Spatial Audio Design / Project 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LECTURE
Week 1 / Sound Fundamentals
- Sound is caused by vibrations.
- Vibrating objects make the air around them move (sound waves).
- Sound waves travel through air (or other mediums).
- These waves make our eardrums vibrate.
- The brain interprets these vibrations as sound.
- There are three phases of sound:
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- Production: The source that creates the sound
- Propagation: How the sound travels through a medium.
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Perception: How our ears and brain receive and understand the sound.
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- Outer Ear:
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The visible part of the ear and the ear canal.
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Collects sound and directs it to the eardrum.
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Middle Ear:
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Sound waves make the eardrum vibrate.
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Vibrations are passed to three tiny bones: malleus, incus, and stapes.
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Inner Ear:
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Vibrations move fluid inside the cochlea.
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This creates electrical signals.
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Signals go to the brain, which recognizes the sound.
- All sounds are made by vibrations.
- In humans, vibrations are produced by the vocal cords.
- Transverse Wave
- Particles move at a right angle to the wave’s direction.
Longitudinal Wave
- Particles vibrate parallel to the wave’s direction.
- Sound is a longitudinal wave.
- Wavelength: Distance between two similar points on a wave. It shows the length of the wave.
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- Amplitude: The height of a wave when seen as a graph. A higher amplitude means a louder sound.
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- Frequency: the number of waves that pass in one second. It is measured in kilohertz (kHz). A higher frequency means a higher pitch.
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- Echo: Happens when sound bounces back after hitting a surface.
- Vibration per second = Frequency
- Less vibration = low pitch = low frequency, vice versa
- 1 Hz = 1 cycle per second
- Range of human hearing: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
5. Envelope ( shows how a sound changes—when it gets loud, soft, or stays steady )
6. Spatialization ( This tells us where a sound is coming from—left, right, near, or far )
Week 2 / Basic Sound Designing Tools
2. Time Stretching / Compression
3. Pitch Shifting
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Higher pitch = small or cute sounds (e.g. chipmunk)
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Lower pitch = big or scary sounds (e.g. monster)
4. Reversing
5. Mouthing It
Week 3 / Sound in Space ( Environment )
Diegetic Sound
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Sound that the characters in the film can hear.
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Examples: Dialogue, weather sounds, traffic, weapons, background music playing inside the scene (like from a radio), and some voiceovers.
- Purpose:
- Helps build the world the characters live in.
- Even sounds we don’t see (like footsteps off-screen) can add depth and tension.
- It gives us a sense of the environment and helps with storytelling.
- Special use: Can be adjusted so we hear exactly what a character hears.
Internal Diegetic Sound
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Sound that comes from inside a character’s mind, like their inner thoughts or imagination.
- The audience hears it, but other characters do not.
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Example: A character thinking to themselves or imagining a sound.
Non-Diegetic Sound
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Not heard by the characters.
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Examples: Background music (film score), sound effects added for mood, and narration from outside the story.
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Purpose:
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Adds emotion or energy to the scene.
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Can highlight a moment, especially in action or comedy (like a sound to finish a joke).
Trans-Diegetic Sound
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When sound shifts between diegetic and non-diegetic.
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Example: Music we thought was background score suddenly turns out to be playing on a character’s radio.
Creative Exceptions
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Filmmakers sometimes bend the rules for dramatic effect.
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In Psycho: We hear Norman’s inner voice, which is his mother’s personality taking over.
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In La La Land: Background music in the restaurant slowly blends into the character’s imagination as internal music.
Week 4 / Soundscape
Soundscape:(A Scene Made by Sound )
A soundscape is a type of environment created through sound. When we hear certain sounds, they make us imagine a place or a moment. Everything around us makes sound, and each sound is connected to something.
What can Soundscape do?
Soundscapes can help us understand many things, such as:
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Test 1: Distance – How near or far something is.
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Test 2: Space – Whether a place feels big or small.
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Test 3: Direction – Where the sound is coming from.
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Test 4: Temperature – If a place feels hot or cold.
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Test 5: Weight – If something sounds heavy or light.
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Test 6: Time/Era – What time or history does the sound remind us of.
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Test 7: Emotion – How the sound makes us feel.
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Test 8: Nostalgia – Sounds that remind us of the past.
How We Understand Sounds:
Instinctual – Some sounds feel safe or cute (like high-pitched sounds), while others feel scary or serious (like low-pitched sounds).
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Learnt – We learn what certain sounds mean by experience or from others.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Week 1
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| Fig.3.1.2 eq-2, Week 1, 22.4.2025 |
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Equalizer 4
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Week 2
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After receiving feedback in Week 4, I made changes to the three sounds that Mr. Razif pointed out.
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| Fig.3.2.7 Adjusted Walkie Talkie effect, Week 4, 13.5.2025 |
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| Fig.3.2.8 Adjusted Airport announcement effect, Week 4, 13.5.2025 |
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| Fig.3.2.8 Adjusted Stadium announcement effect, Week 4, 13.5.2025 |
Week 3
We learned how to edit sound and place it where we want. For my immersive design specialization, I set the mix to 5.1. Animation students use stereo for their mix.
Here’s a comparison between stereo and 5.1:
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Stereo uses 2 channels (left and right) for basic sound direction, commonly used in music and media.
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5.1 uses 6 channels (front, rear, center, subwoofer) to create surround sound, providing a more immersive experience, typically used in movies and games.
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| Fig.3.3.3 Track Automation, Week 3, 6.5.2025 |
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Environment 1
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1. Background Sounds
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Low hum from machines or lab equipment
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Soft whoosh from air ventilation or fans
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Light electric buzzing for a high-tech feel
2. Tree Chamber Sounds
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Gentle bubbling or water flowing
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Wind blowing inside the tube
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Occasional gas or steam hissing
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Faint glowing or scanning sound
3. Human Sounds
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Muffled footsteps on metal floor
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Distant voices or conversation
4. Computer Sounds
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Typing noises
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Soft electronic beeps or computer hums
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1. Background Sounds
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Lab ambient (general background hum)
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Low buzzing from power machines
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Occasional loud electric zapping
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Air ventilation system whooshing
2. Laser Machine Sounds
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High-pitched sound when the laser charges up
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Laser firing sound (sci-fi zap)
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Beep or alarm after the laser is done
3. Lab Sounds
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Beeps and clicks from floating screens
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Whirring sounds from robot arms (servo motors)
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Scanning or radar-like pinging sounds
4. Human Sounds
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Footsteps on metal floors
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Muffled background talking
5. Computer Sounds
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Soft typing sounds
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Button beeps from control panels
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Robotic voice giving alerts or messages
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FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
In these four weeks, I learned some basic sound editing skills, like using the parametric equalizer and adding reverb. I also learned how to place sounds in different directions. It was a bit hard for me because I think my ears are not very sensitive. Sometimes, I couldn’t hear the changes after I edited the sound. Adobe Audition is a new software for me, so I spent most of my time learning how to use it. Even though it was not easy, this project gave me a good chance to train my ears and learn a new skill. I hope I can do better as I keep learning this semester.
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