Sound Design & the Earworm
Graphic designers, more and more, are being required to be involved in more than just visual design. In fact sometimes the “graphic” part takes a far back seat to what is often required. Job descriptions have grown by leaps and bounds with options such as web design, UX/UI, motion design, copy writing, sound design, typography, print design and now VR/MR/AR that is to say, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, and Augmented Reality, shouldering its way onto the scene. It’s easy to see why I value a design education that allows students to experience and experiment with many types of design applications. My good friend Professor Jerry Johnson calls this intermedia. To clarify, intermedia is the intersection of many forms of media including both digital and analog sources. To that end, I’ve always been a strong proponent of the inclusion of sound design as a component in design education.
Sound Design on the Cheap
We now have a sound studio in the art building. I had lobbied for its inclusion when the building was in the planning stages. I had spent enough time in the old building trying to rig a quiet room to have students record narration, music, or Foley for motion design. The classroom was every room. In other words, it was the photo studio, conference room and, of course, sound booth for sound design. Many of our setups were guerrilla at best and downright ugly most of the time. Of course, as a professor, I kept my expectations high. Even so, no matter what we did to isolate the sound, it was never quite enough. Ambient sounds were rampant! We continually battled the hum of fluorescent lighting overhead. The whir of computer fans, and students roaming the hallways wreaked havoc on the sound compressors.
New & Improved: Now with More Worm
Now, because we have the new Windgate Art & Design Building on the UAFS campus, we have a great space to record. A control room with some great gear and a padded recording area just big enough for a small 3 piece lies just behind an unassuming door at the back of one of our computer labs. It’s great. Just today, I was able to help a couple of students create some catchy music beds for their logo animations. Once the student has a handle on how to operate the studio they can bring in musicians, use their own talent, or, if I’m lucky, ask me to play! It really is a perk.
We put together the following tunes for an animated logo project. I have the students bring in samples of music that represent the right emotional tone and we work together to create a new cut that is different but reflects that same feeling.
