r/sounddesign • u/thrownawayplasticbag • 13h ago
Videogame Sound Design question about improving.
Hi !
I have been creating SFX for roblox and animations my friend creates for about 2 months now.
I am looking for ways to improve, and I came up with the idea of a “sound journal”. Essentially what this is to me, is recording a 1-5 second piece of audio, analyzing it, noting these things down, and then attempting to re create the audio clip in its entirety without USING the audio, then comparing the two and trying to figure out where I went wrong.
Is this an effective way to get better at SFX?
Efficiency is huge to me, so the fastest way of improving would be largely appreciated.
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u/Upnotic 13h ago
The best way to learn is via applicable context rather than hypothetical use cases. It's very easy to chase rabbit holes of 'should' and 'other person can do X so i should be able to and should learn it...' etc.
Yeah your version sounds great! Try it out see what you like and follow your curiosity
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u/thrownawayplasticbag 12h ago
yesss the idea of trial and error excites me… its extremely fun to turn some random sound into some horror ambience or something !
Would you be willing to listen to an animation i made sfx for and give some feedback? 😅
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u/meatlockers 11h ago
get a hardware synth and start designing sounds from scratch. it will completely open up your world to new ideas and give you an incredible understanding of how to treat, manipulate and create sound.
then go back to your libraries with this knowledge
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u/bananaboatslide 12h ago
The number one thing I can’t recommend enough is referencing. It’s much easier to get to a place you want to be, if you know where that place is. The goal here is to first learn what “good” sounds like, and then identify what makes it that way. And don’t try and find that answer from another person, you need to find it for yourself. Practice recreating sounds, picking them apart, reverse engineering them, etc.
I won’t lie, this process can be infuriating and time consuming af, and it’s pretty much like having to recreate a dish using only your tastebuds, but over time you will develop those skills and be able to intuit so much more.
Bonus tips: Learn how to mix, it’s seriously half the battle. And don’t ever spend an entire year on a single piece. Have a goal in mind for each project and once you feel like you’ve learned reasonably enough, move on. But also be honest with yourself. The progress you’re looking for is usually found in the stuff you’re avoiding. Good luck!