER
- Can sculpt and shape sound in a DAW
- Is competent with manipulating and editing these functions:
Cut / Edit / EQ / Bounce/ Volume/ Fades/ Curves/ Import/ Export/ Pan - Basic knowledge of what audio effects do to sounds
- Understand the difference between Midi tracks, and Audio tracks
- Knows how to arrange and edit audio clips/regions on a timeline
- Understands Sample rate & creating a DAW file from scratch
- Inexperienced specifically working sound design to picture
NOVICE
- Has mastered Fresher skillset, and competent applying it tracklaying sound design to picture
INTERMEDIATE
- Has mastered Fresher and Novice skillsets
- Can edit and tailor sounds to picture on the timeline to closely fit moving image narrative
- Can layer sounds on the timeline to create sound design to fit moving image narrative
- Is competent with sculpting and shaping sound using EQ, Levels, Layering, FX, Dynamic tools, (eg in the box reverb, delay, exciters, compressors) and has used dynamic tools to increase dynamic range
- Is competent with timestretching and bitcrush
- Good knowledge of what audio effects do, and when/how to use them
- Can use synthesis presets
- Has created some original sounds from samples/pre-existing foley recordings/pre-existing digital source
- Has manipulated sounds using digital plugins and presets
ADVANCED
- Created their own sounds from digital source and processed/mixed them
- Has used advanced FX and processing tools to manipulate the sounds eg /granulizer/spectral morphing
- Good knowledge of indepth audio terminology and why these concepts are important including Phase, DC offset, LFOs, Sample Rates, Bit Resolution, Peak, Transient, SMPTE, dB Scales
- Automating FX parameters to manipulate sound
- High competency in synthesis