SOUND DESIGN F.A.Q.

Why is the volume on my sound files lower than other stuff I buy?

All files are Mastered to the Broadcast Standard of 79dB SPL, C weighted. This is achieved by playing pink noise through the monitoring system, then using a Sound Pressure Level meter, set the volume of the speakers to 79db on the meter. This becomes the reference level for the room. Files Mastered at this level will be lower in volume than most sound effects files from the internet. But this prevents inadvertently playing extremely loud sounds risking damage to your speakers and ears! 

What does a Sound Designer do?

A Sound Designer creates sounds that don’t exist in reality. Think Light Sabres, Dragons, Monsters, Space Lasers and Transporters to name a few. They also help immerse the viewer in the experience and support the emotional narrative of the production along with the score. 

What’s the difference between Sound Design and Sound Editing?

Sound Editors edit audio captured during the production and ‘cut’ in SFX from their extensive libraries. A Sound Editor will cover all the ambiances, cars, bikes, motorcycles, etc. A Sound Designer creates sounds that don’t really exist in reality, such as spooky ambiances, tension building tones and swooshes, scary monsters, space ships etc.

What does UCS Compliant Meta Data mean?

The Universal Category System (UCS) is a public domain initiative by Tim Nielsen, Justin Drury, Kai Paquin, among others, and is supported by sound librarians, vendors, and users from around the globe. Here is an excerpt from the UCS website that explains what it is:  Our aim is to provide and encourage the use of a set category list for the classification of sound effects. We hope that in doing so, we can offer a framework for consistent categorization of sound effects, offer uniformity in a filename structure, and ease the pain of maintaining a sound effects library. We also hope to provide tools to make naming and categorizing sound effects easier for everyone who maintains their own personal or a professional library.  

What does it mean to be Mastered at 79dB SPL?

See above, “Why is the volume on my sound files lower than other stuff I buy?”

What is a LFE Hi-Cut at 120 Htz?

All Low Frequency Effect sound files, or Low End Rumble have a high cut at 120 Hertz. This means that there’s no sound or frequencies above 120 hertz to muddy up your mix, just pure low-end power.

What is the DTS Standard for Surround Files?

The Dolby DTS Standard for channel arrangement for 5.1 surround files is as follows: Left – Right – Left Surround – Right Surround – Center – LFE. So please make sure you have your DAW set up for Dolby DTS Surround Files. Otherwise you might get your Center Channel coming out of your Left Surround.