AKARSH SHEKHAR
FOUR Awesome
Sound Design
Tools for Music
Production
The Weaponizer
The Weaponizer by Krotos Audio is the ultimate tool for
designing sounds for video games or films where such sounds
are needed. Craft a weapon sound asset from the ground up by
layering up to four samples from a vast and searchable library
for each of the temporal stages of the sound using four engines
referred to as: Onset, Body, Thump and Tail modules.
These modules all include synth modules that can augment the
sample or be used independently, while the Tail engine allows
access to a convolution reverb. Each has an independent effects
chain that can include: EQ, Limiter, Saturation, Flanger,
Transient Shaper,Ring Modulation, and Noise Gate. It’s sort
of a self-contained four channel DAW intended to create
everything from aggressive firepower to crunchy impacts and
whizzing projectiles.
The plugin features sophisticated visualizations and metering
giving the user the necessary relevant audio and visual
feedback for creating well-crafted sounds with healthy
dynamic levels. There is a great collection of general presets
organized under the categories: Classic Textures, Aggressive,
Edge, Experimental, Heavy, Percussive, Subtle, and Utility.
Filter and Wave Shaper presets are also available to help
you get started. This is a must-have plug that’s more like an
instrument than an effect.
Wormhole
Wormhole from Zynaptiq is a multi-effects plugin capable of
“alien ambiences, starship drones, monster, ambient octave-
shift tails, and robot voices,” and otherworldly effects possible
via complex effects chains.
Sound design for action films or gaming? this plugin is
an obvious choice. But, this plugin can be used by music
producers to create drum sounds using the same well-designed
engines. It use a combination of unique spectral warping, rich reverb
algorithms, pitch shifting and morphing to enhance sustained
sounds creating lovely evolving soundscapes or adding variety
and complexity to rhythmic content.
Many Foley and FX sounds work beautifully in a musical
and rhythmic context, and that their spectral richness and
inherent rhythmic complexity is underappreciated. The
Weaponzier is the perfect software to bridge sound effects and
music production which offers producers an elegant means to
expand their sound palette. Wormhole is a perfect mechanism for awakening the hidden
sounds lying dormant in the spectral content of existing
material.
Have a look at the Dehumanizer and Reformer plugins by
Krotos Audio in exploring sound design tools for musical
applications.
Trash 2
Trash 2 by iZotope takes distortion and saturation to a new
level of mayhem. This will destroy whatever enters its signal
chain in surprising and unusual ways sure to delight even the
most demented noise-aholics.
Using various filters, wave shapers, LFOs, envelopes, impulse
response files, multiband dynamic processing, delay and
distortion algorithms, the user can craft the distorted sounds
of their dreams.
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The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
Logic Pro: Alchemy and Sculpture
Apple’s Logic Pro remains probably the most awesome DAW
on the market in terms of price. The cheap $199 tag gets you
a ton of virtual instruments ranging from the basic ES-M
monophonic synth to its flagship instrument, Alchemy.
Developed in 2009 by Camel Audio, this instrument alone is
worth the price of Logic Pro. It features a searchable preset
matrix to find a sound quickly based on tags and user-defined
search terms. The performative morph pad allows instant
access, seamless transitioning between preset variations.
There are also four source modules in which wave generators
or even entire EXS24 sampler instruments can be loaded.
There is a granular synth engine, complex signal routing and
extensive modulation capabilities that include a variety of
LFOs, sequencers and multi-segment envelope generators.
These are the best, well designed tools for creating unique
sound design for music production.