Designing Sound

by Andy Farnell

A practitioner's guide to the basic principles of creating sound effects using easily accessed free software. Designing Sound teaches students and professional sound designers to understand and create sound effects starting from nothing. Its thesis is that any sound can be generated from first principles, guided by analysis and synthesis. The text takes a practitioner's perspective, exploring the basic principles of making ordinary, everyday sounds using an easily accessed free software. Readers use the Pure Data (Pd) language to construct sound objects, which are more flexible and useful than recordings. Sound is considered as a process, rather than as data―an approach sometimes known as “procedural audio.” Procedural sound is a living sound effect that can run as computer code and be changed in real time according to unpredictable events. Applications include video games, film, animation, and media in which sound is part of an interactive process. The book takes a practical, systematic approach to the subject, teaching by example and providing background information that offers a firm theoretical context for its pragmatic stance. [Many of the examples follow a pattern, beginning with a discussion of the nature and physics of a sound, proceeding through the development of models and the implementation of examples, to the final step of producing a Pure Data program for the desired sound. Different synthesis methods are discussed, analyzed, and refined throughout.] After mastering the techniques presented in Designing Sound , students will be able to build their own sound objects for use in interactive applications and other projects

Genres: Music, Programming, Film, Design, Technical, Reference, Nonfiction

688 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2010

Reviews

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most comprehensive sound design books I have ever read. It covers all the most important general physical phenomena which produce and effect sound, this is huge for non-scientists. From psychoacoustics to synthesis, this presents quite a complete body of knowledge. It also has practical examples in PureData patch format to realistically recreate actual sounds. Amazing and worth the price.

[Grig O' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fundamental stuff, brilliantly laid out.

[Jimi Olivo]

I am concentrating on the Pure Data chapters which start at Chapter 9. The first 8 chapters will only be useful to me when I've become proficient with Pure Data (Extended).

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on sound creation and design. Get this book if you work with sound.