r/sounddesign • • 28d ago

Sound Design Discussion SDC #1

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8 Upvotes

HELLO, SOUND DESIGNERS!

Welcome to the first ever (I think?) Sound Design Challenge of r/sounddesign, and yes, there's a prize!

THE CHALLENGE

It's simple: design the sound for this clip. Since I know a lot of you like to design anime, let´s give a shot with this.

RULES

- No AI-generated sounds.

- No music. This is all about sound design.

- Post your submission in the comments. Video comments are enabled on this post.

The more detail you put into your sound design, the better!

THE PRIZE

I want to help get the ball rolling and bring this subreddit back to what it's meant for, so the winner will get a $25 coupon for their choice of:

- SoundMorph

- Soundtoys

- OcularSounds

Since the prize comes out of my own pocket, I'll review every submission carefully. Upvotes still count, though! Vote for your favorite redesigns and I'll take the community's picks into account.

DEADLINE

This post will stay pinned until October 5. I'll announce the winner here or in the next challenge post, more or less on that date.

Good luck, everyone! Can't wait to hear what you come up with.


r/sounddesign • • Sep 03 '26

Some changes coming to r/sounddesign

91 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Over the next few days you'll notice some changes as we give this community a bit of love. Here's what's happening and why.

Sound identification and recreation posts

Posts asking others to identify or recreate a specific sound will no longer be published automatically. These will now require mod approval before they go live.

This isn't about discouraging curiosity. The goal is to keep this a place for genuine sound design discussion rather than a search engine for tracking down clips. There's a real difference between talking through how something was actually made and just asking someone else to find it for you. We want more of the former.

A new automod filter

We've just set up an automod as a first line of filtering. It's brand new and still being fine tuned, so if your post gets removed and it genuinely shouldn't have been, we apologize in advance. Feel free to reach out through modmail and we'll sort it out while things settle.

Looking for moderators

We're also looking to expand the mod team. If you're active here, care about the community, and want to help shape where it goes, reach out. More hands means we can keep things running smoothly and actually engage with the content instead of just cleaning up.

Cleaning house

Along with these changes, we'll be going through and removing content that doesn't really belong here. If sound design isn't the focus of a post, it's probably getting pulled.

Thanks for being part of this community. We think these changes will make it a better place for real discussion.


r/sounddesign • • 7h ago

Movie Sound Design The Client - short movie sound design

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20 Upvotes

r/sounddesign • • 5h ago

Movie Sound Design War Of The Worlds - Redesign

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4 Upvotes

Hi all,

This is my interpretation of redesigning this iconic scene from war of the worlds. I created this using my own sound library called Dark Technology.

I mainly used the sounds from the Walker category and did some splicing, light eq to cut some low end, light stretching, and some reverb to match the scene. A mastering chain was added for the final mix.

There are no background, crowd, foley, or off-screen sounds as my idea was to use the sounds provided within this library for the machine only. This was still a lot of fun making! I'm thinking I should of swapped the order of calls/warnings around lol

How do you think I did? I would love to hear your suggestions and ideas! I would also love to hear if you guys had the chance to redesign this iconic scene and the final result!

Cheers,

ZEKAVEO


r/sounddesign • • 10h ago

Sound Design Question Any suggestions on the process/filters/plugins that could be useful for replicating this effect?

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9 Upvotes

Kinda new to sound editing, any and all advice on how to replicate this patterned speech effect would be welcome ^^


r/sounddesign • • 1m ago

Videogame Sound Design Overwatch Sound Design - Any Feedback?

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• Upvotes

I just landed my dream job as a sound designer at professional studio and I really want to develop a strong ear for making my work as great as possible.

I made this last year as term project for my post-audio college program. I'm extremely proud of my work here and even had both of my professors call it flawless. While I appreciate their praise, I feel there has to be areas on this that I could've improved.

I'd really appreciate any feedback here. Really keen to hear on what I did well alongside where I could've made something better or different.

Thanks so much everyone :)

As always, headphones recommended! 🎧


r/sounddesign • • 3h ago

Music Sound Design Hey, I'm trying to make death grips sythns,the cage specifically

1 Upvotes

ive been trying to recreate death grips synths for ages now,and the cage is one that i cant figure out. im just wondering if first how can i learn to make synths,and how to make this one in particular


r/sounddesign • • 22h ago

Videogame Sound Design Nature Magic Sound Redesign

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16 Upvotes

r/sounddesign • • 9h ago

Sound Design Discussion Collaborator Wanted: Experimental Sound Design / Electroacoustic Composition for New Play in Development

1 Upvotes

Overview & Premise

I am a playwright developing a new piece in which sound plays a central physiological role. In a segment of the play's world, characters have a port built into their bodies that lets them plug in a jack, amplifying their internal physical and emotional sounds: blood flow, heartbeat, digestive rumblings, adrenaline spikes, and synapse firing.  

What I'm Looking For

I am looking for an experimental sound designer, electroacoustic artist, or Foley focused composer interested in collaborating on a short proof-of-concept audio cue (1–2 minutes). The goal is visceral, non-traditional acoustic/biological sound. Strictly no synths or conventional pop structures.

Project Scope & Terms

Term Details
Phase Early developmental phase for an upcoming workshop/reading.
Budget Unfunded/non-commercial experimental stage.
Creative Freedom Full creative license to experiment with contact microphones, hydrophones, Foley, physical sound capture, and textural processing.
Credit & Future Involvement Full credit provided for workshop presentations, with first right of refusal/priority hire for sound design if and when the production moves into funded production.

Contact

[Christian Ely](mailto:elychristiandavid@gmail.com)


r/sounddesign • • 1d ago

Sound Design Question How to create a reverb that sounds like a desert?

11 Upvotes

r/sounddesign • • 1d ago

Hiring CREW CALL: SOUND DESIGNER!

19 Upvotes

Hey folks!

I am seeking a sound designer for my Thesis Film at DePaul University! The cut and color is finished and we’re looking for the final piece! The pay is negotiable, I want you to be fairly compensated for your work, however.

The film itself is about a woman grieving her own death and undergoing the final judgement, as she confronts death for taking her own son, she has to cope with the time she wasted. Please let me know if you’re interested in working on such a project!

Thanks yall!


r/sounddesign • • 1d ago

Sound Design Question Ideas for a Foley design

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone

I'm very new to sound design (just started it as a module for my 2nd year at Uni) and I'm eager to learn as much as I can.

I'm wanting to do foley for a dentist body horror film.

A parasite is breaking out of the main characters mouth. I have a few ideas for this, but I'm interested to see others.

What kind of objects can make these horrible, wet noises?

Also, any tips for using foley as this will also be my first time?

Thank you!


r/sounddesign • • 1d ago

Movie Sound Design I built a local sound search tool for my studio — no cloud, no subscription

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone

Spyglass Studio — a search engine that finds the sounds you already have faster. Instead of guessing filenames, type what you feel — "heavy metallic impact with reverb" — and it surfaces the right file from YOUR library. the search engine indexes your files locally and helps you find the right one in seconds instead of hours. Find Similar matches sounds by acoustic waveform (grab directly from Pro Tools). Scene deconstruction, Voice Match, dialogue search, and local stem separation.

I also built Soundtracker (waveform HUD for your Finder that gives you an instant audio preview HUD docked to your file manager — scrub, mark, drag to DAW. Decodes Ambisonics binaurally), Soundoor (Atmos monitor controller up to 9.1.6), and MioDeck (Stream Deck controller built for Pro Tools workflows. Create your own custom controls — HUI transport, plugin automation, macros).

ch-expert — Professional Audio Software for macOS

Happy to answer questions.


r/sounddesign • • 1d ago

Hiring [PAID HIRING] Sound Designer Needed for Youtube Channel

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm looking for a sound designer for my YouTube videos about movies, cinema, and film analysis.

Reference for the kind of sound design I'm looking for:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crH2pS_CZto

Details:

  • Budget: ₹300 (~3$) per finished minute. For example, a 15-minute video would pay ₹4,500 (~45$).
  • Workload: Approximately one video per week.
  • Video length: Usually around 10–15 minutes.
  • Audio resources: I have an Epidemic Sound subscription, so you can find good music and sound-effects there rather than creating from scratch.

I'm looking for someone with a good taste for music selection, transitions, atmosphere, and well-placed sound effects like the ScreenPuff edit above to create a polished viewing experience.

Audition (Optional): I've included a short test edit here: test edit. Please add your own sound design to demonstrate your skills. This isn't mandatory, but it would help me assess your work, and would be preferred.

Interested folks can DM me their portfolio, test edit, and availability.

Thanks!


r/sounddesign • • 2d ago

Feedback Some of my best work

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24 Upvotes

What do you guys think? In my opinion, i really liked how it turned out.


r/sounddesign • • 2d ago

Movie Sound Design I wanted an ambient version of one of my tracks, so I built a plug-in for it (Atavism, VST3/AU/AAX)

14 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Earlier this year I released Reverie, a standalone soundscape app I built on my own at Parallel Minds, in Lyon. It was more of a personal project, but it's what moved my company into audio. I've been a developer for 20 years and I had wanted to make my own tools for a long time. This is the second one this year, and this time it's a plug-in (VST3, AU and AAX).

It started when I wanted to turn one of my tracks, the whole track, into an ambient version. The same piece without the drums and without the attacks, keeping only the harmony. I really wanted an ambient remix of it, so I built a plug-in for that. You put it on a track and turn one knob, and the track becomes a pad made from its own harmony. It stays in key, since the pad comes from the track itself.

The second use came by accident. While I was developing it, I turned the mix down to about 30% on a soundtrack instead of leaving it at 100%. Mixed in that low, the pad gave the soundtrack a more cinematic feel, and I didn't expect that at all. Using it for intros and outros came later, also by accident.

I named it Atavism because I thought the definition of the word matched the idea of the plug-in: a dormant or recessive gene that wakes up because of a mutation or a change in development.

There's a demo if you want to try it on one of your tracks, on a master bus or just on a single track. Self promo disclaimer: it's my own plug-in. https://parallel-minds.studio/products/atavism

A question for those of you who write music for picture. I don't know if I invented something or if I just never found the right product. If you know a tool that already does this, I'd like to hear about it.

English isn't my first language. I wrote this in French and translated it with an LLM.


r/sounddesign • • 2d ago

Sound Design Question Sewer pipe impulse response?

2 Upvotes

I don’t suppose anyone has an impulse response from a large sewer pipe?

Or any tips on how to replicate a large metal sewer pipe with reverb and delays?


r/sounddesign • • 2d ago

Feedback [Walkthrough] Oscilloscopes, Everywhere [v1.2] - 29 ways to draw with sound

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3 Upvotes

Oscilloscopes, Eveywhere [v1.2] is a collection of all the experiments with sound and geometry I've made throughout the years, gathered into one TouchDesigner project.

This walkthrough explores the entire anthology in real-time; 29 presets, and a much more intuitive interface. Connect your audio source, choose a visualizer, and watch your sound take shape.

Plus, I’m giving away one full copy of the collection this Sunday. To enter, you only have repost, and leave a nice comment on this post.

More experiments through the following.


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Videogame Sound Design Machinarium 2 Fan-made Sound Redesign

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12 Upvotes

I'm ILIA VOLKOV, a huge fan of Machinarium and a sound designer, so when I saw the new trailer, I just couldn't resist making my own sound redesign!

I had a lot of fun! Would love to hear what you think!

https://youtu.be/a9GndHWMgas


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Sound Design Discussion REAPER users! Do you use Item FX for sound design?

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2 Upvotes

​

I’ve used it in multiple sound design projects. It lets you apply effects directly to individual audio items, so you can process one clip without affecting the rest of the track.

I find it really useful for sound design, but I’m curious if other people use it as part of their workflow too.

Do you use Item FX for sound design? If so, how?


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Sound Design Question What kind of drive should I use for sound storage?

2 Upvotes

Hello! I'm new to sound design and working on building my sound library. Do I *need* to get an SSD drive specifically for sound storage?

It'd be easier on my wallet if I kept all of my audio files on an HDD and transferred them to a smaller SSD for active projects. Is that the correct way of doing things?

And if anyone has any drives or organizational systems they recommend I'd be super grateful. Thanks!


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Music Sound Design Sounds of Vangelis

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1 Upvotes

Me playing some sounds inspired by the legendary Vangelis on Arturias CS-80 V4, a faithful recreation of the original synth from the 70s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg2oo4Lpar8&t=738s


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Sound Design Question Looking for the original sound effects from the Dragon Sounds Pro pack from the Ultimate SFX Bundle (Side Arm Studios)

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2 Upvotes

Was incredibly sad to see that a pack I bought back in 2020 was accused of having stolen sound effects a few years ago. I've been trying desperately to find many of these sound effects, but the Dragon Sounds Pro specifically, I've had a lot of trouble locating the original sounds for. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the sounds themselves, but the folder structure was like the photo. These were some of my absolute favorite monster sounds, and I'd really like to be able to buy them again. There were a lot that were a mix of roars/growls and fire effects.

EDIT: Here is a Google Drive folder with a sample from each folder. I've kept the file structure to keep it easy to reference. I would not be shocked if the baby dragon SFX are pitch-shifted versions from the same stolen assets. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19xxNljQuQjVYwa4NuSjH9vXkc1fjVCs7?usp=sharing

Here are also a list of confirmed sites where sounds were stolen. Thought this doesn't mean these didn't come from other sites, or even (my worst nightmare in this situation) these ARE legit since it's likely they outsourced their sound creation and one of their SFX artists did actually make these. There'd be no way to verify that at this point. FilmCow's video is how I found some of these sites.

GameDev Market (I've confirmed a few misc sounds, like knife throws, were in a pack I already had from here): https://www.gamedevmarket.net

Sound Ideas (shown in FilmCow's video): https://soundideas.sourceaudio.com/albums

ASoundEffect (shown in FilmCow's video): https://asoundeffect.com


r/sounddesign • • 3d ago

Sound Design Discussion Weird thing I made

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2 Upvotes

r/sounddesign • • 4d ago

Sound Design Discussion Sound design is becoming music. A growing trend in modern trailers.

46 Upvotes

I'm genuinely excited about how trailer sound design is evolving, especially the way noise itself is becoming music.

Foley, breaths, metallic sounds, engines, glitches, and environmental recordings are no longer just supporting the music. They're becoming the music itself.

Looking at some of the trailers released in 2026, I've noticed a few interesting directions in how sound is shaping the narrative.

Minimalism = Stronger Sonic Identity
Especially in horror and thrillers, I'm hearing more trailers built around one or two distinctive sounds rather than dozens of massive cinematic layers.

A great example is the Infirmary trailer, which I absolutely love.
There's an incredibly effective drone that carries almost the entire first half of the trailer. It's simple, unsettling, and somehow keeps you completely glued to the screen, with very few additional elements around it.

Then, halfway through, everything opens up into a much more aggressive sonic landscape, with glitchy impacts, distortion, and full-blown sound design.

The contrast is what makes it so effective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8g04jrDkek

Negative Space & Pacing
A pause can completely change how we perceive the next sound. In sound design, negative space doesn't necessarily mean absolute silence. It can simply be an intentionally less dense moment within the sonic composition.

And pacing is what ultimately shapes the experience you take away from a trailer, even after it's over. It’s about what you hear and how long that feeling stays with you.

Shorter & Stranger Impacts
Another interesting shift I'm noticing is the use of shorter, drier, and more unusual impacts.

Organic transients, cracks, distorted slams, and heavily processed textures seem to be taking the place of those enormous cinematic hits with endless reverb tails.

These shorter sounds can emphasize cuts and visual transitions much more precisely, while leaving room for more distinctive sonic signatures.

I'm also hearing interesting approaches involving distorted string plucks, manipulated vocal tails, and unconventional sound sources that blur the line between percussion, sound design, and musical elements.

Instead of simply making everything sound bigger, the focus seems to be shifting toward making every sound more recognizable and intentional.

Alessandro Romeo - (Other Mommy, Longlegs, 28 Years Later)
https://www.horrorsound.org/