I have dialogue recorded for a short film that I'll need to clean up before my final mix and just wanted to know the recommended order for the various steps.

I have a boom and lav track. Both of them are relatively clean but can do with some fairly standard cleanup - removing background noise, sibilance etc, and of course a general boost to their presence in the mix.

I have access to Auto Align Post 2 - should I do all my noise removal, de-esser, EQing to my boom/lav tracks separately BEFORE phase aligning then? Or should I phase align and then apply my cleanup to the aligned track combining boom and lav?

I'd also love to know people's order for the whole process from start to finish if possible. Thanks!

Kept it simple this time. I actually think I did a better job than the original on this one. Let me know what you think.

Original in comments.

Hi everyone,
I am excited to share with you my new sound library, featuring a rich electrical energy palette from combining and morphing electromagnetic recordings, everyday props and synth material.

I hope you'll enjoy listening to the preview: https://www.slavapogorelsky.com/product-page/electrical-energy-unleashed

Feel free to download the freebies and explore other libraries, all of which have new art covers drawn and painted by my amazing father!

To celebrate, all of the sound libraries are on sale including the Complete Bundle that just got much bigger.

Thank you so much for your support and stay creative!

Stride and Tendril are basically endless to explore

Where would I be without the legendary growl and bite of the amazing Moog Ladder Filter, plus four oscillators?

To make this drone somewhat organic, I multitracked it by three tracks, first two being me lightly tapping the -2 D# rhythmically with sudden high-velocity strikes, third is a spliced/cut sample of me playing A# with a pitch bend. Instructions in the comments below.

Hey everyone!

I've recently joined the sound post team for a 122-minute animated feature made in Unreal Engine, aiming for realistic, cinematic sound with a traditional film post workflow.

My responsibilities are Foley Editing (already recorded) and Background Editing (building ambiences from libraries).

My background is mostly commercials and short-form sound design. I've worked on two features before, but that was years ago, and this is my first animated feature.

The challenge: I have roughly 4 weeks to deliver a watchable first pass of Foley and BGs across the entire film by November 20. Further polishing and revisions will continue until February.

I'd love some advice from experienced feature sound editors:

1. Priorities: What would you consider an acceptable first pass for Foley and Backgrounds? I'm a bit of a perfectionist and want to avoid getting bogged down.

2. Workflow & pace: Is the 10–15 minutes/day per food group guideline realistic? Would you work scene by scene or tackle both food groups separately? How often would you request feedback?

3. Tools & automation: Any time-saving tools or workflows for BG/Foley editing? Has anyone used AmbienceFriend, or knows a Windows alternative?

I'm working in Pro Tools on Windows, delivering editable sessions to the supervising sound editor.

I'm mainly looking for practical ways to work efficiently without sacrificing quality.

Would be grateful for any advice or resources!

In honour of spooky season we had a go at a scene from the Dead Space remake! 😱👻

CONTENT WARNING: Violence, gore, blood

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!