What lit the creative fire that led to the Anime Sci-Fi Sound Effects Pack?
As big anime fans, we recently got hooked on Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. The show's sound effects, like the laser blasts, the cool gundam flying sounds, the techy activations, and the whole spaceship vibe, just blew us away. Everything sounded so darn awesome and unique!
So, we got to thinking, how can we make those awesome sci-fi sounds for animes like Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury? Well, here are some fun ways we tried to recreate those sounds and other sci-fi sounds.
In this article, we're thrilled to delve into two standout synthesizers: the KORG MS-20 and the KORG opsix. These powerhouses have been instrumental in crafting our foundational sounds, which we've layered with a diverse range of recorded sources, resulting in a synthetic yet organic auditory experience.
What we recorded
First off, let us showcase some of the more exciting sounds we've recorded and some sound redesign. We couldn't catch everything on footage as sometimes you get too engrossed in recording or designing a sound, but we hope it gives you some inspiration and ideas!
Video highlight with sound design examples
Dry Ice With Various Metal Objects
We purchased a slab of dry ice for SGD20+ from an online store and had it delivered to our studio. We recorded for over two hours using various metal objects. During the first round of recording, we forgot to change the audio settings on Logic Pro from the default 44.1kHz to 96kHz. The difference in sample rate will make a huge difference when you want to process the sounds!
Unfortunately, we only realized this after completing the recording as we were in a hurry. We conducted another round of recording, only capturing the sounds of the metal objects that had a unique quality.
Thankfully, the dry ice can last up to 24 hours, and by the time we finished recording, it had only diminished to 70-80% of its original size.
We primarily use these layers of dry ice to add extra crispness to our lightsaber sound effects. The high-pitched 'screaming' sounds serve as the lightsaber activation, while the steady 'crispy' sounds are used for a sparks loop. Someone commented that some of the sounds also resemble tiny creatures, which is a great idea. We may explore that usage in the future!
Other Recordings
We stumbled upon this amazing video on LinkedIn where someone was recording glass resonances by rubbing two glass cups together, crafting some super cool sci-fi weapon sounds.
Sadly, our attempt to recreate it didn't quite hit the mark, but we're determined to give it another shot next time!
Recorded metal impacts for the mech's powerful thuds and metal resonance for creating auras and shield activations!
Initially we attempted to capture the 'pew pew' sound using a regular microphone, but the cleanest result came from using a contact microphone.
We originally intended this sound as the primary layer for certain laser effects, but it didn't have the fullness we desired. Instead, we found it worked well as an additional layer for some of the lightsaber effects.
Recording Analog Synthesizers
KORG MS-20
We didn't take too many photos of this stage because it's mostly about having fun with different 'waveforms' and twisting those knobs. It may not look all that thrilling, but it's a big part of crafting about half of our sound palette and the fundamental building blocks we use for processing.
KORG opsix
It's the same story with the KORG opsix – this synthesizer has 21 waveforms and a bunch of algorithms to experiment with! The sound you can create are almost endless. Here, we create another important half of our sound palette.
Previously we mainly used software synthesizers from Arturia, as it is hard to get hold of analog synthesizers. However, the sounds produced on analog synthesizers are even richer and complex.
We were blessed to borrow both KORGs from our talented friend, Sam, also known as Houg. He's not just a musician but a creative force, writing, producing, and collaborating with artists worldwide. We're truly grateful for his generosity. Check out his amazing music here.
The Designing Process
LASERS
The laser sounds in this pack are all generated using the KORG MS-20 (analog), Serum (digital), and some existing recordings processed by DopplerPRO. We experimented a lot with filters and pitch modulation to get laser sounds. We also used Envy by The Cargo Cult to slightly alter the pitch of each laser to ensure each laser is unique.
ACTIVATIONS, AURA AND POWER UPS
Once again, we primarily used sounds generated from the analog KORG MS-20 and KORG opsix to create these activations, auras, power-ups, and power-downs. We also layered them with our previous gamelan recordings, as the metal resonance featured in the video added an extra dimension.
In terms of processing, we found that Pro Tools' Vari-Fi and Envy by The Cargo Cult are awesome to create those awesome ascending and descending pitch effects that give the sensation of power-ups and power-downs. However, Pro Tools' Vari-Fi has its limitations when it comes to fine-tuning the pitch modulation, making it a bit less precise. On the other hand, Envy gives sound designers the power to manually draw and shape the pitch modulation, offering more control and flexibility.
USER-INTERFACE (UI)
We had never considered the process of creating UI sounds from scratch, but we found the KORG opsix to be very useful to create simple, subtle yet lushious UI beeps sounds. With access to 21 waveforms, we could easily select, mix, and match them to modulate our primary waveform, resulting in varied textures. Somehow even a simple sinewave sounds better when generated with an analog synthesizer as compared to a software synthesizer.
Additionally, we incorporated GalacticAssistant to introduce another distinct sound to our UI sound effects. To further enhance the complexity of these sounds, we took recordings from both sources and introduced them to Whoosh by TONSTURM, adding a layer of dynamic movement.
FLYBYS
Using drones generated from analog synths and processed by DopplerPRO, we began by exploring the presets to discover the unique sounds each preset offers. Afterward, we tweaked preset settings and crafted entirely new presets. We utilized drones spanning the entire pitch spectrum, from high to low, to create various small to large flybys. Additionally, we sought inspiration from Whoosh for designing small flybys. To ensure the distinctiveness of each flyby in the pack, we used Envy for further pitch alteration.
Final Notes
Lastly, we discovered this plugin called Infected Mushroom Pusher when watching a sound design video on YouTube! We were impressed by how this plugin could elevate and excite our sound effects. It also helps add punch and “bigness” to our sound effects. It’s great for beefing up and saturating sounds. It is straightforward, clear, simple, and powerful, a great addition to our sound design toolkit.
That's all we have for this blog post! We hope you learned something new or found anything interesting!