【Sonic Design】Task 1 - Sound Fundamentals
NAME: LEE XIN YI, CINDY | STUDENT ID: 0373299 | PROGRAMME: BACHELOR'S OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
📚 Quick Links
Week 1
Introduction & Nature of Sound
Week 1 - 23 September 2025
In the first week, our lecturer, Mr.Razif gave us a detailed briefing about the module, outlining the upcoming tasks and projects for the semester. We were also introduced to the essential equipment we will need throughout the course, such as a studio headset, microphone and various props for producing unique sound effects. This session gave me a clearer picture of what to expect and how to prepare for the weeks ahead.
Lecture Video: Nature of Sound
Sound is the vibration of air molecules that stimulates our ears.
These vibrations create waves that travel through a medium (air, water or solid).
Sound is a longitudinal wave, meaning particles move back and forth in the same direction as the wave travels.
Range of human hearing is in between 20Hz to 20kHz. (Easier to memorize -- twenty twenty 2020)
Speed of sound depends on the medium:
- Fastest in solids
- Slower in liquids
- Slowest in air
🌊 The Three Stages of Sound Waves
- Production – The sound is created at a source (vocal cord).
- Propagation – The vibration travels through a medium as sound waves.
- Perception – The sound captured and translated by the ear.
👂 How the Human Ear Works
🎼 The Science of Hearing: Psychoacoustics
The study of how humans perceive and respond to sound is called psychoacoustics. It explores why:
- Certain sounds feel pleasant or harsh
- Some pitches stand out more
- How our brains locate where a sound comes from
📏 Key Properties of Sound Waves
| Property | Description | Determines |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelength | Distance between two identical points in a wave | Sound's physical size |
| Amplitude | Height of the wave | Loudness |
| Frequency | Number of wave cycles per second (Hz) | Pitch |
🎵 Properties of Sound Perception
- Pitch – How high or low a sound feels.
- Loudness – Perceived intensity of sound (loudness).
- Timbre – The quality of sound (boxy, muddy).
- Perceived Duration – How long a sound seems to last.
- Envelope – The structure of a sound over time (graduation of sound getting louder, softer).
- Spatialization – The perceived placement or direction of sound in space.
Supplementary video:
🧠 Ear Training & Frequency Recognition
A key skill in audio production is ear training — learning to recognize frequencies by ear.
💡 In a "pink noise" test, you can associate certain frequency bands with vowel-like sounds:
| Frequency | Similar Vowel Sound |
|---|---|
| 250 Hz | "OO" |
| 500 Hz | "O" |
| 1 kHz | "AH" |
| 2 kHz | "A" |
| 4 kHz | "EE" |
This technique helps audio engineers instantly identify tonal qualities and improve mix balance.
🧩 Why Ear Training Matters
- Improves your ability to analyze mixes critically.
- Enhances technical listening skills — essential for producers, engineers and sound designers.
- Builds a more intuitive understanding of frequencies and tone quality.
📚 Additional Resources
Week 2
Parametric Equalizer
Week 2 - 30 September 2025
During the second week, we began applying what we learned by testing our studio headsets through the first task, which is by using parametric equalizers function in Adobe Audition. The lecturer provided us with several tracks (EQ1 to EQ6), each modified differently, along with the original "flat" track. Our goal was to listen carefully, identify the differences and then adjust the parametric settings to make each EQ track sound as close as possible to the flat version. This exercise helped me sharpen my listening skills and understand how equalizers affect different layers of instrumental sounds.
Below are screenshots of the EQ tracks (EQ1–EQ6) as I worked to match them with the flat track.
EQ Track 1
The low frequencies are noticeably weak. For instance, the bass line that should give the track weight and depth is missing, which makes the background sound thin and less powerful overall. Hence, a stronger low-end presence would help anchor the mix.
EQ Track 2
The drums need more clarity. Specifically, the transients that define the punch and attack of each hit, sound blurred. This causes the rhythm to feel less clean and sharp. Hence, boosting the right upper-mid frequencies could restore that crisp sound.
EQ Track 3
The keyboard’s lower notes lack definition, causing the sound to feel slightly muddy and unclear in the low-mid range. This likely comes from extra emphasis in the low-mid range, which can blur sounds together. Hence, narrowing the EQ around 300–600 Hz would give the keyboard more definition while balancing it with the guitar.
EQ Track 4
The track sounds boxy and distant, similar to hearing music outside a room. Additionally, there is also too much bass, which overpowers other instrument layers. Hence with better balance and noise control, the mix would feel more open.
EQ Track 5
The high-frequency elements of the drum kit, particularly the cymbals and hi-hats, are too pronounced. This makes the overall sound overly bright and fatiguing to the ear. Hence, gentle reduction in the high shelf would smooth out the tone.
EQ Track 6
The guitar is too forward in the mix, while the overall track feels overly sharp due to excessive presence in the high-mid range. Hence, pulling it back slightly would create a more balanced overall texture.
After doing these execises, I kind of get the hang of identifying the differences between the sound layers of audio tracks and knowing how to change it using EQ settings although sometimes I can't find the right word to describe it.
Week 3
Parametric Equalizer & Reverb
Week 3 - 7 October 2025
This week, rather than just using parametric EQ for sound tuning, we also incorporated reverb effects for some tracks where the goal was to transform a dry vocal recording into sounds that fit in various spatial settings.
Phone Call
The low-end frequencies (around 35–190 Hz) were reduced to remove the depth and fullness of the voice, leaving a thinner and more compressed tone. The midrange area (around 800–900 Hz) was strongly boosted to emphasize the core of the voice, creating that focused and slightly nasal character typical of a phone call. Meanwhile, the high-end frequencies (above 18 kHz) were lowered to eliminate brightness and sibilance, while a light boost around 6.5 kHz helped retain clarity. These adjustments together give the voice a narrow telephonic quality along being sharp, clear and limited in range.
Closet
The very low frequencies (around 30–200 Hz) were slightly boosted, but the overall tone remains contained and muffled. The midrange around 900 Hz was adjusted gently to keep vocal presence, while strong cuts were applied in the upper mid to high range (around 1.4 kHz and above) to remove air and openness. These changes make the voice sound enclosed and distant, as if it’s coming from inside a small, sound-dampened space like what it is being heard from a closet with the person talking in the inside.
Walkie Talkie
Most of the low frequencies (below 150 Hz) were heavily reduced, removing depth and leaving a thin, tinny tone. The upper midrange (around 1–1.3 kHz) was strongly boosted, emphasizing the sharp nasal quality that defines walkie-talkie communication. This boost brings the voice forward while maintaining a narrow frequency range, giving it that compressed, metallic sound typical of small radio speakers which could sound noisy and irritable for the ears.
Bathroom
The low and high frequencies were reduced to narrow the voice tone, focusing on the mids. The short decay time (100ms) and low diffusion (20ms) create quick, tight reflections that mimic sound bouncing off hard bathroom tiles. A moderate pre-delay (120ms) adds slight separation between the direct voice and its echo, while a high reflection level (perception 150) gives the sound a lively but confined feel. With the mix set to fully wet (260%), the reverb dominates which produces a clear “speaking in a bathroom” resonance.
Airport Terminal
The EQ cuts in the low frequencies and boosts in the upper range make the voice sound thinner and more projected. The long decay (2595ms), maximum diffusion and maximum pre-delay (200ms) create a large, open sound field filled with wide reflections. With a high perception value (148) and fully wet mix (250%), the voice carries a spacious echo that mimics an airport terminal’s bright, reflective hall. The result is airy and distant, giving a strong sense of space.
Indoor Stadium
The EQ removes most low-end frequencies and boosts the upper mids, letting the voice cut through strongly. The long decay time (3250ms) gives sustained echoes, while moderate pre-delay (100ms) and low diffusion (100ms) produce clear, spacious reflections that bounce around a large interior. With a high perception value (170) and heavy wet mix (200%), the voice sounds loud and expansive, just like it’s echoing across a massive arena.
I learned how to capture the spatialization of an audio better after doing these exercises. With different reverb settings and EQ adjustments, I can easily simulate a voice that caters for different environment.
Week 4
Sound Envelope
Week 4 - 14 October 2025
This week, we explored sound envelopes and learned how to control the panning and volume of an audio track in Adobe Audition. We practiced using panning (left–right placement) and volume adjustments to shape how a track is heard.
Jet Plane Exercise
For the Jetplane track, we experimented with both direct control (manually adjusting the track) and automated control (using envelopes that can be edited over time).
Direct Panning and Volume Control
Applied manual panning and volume adjustments directly on the track. This method gives immediate control but changes are fixed in place.
Sound Envelope Control
Added a sound envelope for the same panning and volume effects. This approach allows for Direct edits (fixed tuning on the track) and Indirect edits (movable and adjustable along the timeline). Perfect for creating dynamic sound movement and fine-tuning transitions.
Voice Exercise
Next, we then applied automation controls to a dry voice recording to simulate a person passing by from a distance further emphasizing spatial depth from a 2nd person perspective hearing the voice. With the same audio, we also simulate a first-person experience of speaking while walking in and out of a cave. Building on our Week 3 lesson on reverb, we wrote organic automations for the reverb effect, allowing the track to dynamically respond and enhance the sense of space and movement.
EQ Sound Envelope Control
This version applies EQ adjustments on the higher frequency bands (Band 5 and Band H) to make the voice transition from muffled to clear and back to muffled. Combined with panning and volume automation, the sound moves from the left, passes through the front and fades away to the right which creates the illusion of a person walking past from a distance.
Reverb Sound Envelope Control
This track uses a Convolution Reverb effect to make the dry voice shift from a natural tone to one with noticeable echoes, then gradually return to none. The change in reverb intensity gives the impression of someone entering, speaking inside and exiting a cave-like space.
Environment Exercise
Lastly, we were given 2 pictures to make imagery audios based on each of the environment shown in the pictures.
Environment Exercise 1
This track is created using a combination of sound track such as Computer Hum, Sci-Fi Computer Sounds, Footsteps with Harness, Computer Keyboard and Computer Beeps. The audio was designed to represent two soldiers entering a futuristic laboratory environment. It begins with the sound of their footsteps gradually approaching, using a track that includes harness clinks to match the visuals. The background features layered computer hums and sci-fi computing noises to establish the setting's technological atmosphere. As the soldiers come closer, the sound suggests that they stop in front of a computer terminal. One soldier's footsteps then shift slightly to the right, followed by the sound of keyboard presses. After a few keystrokes, a short computer beep is heard, which can be imagined as the soldier retrieving or analyzing data about the large tree contained within the central capsule.
Computer Hum.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/elle-trudgett/sounds/146949/
Sci-Fi Computing.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/cabled_mess/sounds/757449/
Computer Beeps.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/spoonsandlessspoons/sounds/361331/
Footsteps with Harness.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/Vrymaa/sounds/805469/
Computer Keyboard.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/marianasasousa/sounds/508677/
Environment Exercise 2
This track is created using a combination of sound track such as oil pump, Sci-Fi scanner, laser and footsteps on boggy sand. The audio was designed to recreate the sense of two scientists approaching a laser laboratory. It begins with the woman's footsteps, followed by the man's, panned to move from a distance toward the listener, giving the impression of them walking into the scene. The ambience is layered with mechanical sounds, including oil pump and heavy gear effects, to establish the feeling of an active, machinery-filled space. Soft laser noises are introduced intermittently as they walk, hinting at the machinery warming up. When the footsteps stop — first the woman's, then the man's — the background falls briefly silent before multiple laser beams are triggered in sequence, creating a strong sense of buildup and motion within the soundscape.
Oil pump.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/Danjocross/sounds/516007/
Scanner Sci-Fi.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/smokinghotdog/sounds/584918/
Laser Patrol.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/LilMati/sounds/702802/
Footsteps on Boggy Sand.mp3: https://freesound.org/people/soundmary/sounds/194977/
Adding onto the knowledge on EQ and Reverb from the previous weeks, these exercises helped me understand how sound envelopes and automation can create a sense of movement and space in audio. I'm also more skilled in imagining how a scene would sound like and thus create an imagery audio based on the scene.
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