Efficiently Using the Frequency Spectrum
(p. 177)
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Tips for Cutting Dialogue
(p. 178)
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Tips for Cutting Music
(p. 181)
Learning to Describe Sound Accurately
Even if you aren’t destined to be a full-time sound designer, it is important to be able
to communicate about sound with sound designers and engineers. Practice verbally
describing what you hear, but avoid abstract adjectives whenever possible. Try to be as
specific as possible. Instead of asking for “outdoor sounds,” try “crickets near dusk, and
an occasional car passing on a distant highway.” Instead of saying “city sounds,” try
“blaring horns, footsteps on pavement, and an occasional helicopter sound.” These are
the details that make a sound mix convincing.
Efficiently Using the Frequency Spectrum
It’s fairly obvious that the most important sound in the mix should have the highest
level, but there are other methods for blending without increasing loudness. Most
sounds occupy a particular frequency range, so if you mix sounds in different ranges,
you can still maintain clarity without too much level adjustment. Too many sounds in
the same range can create cacophony.
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Part I
Audio Mixing
You can use equalizers to shape sound, making “holes” in the used frequency spectrum in
which you can then place other sounds. For example, if you are trying to make dialogue
in the 1–3 kHz range more audible over existing background sound, you could try
filtering the background sound to reduce the 1–3 kHz range instead of reducing the level
of the entire track. Equalization allows you to reduce the level of sounds only at selected
frequencies, making the mix clearer in that part of the spectrum.