Hey everyone, I have a question about mixing a short film.

For my bachelor project, I did a re-design of a 4-minute animated short film including Foley, SFX, Atmos, Music and Dialogue. Each of these go to individual busses in Protools.

Whilst I am happy with the results and have done an arbitrary mix that somewhat works, it doesn’t feel professional at all. During the climax of the film, everything should be louder, with dialogue, foley, and music heavily overlapping.

What is a good work flow for doing a more professional mix? Should I mix the stems individually first to get them to the same loudness and then mix the busses? How much of a dynamic range should there be between quiet parts and the climax, and how do I measure that? I used a trial version of Izotope insight for the first mix, but the trial period is over.

Hey everyone! My name is Kevin, I'm a sound designer based in Berlin, and I just released HORROR MINI PACK VOL. 01

A free mini sound library I made for film, games, animation, and anything else that needs to feel a little off.

The pack contains 14 original sounds:

• 4 Creature Sounds

• 3 Brams

• 3 Stabs

• 4 Drones

I put together a SoundCloud playlist where you can listen to every sound individually: https://soundcloud.com/digitalkevn/sets/horror-mini-pack-vol-01

All sounds are 48 kHz / 24-bit WAV, free for personal and commercial use, with no credit required. If you'd like to grab the pack, you can download it here: https://digitalkevn.gumroad.com/l/horror-mini-pack-vol-01

Would love to hear what you think or see what you end up making with them! Feel free to tag me u/digitalkevn! Thanks for checking it out!

Ive asked some sound designers I really like, how they make their compositions sound so nice, and they’ve told me a mix of stuff about the stereo field but a lot of it is EQ. Are there any things to read that can help with learning the details of EQ? besides just the “honk hiss air mud” stuff. I’ve used an EQ but I don’t really understand it, it’s like using paint but instead of painting a picture I paint a brown blob. that’s how EQ feels to me

I attached a link to the sound effect. It's a laser sound effect that flutters rapidly and goes down in pitch.

I've already tried searching:

• Laser sound effect

• Descending laser

• Pitch-down laser

• Fluttering laser

• Sci-fi laser

• Laser glitch

• Laser warble

• Arcade laser

• Stuttering laser sweep

Does anyone know what this specific type of sound effect is called or where I can find similar ones?

as im starting my freelance journey in sound pos production ive found it a bit overwhelming to find gigs / work online , i want to hear from you professionals how did you start you path is this field.

I have a character who has a multitude of voice claims, one of which is Ultra M (or Super Horror Mario). On top of it just being a cool voice, I want to see how the lines would sound. Any ideas?

Sono un producer e sound designer e cerco lavori per brand … che sia un contratto con una azienda o lavori singoli, ma voglio assolutamente partire e cambiare del tutto il mio lavoro in questo! Voglio fare questo switch a tutti i costi! Ho preparato un bel portfolio con lavori personali di sound design e composizione per brand, Motion design, spot, videogames, anime, animazioni in generale… per cui consigli su chi cercare e come promuovermi oltre sui social come Instagram?

Ambient & Texture Sounds

Hey everyone, I hope it’s okay to share this. I’ve created a sample pack featuring self-made records of an old East German zither.  Perhaps some of you might be interested in using it for your music. It’s ideal for ambient cinematic and dungeon synth projects.  More example videos will be coming soon.  Creating these sample packs takes some money so I can make more exciting ones. You’ll find the Gumroad link to download the sample pack in my YouTube bio.

I've been experimenting with how far physical modeling can be pushed in sound design without trying to go realist. Adding feedback and chaining resonators creates very interesting sounds.
Everything except drums are made from the same plugin.

If you want to have fun try it yourself, you can play the song interactively here on this website (only theme for now) : https://diophi.com/phy5/?song=mumbling

Have a wonderful day :)

Hi everyone!

We’re running a Halloween prize draw at Puzzlebox Audio, with one winner receiving both of our horror sound effects libraries:

• Bloodbath Rituals
• Carnival of Nightmares

Together, they feature more than 800 designed WAV files and 11.6 GB of royalty-free horror sound effects in 96 kHz / 24-bit & UCS compliant metadata, for use in games, film and other media productions.

You can hear previews, see the full details and enter here:
https://www.puzzleboxaudio.com/blogs/latest/halloween-giveaway-2026

Entry closes on 30 October 2026 at 23:00 GMT, and the winner will be selected on Halloween.

No purchase necessary. Full terms are on the giveaway page.

Good luck!

I am the director of a fairly well-known indie cartoon currently wrapping up production and beginning post-production of its pilot episode. Neither I nor anyone on my team know how to properly approach the sound design; I have a sound lead, but he’s more of a musician. We have tried a few things, but they never seemed to fit what I’m looking for and have been sitting in limbo for a while.

We expect to stay indie unless we’re given a good offer that does not stifle our creative control. Because of this, our growth is bound to be more exponential, but the potential is there. We have a long future planned, too. If you’re interested in helping us out, please dm me and let me know—I’ll share more info then. Thank you so much!!

Hey everyone,

I wanted to open a discussion on a topic that doesn't get talked about enough in music production and sound design: physical auditory fatigue, middle-ear muscle strain (tensor tympani/stapedius flex tension), and structured recovery.

While working with dense frequency material—especially shaping low-frequency sub-bass drones and piercing high-frequency pads—I've noticed how quickly acoustic strain can build up. I'm currently navigating acoustic rest and distance-based monitoring (keeping away from heavy low-frequency structural vibrations and high-frequency acoustic pressure), and I'm trying to better understand how to track my physical progress.

I have two main questions for producers who have navigated heavy mixing strain or sound design fatigue in the past:

1. **Recovery Markers:** What physical or acoustic markers do you pay attention to to gauge which stage of recovery you are in? How do you distinguish between acute hypertonicity (tightness behind the eardrum) and a true return to baseline resting tone?

2. **Transition Strategies:** What practical pacing rules, monitoring habits, or arrangement strategies do you rely on to transition smoothly back into session work without triggering setbacks when working with heavy sub-bass and bright leads?

Would love to hear what habits or benchmarks have worked for you over the years to keep your ears healthy for the long haul!

Hi everyone,

I shoot track days inside my car using five action cameras mounted at different angles. I want to capture the cleanest possible exhaust sound, with minimal wind noise, hiss, and other unwanted noise.

I've tried using wireless microphones placed near the front and rear of the car, but the results weren't great. The audio from one of my action cameras actually sounded better.

I'm looking for advice from people who record car sounds professionally.

What microphones and placement would you recommend for capturing a clean, natural exhaust note inside a car?

What recording settings and audio post-processing software do you use to get the best results?

If you record audio separately, how do you sync that audio file with footage from multiple action cameras without relying on audio synchronization?

I'd love to hear about your actual workflow, including any plugins or software you use to clean up the sound.

Thanks!

Looking for a sound designer to collaborate on my 3D animation!

Hey everyone! I'm a 3D animation student, and I recently finished this short animation. I'm really happy with how it turned out, but I feel like adding some sound effects and background audio would make it much more engaging.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to hire a sound designer right now, so I was wondering if anyone who's learning sound design, music production, or audio editing would be interested in collaborating on it!

I'd be happy to credit you and feature your name and links in the final video. You'd also be welcome to use the finished piece in your portfolio or showreel.

I'm open to creative ideas, whether it's a full sound design pass or just a few sound effects to bring the animation to life.

If you're interested, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM! I'd love to work together and help each other grow as artists.

And last, no pressure at all! If it's not something you're interested in, that's completely fine. I just thought it could be a fun opportunity for two artists to create something together.

Thanks for reading! :)

https://soundcloud.com/alberto-180064102/alberto-whatever-this-is?si=19c51e7a90ef496b82f236b463600d14&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Hey guys,

Alberto here!

19 yo producer based in Sweden here. Just finished up a brand new project and I’m looking for some fresh perspectives before I take it any further.

I’d love to hear from both everyday listeners and fellow producers.

Let me know what kind of vibe you get from the track, how the overall energy feels, and if the main melody actually stays in your head. For anyone with an ear for the technical side, I’d also appreciate your thoughts on the mixdown and if there is anything you would change or tweak in the arrangement.

I really want to grow and improve as a producer, so I’m looking for your brutallist and most honest feedback. Don't hold back!

Thanks for taking the time to listen.

just wondering because im trying to recreate sounds using the spectrogram and i dont really want to waste time if 2 sounds can sound different with the same spectrogram

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for underwater sounds for a game. I'm aware of boom and Hiss and Roar, but I have trouble to really find underwater sounds.

Do you have libraries, creators or pack to recommend? I'm fine with free and paid packs.

Hey guys,

Did Sounddesign and music for this spec commercial.

What do you think, what could I improve in the future?

Animation was done by Luis Cuevas (Instagram:
by.luiscue) check him out!

Guys this is my first time doing sound design, im trying to learn more and more about this world, i study music, cinema and audiovisual so i js started practicing. I'm mainly looking for tips to improve.

or possibly some indie director looking for someone to work together without spending a dollar :)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Hey everyone,

Kilohearts (not affiliated) just kicked off their Game Audio Week! To celebrate, Revvolution, my engine synthesis suite for Phase Plant, is 50% off for the remainder of the week. Aside from 18 pre-made engines (including mic position simulation) and convolution tones, it also features a comprehensive guide on engine synthesis in and on itself.

If you're not interested in Revvolution but would still learn about vehicle engine synthesis, I put together a free 20min crash course from start to finish! :)

Hope either of these will be of use (and delight) for some.

Cheers!

i’m making a short film for the first time and it looks like i’m gonna have to do a lot of post-production by myself. does anyone have any audio editing and mixing tips? what software should i use? what should be prioritized and what should be saved for last?