Today we want to introduce you to a cool feature on Airborne Sound: our Wishlist.

Wish lists in general aren't new. Airborne Sound's Wishlist is different.

We love it because it speeds up searching for sounds. It also has a couple new aspects that help finding sound fx in particular:

• comparing sound effects
• adding comments or notes to sounds
• share sound lists with friends

We've found this helps find sound clips quicker and smarter. It also saves time.

What are wish lists?

You've likely seen wish lists on other Web sites, like Amazon.com. Wish lists, or favourite lists, keep track of things you like but aren't ready to buy right now.

The wish list saves your favourites in a special place in your account that you can revisit later.

Why is this helpful for sound fx websites?

Why wish lists help finding sound effects

How does our Wishlist help you find sound effects faster and better?

Sound effects on line are always listed in volume. You could have hundreds of applause sound effects. You may be flipping through dozens of pages of search results.

You may hear something good on page one, then another on page five.

Right now, most sound effects websites put you through a lot of trouble to save your favourites: writing down the full (long) name of a sound or keeping track of a SKU or sound file number (shudder). Or you have to jump back and forth between pages finding the a sound clip you heard earlier.

At Airborne Sound it's much easier.

Airborne Sound's Wishlist

Some benefits of the Wishlist:

• 'Bookmark' cool sounds for later. Found a cool car gravel peel out while browsing for rush hour traffic? You're not going to use the peel out now. Save it in the Wishlist so you can find it instantly later.
• Compare sound clips. Found a good sound on page two, then page four? No need to flip between pages. Add them both to your Wishlist and compare them on the Wishlist page.
• Add comments to your Wishlist sounds. Every sound effect added to the Wishlist has a Comments field. Add notes like 'save for reel 9' or 'need for next podcast' to keep track.
• Share your Wishlist. Finding sound clips for a client? Need approval from the director or sound supervisor before buying? Email them your Wishlist. They'll get a message with links to your sound effect.

How do you do this? It's really easy! Below are 'how tos' that explain how to:

• Add sounds to the Wishlist
• Use the Wishlist
• Add comments to your Wishlist
• Share your Wishlist
• Move Wishlist sounds to your cart

How to add sounds to the Wishlist

1. Log in. Your Wishlist is saved in your account. Log In or create a new account
   
   

   

   
   
2. Find a sound. Jet fighter sound fx are fun to hear. Let's search for that.
3. Click the sound's title link. This will take you to its page.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Click the Add to Wishlist link at the bottom. The sound clip will be added to the wish list.
   
   

   

   
   

That's it!

Using the Wishlist

Now that you have a sound in your Wishlist, there are more things you can do.

To find your Wishlist, Log In, then click My Wishlist on the left side.

Add comments to your Wishlist

1. Type your notes in the Comments field.
   
   

   

   
   
2. Click Update Wishlist to save the notes.
   
   

   

Share your Wishlist

1. Click Share Wishlist.
   
   

   

   
   
2. On the next page add your friend's email address and a message.
   
   

   

   
   
3. Click Share Wishlist.
   
   

   

The email will be sent. It looks like this.

Moving the sound effects to your cart

Ready to buy the sound effect? Click Add to Cart to move the sound clip to your cart.

Want to move them all? Click Add All to Cart to move everything to your cart.

This will remove the sounds from your Wishlist and place them in your cart.

We search for sound effects every day. We added these features and found it helped us manage finding sound effects faster and simpler.

Let us know your thoughts.

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A brief update today. We've recently updated our RSS feed. It is now Feedburner-compatible.

You can update your RSS by clicking this link and bookmarking the page.

A direct link is here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/airbornesound

Why update the RSS feed?

Why did we change the RSS feed?

• It looks great. It is cleaner and more organized. Feedburner is a better for viewing RSS feeds. We updated the RSS feed over on the Jetstreaming field recording blog and it's working quite well.
• If you're using the Google Chrome you'll be able to actually read the articles in the browser itself.
• It plays nice with others. If you're a fan of services like Google Reader, MyYahoo, NewsGator, MyAOL or Bloglines you can use buttons in the Feedburner feed to subscribe with just one click.

You're welcome to update your bookmarks with the new RSS feed link, here.

What are RSS feeds?

RSS feeds are way of automatically notifying you when a new article is published on Airborne Sound. It means that you don't have to check manually to see if we've written something new. You'll be notified in your RSS reader application.

If you want to know more about RSS feeds and why you should use them, read the introduction article on Jetstreaming.

That's it for this week. Stay tuned for more sound effects and field recording news.

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Tweet  Follow @airbornesound

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Just recently we add 644 new sound effects to the library. They're our first wave of sound clips recorded during 2012.

I'll feature a few here and link to others. Also, to celebrate, I'll include a discount code. I've listed it at the end, you can jump there right now if you like.

Specific sound effects

I have a long to-do list of sound effects I want to record. I began chipping away at some on my list. Here are some recently ingested onto the website:

Locomotive and freight train

As readers of the Jetstreaming blog know, I enjoy recording freight train sound effects.

I recorded more in the spring and a few are my favorites.

Diesel electric freight train with three cars passing by slowly with bell sound effect

I like this recording the locomotives idling. The idle changes texture and is punctuated by hisses and chuffs, giving it personality and character.

Two diesel electric locomotives idling with a hiss and chuff and air bursts sound effect

And I was glad to record this sound clip of autoracks passing. Autoracks carry cars on trains. They have meshed metal siding. Because of this, and because the autoracks were empty, it created an interesting rattle as the trains passed.

Freight train with autorack cars passing by slowly and accelerating with a grind, squeal and rattle

Jackhammer

I recorded some work crew digging into a street at a distant and medium distant perspective.

Jackhammer, wide POV, working with a rattle and chatter in the medium distance sound effect

Metal hatch

Metal hatch opening in a reverberant room. A simple sound but I like the groan and moan, and also the sense of space.

Metal Hatch Open, Closing and Slamming Sound Effect Montage

Peeling out on gravel

Car peeling out on gravel sweeteners. I cut these tight and mastered them to different speeds. They from recordings a of BMW 323i I recorded in Toronto. It was a messy job, but a lot of fun to shoot.

In this montage I've collected a few together, and panned them left and right for distinctiveness.

Car Peeling Out on Gravel Sweetener Sound Effect Montage

Airsoft rifle

A friend lent me an Airsoft rifle. I was hoping that its Foley could pass as a regular rifle. While that didn't quite work (the effects have a strong plastic element), there still were some cool elements. I like the gun shot sound effects. They have a cool mix of a mechanical hit and an electric servo whine.

Lucid L47 Airsoft Electric Automatic Rifle or Gun Sound Effects Montage

Find more (link to search results):

Search for jackhammer sound clips.

Find metal hatch groan sounds.

Find car peeling out on gravel sweeteners.

Search for Airsoft rifle sound effects.

Find locomotive and train sound clips.

Crowd sound effects

Reviewing the Sony D50 pocket recorder had the pleasant side effect of forcing me out to record many sound effects.

The article comparing the Zoom H4n and Sony D50 recorders helped even more. I've polished the ambiences I previewed in those articles.

The atmospheres were originally pretty grungy. I removed excessive low-end rumble, trimmed and tweaked and I'm happy with the result.

Here are a few samples:

Chinatown crowds

Crowd in Chinatown with old men playing a game chatting and slamming game pieces sound effect

Museum crowd ambiences

I wrote more about the process recording these art gallery crowds on the Jetstreaming blog. Here are some examples of the crowds I recorded at the Art Gallery of Ontario using the Sony D50 and a Sonic Studios binaural DSM 6S/EH microphone.

Art Gallery Crowd in a Medium Room Sound Effect with Lively Voices

Chinatown crowd sound effects.

Search results for art gallery crowd sounds.

Sound design

Hand torch and fire whooshes

I dug up a Burzomatic hand torch and recorded sound effects with the idea of using the clips for sound design. It turned out the burning and ignition had some interesting elements on their own.

The burn, coming from compressed propane, is a high, thin and crispy sizzle. I also like the pop of the ignition and the suction when the flame is extinguished.

Propane Hand Torch Sound Effects Montage

I passed the hand torch above the mic at different speeds, creating a whoosh motion. I then processed them using various plug-ins to create some cyber fire whoosh sound effects. Here's a montage:

Fire and Cyber Whoosh Sound Effect Montage

Chili and mud sound design

I also recorded some chili bubbling. The result created some cool thick boiling sound effects.

Cooking chili with a boil and a burble, high and frantic sound effect

I processed them a bit and they work well as mud bubbling. My favorite is the sucking sounds.

Sound design mud boiling and burbling frantically and thick and slick and deep sound effect

Sound design mud boiling and burbling and sucking, fast singles in a series sound effect

Find more (link to search results):

Search for Burnzomatic hand torch sound clips.

Find cyber fire whoosh sound effects.

Search for sound design mud sound clips.

Discount code

Interested in these sounds? Use the discount code 2012Q1MIX for 30% off your purchase. The code is good until tomorrow at midnight, GMT.

Some suggestions: pick up these rare fighter jet sound effects or French, Greek or British ambiences.

The 30% off also applies to our Jet Pack sound effects collections. These are collections of dozens of sound effects at a reduced price. The Variety 1 collection, for example, has 125 sound effects for $14.95. Use the the discount code and you'll be able to download 125 of our most popular sound effects for just over $10.

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In the previous articles I've compared two popular portable field recorders: the Sony PCM-D50 and the Zoom H4n.

The first article looks at features. The second has free sound effects downloads for you to analyze.

I'll conclude with observations, pros and cons of the recorders and a summary on just how usable they are for field recording sound effects.

Some observations

Here's the link to the raw, unmastered field recordings from the Zoom H4n and Sony PCM-D50.

While I'll let your ears judge which you prefer, I'll include a few basic observations here.

Windscreen

Both recorders are completely useless in any breeze without some kind of windscreen.

The Zoom H4n ships with a windscreen. It is made from foam. It's not transparent, and doesn't work very well. I'd advise getting a dedicated high-quality windscreen if you're planning to record outside or among vents or fans.

The good news is that there are options for custom windscreens. Rycote makes a version for each recorder. Sony offers a windscreen that is sold separately.

Redhead is a cheaper solution. They create windscreens for dozens of portable recorders. Gigwig Windscreens are cheaper yet. I bought one of theirs from eBay a few years ago.

Sound blogger Tamas Dragon has recently written an article about windscreen options for the D50. Check out options and listen to samples.

Expect to spend between $20 and $55 for an aftermarket windscreen.

Sound quality

Before we get into thoughts about sound quality, keep in mind that there is significant price disparity between the recorders. The Sony sells for $469. The Zoom lists for $299. While price isn't an absolute indication of quality, it does lead one to believe that more engineering has gone into the Sony than the Zoom.

With that context in mind, to my ears the Sony has more clarity when capturing distinct sounds, even those at a great distance. I find it has a richer sound stage and depth. Recordings from the D50 feel lush and open.

What I personally enjoy is the slick, smooth aspect that recordings from the D50 produce.

From my experience the Zoom struggles in dense, saturated environments: recordings with a steady ambient tone (compressors, HVAC, fans), or loud, interior constant crowds in reverberant spaces.

To my ears this is where the sound of H4n begins to flatten. Part of this could be the Zoom's deference to bass frequencies. The D50 impressed me by remaining clear and capturing details despite density.

One interesting example is the recording in Chinatown of the old men playing the board game. There are two layers in this recording: the close voices and the faint, background mall.

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Playing a Board Game Sound Effect, H4n

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Playing a Board Game Sound Effect, D50

I feel the D50 manages to capture the sense of distance better. The two layers in the H4n recordings feel closer together. The stereo breadth of the D50 appears wider and more expansive than the H4n, even at matching stereo patterns.

You'll also notice that there is a 120 hertz throb through both recordings, as well as ample bass generally. Some of this is inherent to the location. The H4n seems to emphasize this more.

It's different recording specifics. I find that both recorders do well recording clean, isolated specific sound effects. Here's a montage of a few specifics from the previous post.

Comparison of Sound Effects Recorded with the Sony D50 and Zoom H4n

Now, I don't want to be too hard on the H4n. The H4n is not terrible by any means. That 120 hertz tone can be removed easily. In a clean environment the H4n works quite well.

My preference comes from Airborne Sound's need to capture ambiences. The way the D50 portrays distance and breadth works well for us.

For you it will likely be different. It depends what and how you record sound effects, and what your threshold of quality is for your budget.

Of course, sound quality is only one part of the equation. If it wasn't, we'd be comparing $3000 microphones.

People use these recorders for a specific purpose. How do the recorders rate in for the role they were designed? This leads us to look at usability.

Usability

Stats aside, how useable are the recorders? What do we mean by 'usability?'

Usability examines how well something achieves the purpose for which it was designed. It also looks at how intuitive it is for its intended audience. This seems the most fair way of rating the pocket recorders.

These recorders were designed to capture sound outside a typical studio environment. Based on what we see in their manuals, they were meant to capture music jam sessions, play a music collection and casually record ambient sound.

In short, people purchase these recorders because they are portable and inexpensive. They were designed to record audio without spending thousands on a full studio.

They weren't designed to replace high-end recorders, so it's not entirely fair to grade them based on how they work with pro microphones or compare them to dedicated external preamps.

How well do they rate for their primary task: recording portably?

They're compact. They both perform the basics of playing and recording sound well.

I find the H4n feels more like a portable device than the D50. The Sony appears more delicate and less apt to hand rough, unexpected portable recording sessions.

Is the design intuitive? How much time does it take an experienced field recordist to use the models?

They're both easy to learn and use.

The D50 goes a bit farther being user-friendly with its menu and labelling. The H4n's manual, comparatively, is a mess.

What about advanced features? How do the recorders accommodate field recordists who want to push the recorders a bit farther?

Here the D50 fares a bit better. Advanced frills like quick boot up, instant punch-in and its ability to 'divide' a rolling take into a new one are helpful. While not necessary to beginners, they allow pro recordists to augment their experience.

Advanced features on the H4n, such as 4-track recording, are a bit convoluted and tricky to implement. Some features are buried in menus.

Overall, if we're being very detailed, the D50 is easier and more pleasing to operate. It feels more professional to use. It's smoother.

Are they worth it for their cost? Based on their retail price ($299 for the Zoom H4n, $469 for the Sony PCM-D50), how well do they perform for the price?

The D50 has more polish and has an increased price to match. It's not fair to rate the H4n on the same level. It's not trying to outperform a $469 recorder. It fits just well at the $299 level. You'd not be wasting money spending $299 on the recorder. Knowing its limitations (every recorder has them) and compensating for them well help you. For example I am careful not to record atmospheres with the H4n in saturated environments.

So, I think they perform quite well for the price they charge. The final decision comes down to how much you're willing to pay and whether you want to spend more for the cleaner sound and refined experience the D50 provides.

If they are so different, why are these recorders commonly compared? I believe the reason they are mentioned together is mostly because of popularity than anything else.

Which portable recorder should I buy?

So which do you buy?

There isn't a perfect answer that will suit everyone. It depends on your budget and how you record sound effects.

You'll want to consider what is more important to you: specific sound clips or atmosphere sound fx.

And of course your budget is a factor as well. But before you spend $469 on pocket recorder, you may want to ask yourself: are the recordings x% better than comparable recorders? Does this match the increased price you're paying?

Rent the recorders. Try them. See how they feel. Or, if you can't rent, bring a SD or Memory Stick to a dealer, test it out, then bring your cards back home to compare your field recordings.

Once you get a feel for how they function as portable recorders and the sound quality they produce you'll be able to make the best decision for yourself.

Pros and Cons

Sony PCM-D50

Pros

• excellent sound quality
• design and construction: aluminum frame, microphone cage
• analogue level and volume control
• detailed, elaborate display
• optical digital input provides clean signal path expansion or integration

Cons

• price
• interface design is scattered and desktop-oriented
• consumer inputs

Zoom H4n

Pros

• inexpensive
• pro XLR/1/4" inputs
• bonus features: USB interface, 4-track recording
• software based
• SD card format

Cons

• struggles in saturated environments
• certain parts have cheap construction
• dated display and software design

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This week we'll continue our comparison of the Sony PCM-D50 and Zoom H4n portable field recorders. Last week we looked at how various features rated including construction, portability, interface, display, software and other random features.

This week we'll look at how the D50 and H4n compare with actual sound recordings.

Let's get started.

Comparison notes

I've included some raw, free sound effects downloads below. I've represented a variety of sound effects: atmospheres, specifics, narrow and wide microphone patterns, with and without wind screens, etc.

The idea is that you can download the sounds and listen to and analyze them at the comfort of your own workstation. Pass them through a spectrogram. Filter them with plug-ins. This will give you an idea of how the recorder quality will work for your personal projects.

I'll describe each the sound effect. When listening to them, think about how well the recorders capture a sense of:

• depth - are distant sounds captured well?
• sound stage - do recordings seem flat, or can you place specific details at distinct distances?
• frequency balance - are certain frequencies favored or shunned?
• stereo imaging - although both recorders feature 90 and 120 degree patterns, how does the width for each recorder compare?
• stereo pattern - does one recorder capture specifics or ambiences better at 90 degrees or 120 degrees?
• density - how does the recorder handle dense verses isolated sounds?

Recording technique

The recorders were only inches apart. This means that it will be a good test for comparing stereo width.

I shot the recordings with a clapper, so they are completely in sync.

I did use windscreens for the exterior recordings. I used a Rycote for the Sony. For a few clips I tried an Olsen Audio windscreen on the Zoom H4n. Usually though I used a Rycote wind screen comparable to the one fitted on the Sony.

Other than being trimmed, the sound clips are completely unmastered. This will give you an idea of the native capabilities of the preamp, microphones and wind screens on each pocket recorder.

You can use the sounds freely on whatever you want. You'll probably have to master them, since these are raw versions. Please just don't distribute them, even for free. Thank you!

Sony PCM-D50 and Zoom H4n sound samples

King beer can opening slowly sound effect

Recorded closely.

King beer can opening slowly and carefully sound effect, D50

King beer can opening slowly and carefully sound effect, H4n

Water sputtering from a faucet sound effect

Air trapped in water pipes spitting as water is turned back on.

Water sputtering from faucet sound effect, D50

Water sputtering from faucet sound effect, H4n

Paper shredder working sound effect, 1 sheet

Paper shredder working, 1 sheet sound effect, H4n

Paper shredder working, 1 sheet sound effect, D50

Jackhammer working sound effect, narrow and wide POVs

The jackhammer was at medium distance. You can hear a few worker voices in the background. The microphones were set to 90 degrees. Compare these with the following recordings, which are at 120 degrees.

Jackhammer working sound effect comparison, D50 and H4n

Crowd in a Chinatown food court sound effect

I recorded this in an area with chatter mixed with oppressive fans. Notice how each microphone deals with the fan and low end. Do the voices, which are at close range, cut through the fan and low end and room wash? How much low end does each recorder absorb?

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Chatting Sound Effect, D50

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Chatting Sound Effect, H4n

Crowd in Chinatown playing a boardgame

A small group of old men were playing a board game and shouting and calling loudly. Pay attention to how the background mall cuts into the track.

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Playing a Board Game Sound Effect, H4n

Crowd of Old Men in Chinatown Playing a Board Game Sound Effect, D50

Metal hatch opening and closing sound effect

This is a clothing donation bin with a squeaky metal hatch. Think about how each recorder picks up the shrill frequencies. How does each recorder respond to the sharp, sudden attack when the hatch slams?

There is background fan at this location. How well does each recorder do picking up or avoiding the background?

Metal Hatch Creaking and Groaning then Slam Sound Effect, D50

Metal Hatch Creaking and Groaning then Slam Sound Effect, H4n

Scanner sound effects

I recorded a scanner at very close perspective. Compare the 90 degree pattern with the 120 degree pattern. How well does each pattern do recording specifics? How well do the recorders reject background at each pattern?

Also, you can notice a difference how each recorder responds to high frequencies. The first pair of takes are at 90 degrees. Two 120 degree takes follow.

Scanner scanning sound effect, narrow and wide POVs

Three freight train cars passing sound effect

A slow pass of two locomotives towing three freight cars. A bell rings throughout.

Three freight train cars passing sound effect, D50

Three freight train cars passing sound effect, H4n

Freight train cars passing slowly sound effect

A locomotive passes followed by a very long line of cars. It begins slowly and accelerates slightly.

Freight train cars passing slowly sound effect, D50

Freight train cars passing slowly sound effect, H4n

Subway station entrance crowd, thick sound effect

I recorded this at St. Patrick station in Toronto, near the entrance. The crowd is constant, you can hear some vent, coins, turnstiles. At one point a train arrives in the distance.

Subway Station Entrance Crowd, Thick, Sound Effect, H4n

Subway Station Entrance Crowd, Thick, Sound Effect, D50

Strong steam whistle sound effect

This is a whistle from my Paderno kettle. There are some initial clunks as it settles on the burner, screams, then dies as I lift it from the burner. You can hear water crackling off inside the kettle.

Strong steam whistle sound effect, D50

Strong steam whistle sound effect, H4n

Intersection traffic at a hill sound effect, wide POV

These and the following traffic tracks were recorded just north of downtown Toronto. I choose an intersection at the base of a hill because it would get some great sounds from trucks struggling up the hill. That rippling sound you hear is tires driving over streetcar tracks.

These next two takes were recorded at 120 degrees. The final two takes are recorded without a windscreen, for reference.

Brush chipper sound effects

A gas brush chipper working chewing up branches. Some worker movement.

Gas brush chipper working sound effect, H4n

Conclusions

Well, once again I've run out of room.

I'll conclude the post next week with observations between the recorders, pro and cons and some thoughts on just how usable these recorders are for portably recording sound effects.

If you found this post interesting or the free sound effects downloads helped you, please consider clicking the Retweet button below. This really helps us!

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New field recordists are faced with important questions when beginning their craft: what is the best portable field recorder to buy? Can you record strong sound effects inexpensively?

When starting recording sound effects, you often won't have thousands of dollars to spend on top flight professional audio recorders and microphones. What field recorder is the best to buy on a budget? Is there a field recorder that balances features, usability and sound quality while not sinking you into debt?

In the last five years the amount of portable of recorders has blossomed to fill this gap. There are models by Roland, Olympus, Yamaha, Tascam and more. Two recorders, however, appear as favourites more often than others. They are the Sony PCM-D50 and Zoom H4n.

While there are enthusiastic reviews of Olympus and Fostex recorders and others, the Sony D50 and Zoom H4n are the most commonly contrasted. Unlike other portable audio recorders, these models seem to attract vocal advocates. It's common that field recordists will choose either the H4n or prefer the D50.

While these recorders have features in common, in many other ways these two recorders are more different in price, form and function than they are similar.

And this is one reason why it's important to compare them. Does one have more value than the other? And how do they sound?

In this article I'll compare these two popular portable recorders. I'll look at how they rate in features, function and form. Next week I'll post free sound effects downloads you can listen to and contrast. I'll wrap up with pros and cons for each and share conclusions about how usable the recorders actually are.

Which recorder should you choose? How do they compare in sound quality? Can you record good sound effects with a pocket recorder for less than $550? In this series we'll find out.

How to compare Sony D50 and Zoom H4n

The best place to begin comparing portable recorders is by thinking about how exactly you're capturing sound. The truth is a single recorder won't be perfect for every situation. Choosing a recorder depends on what you're recording and how.

In an article on the Jetstreaming blog I listed these broad concerns in the purpose section. Are you using a recorder in the field or in a studio? What features do you need? Does the recorder need to be portable for travel?

If every recorder is made for a different purpose, how then do we start comparing them? After all, The Sony PCM-D50 lists for $469. The Zoom H4n is $299. Is it even possible to compare recorders at such different price points?

I'll begin with a nod toward the Jetstreaming article and look at these features:

• sound quality - preamp quality, microphone ability
• basic and advanced features - connectivity, media, software, start time, usability and more
• construction - interface/controls and design, portability
• price - how much each costs and whether the recorders are worth the money
• usability - how well the recorders work for the price, and as a portable recorder concept

At Airborne Sound our favourite field recordings are ambiences made while stealth or guerilla recording. The goal of this kind of recording is to capture the spirit of the environment without disturbing it. When we're recording this way we need responsive, discreet and portable gear. Observations here may have a slant toward this kind of recording. However I'll make the information broad enough that it can be applied to field recording in general.

What about sound quality? We'll look at that last with free, downloadable unmastered sound effects recordings from both recorders.

Comparing D50 and H4n features and form

During the last few weeks on the Airborne Sound blog I've reviewed the Sony PCM-D50. I've looked at how it fits field recording sound effects in a stealth or guerilla recording environment.

Read about how the D50 rates with important factors and listen to sound samples. I've also written about pros and cons and some secondary factors.

If you're interested in tech specs, you can dive deep in the numbers at the manufacturer's websites. Read about the tech specs of the Sony PCM-D50 and the Zoom H4n.

I won't get into every stat or the tiny feature. I'll focus instead on how well these recorders perform in the field recording sound effects. These are features you'll notice immediately or must have. I'll also share major unique features on either recorder.

Construction

The first thing you'll notice between the recorders is the construction. The D50 feels classy. The H4n is chunky and heavier.

This difference comes from the construction and partially the interface.

The D50 has a slick aluminum housing. The H4n is plastic, although the plastic doesn't feel fragile. I feel this works in the H4n's favour. For years I've been tossing the H4n into a bag with me where ever I go. It's been battered and scratched but still works perfectly. I feel like the D50 needs more care. It just doesn't feel as rugged. The D50 has 7 toggle switches as opposed to the H4n's single switch (power). For the rest of its functions the H4n uses dials, buttons and rocker switches which are more resilient. I'd be wary of using the D50 in the rough-and-tumble scenarios during stealth recording.

One area where the D50's durability is superior to the H4n is in the microphones themselves. Both recorders allow you to record in either a 90 or 120 degree stereo pattern. You can switch between the recording breadth. The Zoom H4n requires a twist while the D50 slides the microphones to either side.

This is definitely a weak link with the Zoom H4n. The microphone housing rotates loosely on weak plastic. I don't change the pattern often yet the housing wobbles on the arms.

The D50's mic housing is also plastic but it sits on the frame more securely and is bordered by a metal roll bar cage. This cage protects the microphones from being bumped. Selection between mic patterns is firm and reassuring. At this point I expect the H4n's microphones to fall off the plastic frame. Construction here could be much better.

The Secure Digital memory card door on the H4n has also become pretty loose and floppy after a few years.

This is contrasted by the Zoom's interface buttons, which, while plastic, have a firmer, solid action. I actually prefer these over the D50's transport panel, which feel more high end yet fragile. This is fine of course for regular use. I just don't think they will take the same beating that the buttons on the H4n do.

This isn't to say the D50 has poor construction. It just feels like it's made more for desktop use than rough, random portable environments.

Portability

These recorders are marketed as portable recorders. Does this just mean they're small? Or are they actually easy to use on the go?

Portable recorders need to be compact, durable, light and in some situations, unobtrusive.

The D50's aluminum construction and the H4n's blocky frame are both sufficiently durable but in different ways.

Both are compact enough to fit in a pocket. The Zoom H4n fits in your hand easier. Note that the H4n seems to pick up handling noise more than the D50 if you're recording with it in your grip.

The D50 is heavier, likely because it uses four AA batteries instead of the Zoom's two. It's not a huge issue though.

Are these recorders obvious? They're definitely less obtrusive than a blue Portabrace rig, of course. While the D50 appears more conspicuously hi-tech, it's a bit more subtle when recording. The H4n's interface's illuminates the input and record buttons boldly. The D50 shines more subtly and the display backlight can be toggled quickly with a dedicated front-facing button. The H4n will catch the eye more when trying to record in discreet sessions.

Interface

Let's get into more detail. As far as interface is concerned, how easy is it to operate these recorders?

Most commonly you'll be recording. Both recorders use an 'arm-then-record' system. The H4n requires pressing record twice. The D50 requires pressing two buttons: record, then play. In addition the D50 allows instant recording by pressing play and record at once.

At first I didn't like this, but I now prefer it. The reason is that using the H4n's double-press punch-in method can lead to mistakenly thinking you're recording when you are not. A quick double-press doesn't always do the trick. In studio environments, this won't be a problem. It's happened to me a couple of times stealth recording when pressured though.

Aside from that, the H4n's transport buttons I find are generally more responsive. They feel more solid and the action is deeper.

Some situations call for recording 'blind,' or recording without looking at the interface or display. This is common with stealth or guerilla sessions. The H4n's transport and button layout is better for this. There's no way you can miss the record button by touch alone. It feels different and is off to one side.

The D50's interface is more random. The transport's buttons are sized differently but in practice it's not that easy to determine this by touch. Also, while it's appreciated to have the low cut, limiter and other switches on the exterior, these buttons are scattered. They can also be flipped accidentally. The H4n uses a software menu to operate the same functions.

The Zoom H4n uses a single dial to navigate menu items. Pressing the dial inwards selects. The D50 uses four. A transport button activates the menu (press and hold) and the fast-forward and rewind buttons to navigate. The play button selects. The H4n's method takes some practice but is simpler with just one button.

The D50 wins out with its analog volume and recording level dials. Both dials are protected but metal guards which means accidental changes are not common. The H4n uses a rocker switch for both volume and levels, which is fine, but the smooth resistance on the dials feels superior. I'd say setting levels on the D50 is quicker and better.

Display

The Zoom H4n's display is large, simple and clear. It displays only what you need to know: recording levels, sample rate, file name, battery life, duration and recording time remaining.

The D50's display by comparison is cluttered. Just the same I prefer it. One reason is that the recording levels are more fine and accurate. The level is also displayed as numerical dB, which is helpful.

Both of the recorders have a display backlight. Both are fine. You can see in the photo above, though, just how bright the the H4n's display is compared to the D50.

Software

Both the H4n and D50 offer similar software tools: playback speed, navigating folders, deleting and renaming files, setting preferences and so on.

The D50's menu system feels more modern than the H4n, and looks better. It is simpler and relies less on sub-menus.

Part of the reason for this is that the Zoom's software has to do more. Its functions are set in software instead of buttons. The D50 uses external switches to set things like limiter and lo cut instead of specifying this in software.

In one way, the D50 makes operating these functions easier. On the other hand, it's useful to leave these things to software, since code can be improved and new features can be added later with firmware updates. On the other hand, once you have added a physical switch it can't be moved or changed.

Other features

A few other random differences:

• The Zoom H4n can be used an audio interface. It ships with Cubase LE 4. Attach the H4n via USB to your computer and your recorder has changed to an audio interface.
• The D50 has a power-saving method where it falls asleep gracefully when not in use.
• The Zoom H4n has a speaker. While it's not spectacular quality, it can be useful to verify what you're recording.
• The Zoom H4n has 'stamina mode.' This allows batteries to last longer while recording with fewer features. For example, sample rates beyond 44.1 kHz 16-bit aren't available in this mode. I've found this useful when on my last batteries but still must record.
• The Zoom H4n has pro inputs. The D50 accepts external microphone inputs from mini-jacks. The H4n has combined XLR/1/4" input jacks that allow you to use pro connections. Unfortunately they don't lock in the socket. This allows more options for external, better microphones without using cumbersome adapters.
• The Zoom H4n can record four tracks at once: two from the on-board microphones, two from the input jacks. Recording at this rate is limited to 44.1 kHz, 16-bit.
• The D50 uses 4 AA batteries. Because of this, and also likely better engineering, you can record with the D50 for ages.
• The D50 comes with 4 Gb of internal memory with an option to expand with the Memory Stick format. The Zoom H4n ships with no internal memory but a 1 Gb Secure Digital card. Note that the D50's internal and external memory are seen as two separate devices. You need to specify in the menu which you record to.

So now we know the broad features these recorders have. We're left with perhaps the most important question: do they record quality sound effects?

Read more next week when I'll post a diverse range of free downloadable sound fx. I'll also share conclusions on how these pocket recorders rate overall on usability. I'll post a pro and cons list for each. Stay tuned!

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This article continues the Sony PCM-D50 review for stealth sound effects field recordings. Last week we looked at why Airborne Sound chose the D50, its key features and listened to sound samples.

This week we'll look at more detailed features, and see how they help or hinder field record stealth sound effects specifically.

In our final article about the D50, we'll challange a Zoom H4n for an audio shootout.

Secondary features

• design
• menu design (software)
• interface/controls
• start-up
• pre-roll
• external inputs/outputs

Does the D50 sound good? Yes, definitely. Is it portable and well-built? Yes. These are the key considerations.

However, when professionals use tools for a sustained time, thoughtfully-designed features can make a pro's job easier. This allows them to focus on being creative. Considerate design becomes important.

My first impression when recording with the D50 is that this recorder is in a class far different from other, less expensive recorders, and even dedicated pro recorders.

The D50 looks and feels professional. Where others are plastic and rubber, the D50's chassis is aluminum. The buttons, display and LEDs all feel refined.

In a design sense, I was puzzled by the abundance of switches. I mentioned this a bit last week. There doesn't seem to be any method to the switch locations (low cut, limiter, line/mic, attenuation, etc). They're strewn all over the device. For example, it's a bit odd that the low cut and limiter are on the bottom of the unit.

While these functions are generally something you set once and leave, the scattered layout leads me to believe the recorder was designed primarily as a studio or desktop recorder in a stable environment.

However the unit feels elegant. You certainly feel what the recorder's price premium pays for.

Part of this is in the display, which, even for one designed in 2007, has a larger, clearer and more detailed display than comparable recorders, even those made since.

I appreciated the level meter, which is more fine that other portables. It is also paired with a numbered maxium peak value in dBFS. Other nice touches are the time remaining display, remaining memory amount icon and green and red peak level lamps.

I don't feel that the interface and transport controls are well suited to stealth field recording or any kind of rugged use. It's difficult to use blindly, which is commonly required in stealth situations. The layout of the transport is in two rows. Often recording stealth requires finding controls by touch only. While the record, play and light button have distinct shapes, the differences are slight.

Punching in requires pressing record to arm, then play to punch in (or both together for immediate punch-in). It just feels clumsy. Something quicker or simpler would be appreciated.

As for the buttons themselves, I'd prefer the action be firmer and deeper. They barely sink and I feel accidental presses could be a problem.

Admittedly, these details are finicky. While I'm nitpicking, I'll mention that accessing the menu design system involves pressing and holding a button on the front near the transport (easily brushed when looking for controls?). Some kind of jog wheel with dedicated menu scrolling and section buttons (i.e. like the classic iPod scroll wheel) would be far better than its current method of using play and fast forward. Other recorders have a wheel- and button-based menu system and I feel this is more intuitive.

Of course, it's unlikely the D50 was developed for stealth. The feel and action of the transport controls and the menu system seem to support that this is a desktop recorder.

The analog volume and level are far better than rocker switches on other models. A plus would be to have the level displayed (i.e. 1-10, in addition to the peak) on the display. The level number is displayed only on the wheel in bewildering colour selection of red on black. You can't see the wheel's level numbers during night shoots. This is a problem because sometimes you need to set levels before you have any reference level on the meters. A visual indication on the display would be helpful.

Start-up is relievingly fast: about seven seconds. (The Zoom H4n with a partially used 16 Gb card takes 27 seconds.) Having a portable recorder means I'm often pulling it out to capture suprise sound effects. Paired with the quick punch-in option, the D50 is that much quicker capturing sudden sound effects.

Another excellent feature to help with this is the five second pre-roll. The divide transport button also helps creating new tracks with one press. There's no need to punch out and re-arm.

Other cool features I liked: a dedicated light button (others set this in menus only), and auto-shut off.

What about batteries? The D50 uses 4 AAs, and runs incredibly long. It's nice, but I feel this isn't really that important. I can't imagine too many field recording trips running constantly for more than 5 hours at a time, and any other portable recorder with just 2 AAs lasts that long anyway. If you're away from a charger for days I could see the enhanced power duration could be helpful.

How about inputs/outputs? One glaring omission is the lack of professional input and output jacks. Input, output and headphone output are all 3.5 mm jacks. While adapters could work, I'd suggest that the recorder isn't meant to work this way.

I used an external Sonic Studios DSM 6S/EH with the recorder. You can listen to the results in the article I posted last week.

If you're looking for a recorder with XLR inputs, you're better off spending money on a professional recorder that has them, that will provide a superior preamp to take advantage of microphones you'll connect to it.

View the Sony PCM-D50 as high-end portable recorder. I wouldn't suggest it for a replacement for Sound Devices recorder or anything similar.

Quick summary

Pros

• excellent sound quality
• aluminum chassis
• detailed, elaborate display
• quick start and access
• analog level and volume control
• portability
• built in 4 gigabyte memory built in

Cons

• price
• desktop-oriented transport controls
• menu design and layout
• additional windscreen expense required for exterior recordings
• lack of pro jacks
• fading Memory Stick format

Should you buy one?

If you have a big budget and want the best portable sound you can get for under $1000, the Sony PCM-D50 is your top choice.

It's a fantastic recorder, and the quibbles I've listed shouldn't deter you from appreciating the sound quality it produces, or its contruction.

Another way to look at it is what you can get for the same cost. Sony lists it on their site for $599, but it can be found cheaper. The D50 retails on B&H for $469. A windscreen and shipping will round that up to roughly $525. That's a lot to spend on a backup recorder. It's difficult to justify that price unless you require the sound quality for specifically with a recorder of that size.

It may make more sense if it is your primary recorder, and one you plan to use for years. But what else can you get at that price?

The Fostex FR-2 LE is $599. It doesn't have a microphone, but it has XLR jacks that will allow you to use external microphones. I haven't heard the preamp on the FR-2 LE, but that would be one key thing you'd need to compare, as well as the additional expense required to buy a microphone.

The Zoom H4n is perhaps the closest in form factor, popularity and quality. It's priced at $299. Let's say it's $350 with windscreen and shipping. If you consider the price, is the D50's value worth spending $175 more? Some may say that excellent sound quality is priceless. But is the D50 33% better than the Zoom H4n?

We'll see next week when we throw the D50 and Zoom H4n in the ring together for a audio recorder shootout.

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Today's article will be a review of Sony's PCM-D50 hand-held audio recorder.

This recorder isn't new. It was released in 2007. There are many reviews of this recorder. I won't repeat the excellent work they've already done.

Instead, I'll look at the role this recorder plays in field recording sound effect ambiences specifically. I'll also mention why we at Airborne Sound recently purchased this particular recorder to use while stealth and guerilla recording. I won't focus on tech specs as much as the experience using this recorder field recording stealth ambiences.

I'll start by describing why we took interest in the D50. Then I'll answer the biggest question: does it sound good? After a section with some free downloadable sound effect samples, I'll continue next week with more detailed observations, and conclude with some pros and cons.

I'll follow this with a shootout between the Sony D50 and an audio recorder often compared with it, the Zoom H4n.

Resources

I mentioned other reviews. If you want to get a broad impression of the D50, skim over the reviews on Sony D50 on Amazon.com.

However, if you want a personalized review of the recorder, read René Coronado's Handheld Recorder Shootout articles. The D50's specs are compared to similar recorders. There's also a page complete with audio samples and spectrograms. It's thorough and a good read.

View the official D50 page on Sony. The manual is there, as well as the microphone's frequency response and other specs.

For comparison you may also be interested in this review of the cheaper, little brother to the D50, the Sony PCM-M10 at the London Sound Survey.

Using the Sony D50 as a field recorder

What recorder you need depends on the sound effects you're capturing and how you record. There isn't a single choice that will work equally well in every situation. If you're in a studio, or recording specific, controlable sound effects outside, your needs may differ than someone who specializes in recording birdsong. The choice may even be based on personal feel. There are many correct answers.

At Airborne Sound we primarily record ambience sound effects. So I'll look at the Sony D50 in terms of stealth and guerilla techniques used for recording atmospheres.

First, a bit about stealth and guerilla recording.

Stealth field recording refers to recording sound effects in a covert way. It may be recording a crowd in a manner so the recordist won't be noticed. It may be slipping into a location. Sometimes people will act differently if they notice someone recording them. The main idea behind stealth recording to be discreet so that the integrity of the sound effect recording won't be disturbed, and the sound will be as true to its spirit as possible.

Guerilla field recording is a term I borrowed from the filmmaking method. It refers to using the bare minimum in gear, or, to borrow from Wikipedia, shooting sound effects "quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining permission from the owners of the locations." An example of this kind of recording we've done before would be while a protest is occurring.

We were looking for a compact recorder to shine in both these techniques.

What's important to us while stealth or guerilla field recording?

On our field recording blog, Jetstreaming.org, I wrote a digital sound recorder buying guide. This article lists broad qualities for thinking about field recorders, and is meant as a guide to find what's suitable for your own technique. I'll approach reviewing the D50 with these in mind.

I've broken this thinking into two articles. The first discusses key features. Next week I'll look secondary, though important considerations.

Important features

• preamp/microphone quality
• portability
• construction

Preamp/microphone quality

Field recording stealth ambiences often means working under pressure of time, position and environment. A recorder in this situation must be tough. Also, since recording stealth requires discretion, the recorder needs to be small. The D50's small, hardy aluminum form solves both problems.

Usually a portable recorder trades sound quality for a smaller size. This is the accommodation we had made in the past for older recorders such as the Zoom H4. We wanted to upgrade specifically because the sound quality of the D50 was said to be superior.

It certainly is. The microphone quality of the D50 has incredible clarity and definition. The sound effects captured are crisp and distinct. It avoids the low, muddy bass of comparable recorders. It appears to be sharper in the high to mid range. I actually found myself wanting a bit more weight from the bass, but this isn't much of a problem. Taking into consideration the format and size of the microphones it is more than acceptable.

The most remarkable aspect of this recorder is the sound stage. The ability to convey depth in a clear way is impressive. You can hear samples at the end of this article.

You can orient the microphones in a 90 degree (specifics) and 120 degree (ambiences) pattern by sliding them to the side.

It's important to note that the microphones are next to useless recording exterior sound effects. Even the slightest breeze with crap out the microphones. I bought the Rycote windscreen and it works excellently. It's transparent.

Whichever you choose, budget around $50 more for the price to pay a windscreen to use outside. It's essential.

Thank you to all of you who Tweeted windscreen suggestions.

I tried using the D50 with an external microphone. I used Sonic Studio's DSM 6S/EH binaural microphone.

The 6S connects via an 1/8" connection. A cool feature of the D50's software: it automatically detects when something is connected to its input and asks if you'd like to switch on plug-in power.

I have some some samples of the 6S with the D50 at the end of the article.

Construction

The D50's construction has two cool features. First is the aluminum chassis. It's strong. The second is the 'roll cage' protecting the microphones. Small recorders like these will eventually be stashed in a bag or thrown in flight cases with other gear. The cage protects the mics from casual bumping.

Many toggable functions are operated by switches on the chassis. The mic limiter, input, low cut filter, mic attenuation are all available via sliding switches. Other recorders have these options via software menus.

The scattering of buttons is a sword that cuts both ways. Having all main functions available is handy. It also means that the buttons could be inadvertantly flipped as the recorder is stashed in pockets or satchels. (This has happened to me already.) I may tape over them to avoid this since I expect to the D50 to be experiencing rough treatment and this could be a common problem.

I personally prefer using software to control these kind of things. Every time you add another switch or moving part to a machine it incresases the chance of any one part may break. The expectectation of maintenence of any technological device rises with the amount of working parts it has. No problems so far but the switches are definitely a weak link.

Portability

But is it portable? Absolutely. Length and width are in a good ratio. It fits well in your hand. It's only 13 oz. The metal construction means that it takes punishment that a portable recorder should. And because it's so small it excells at concelment, which is essential for stealth or guerilla recording.

D50 sound samples

How does the D50 sound? I've listed some samples below.

These are raw sounds. Although they are trimmed, they are not cut, equalized or denoised in any way.

Think of these samples of the raw capability of the microphone and the software.

I've focused mostly on outside recordings to provide a variety of sound effects. There are recordings in clean enivronments, in wide, reverberant areas. I recorded both ambient and specific clips to study how they work in both of these sorts of places. There are some household specifics as well.

I've turned on downloads from Soundcloud so you can analyze yourself in your own software and come to your own conclusions.

You're also welcome to use them in your personal projects (i.e. projects not used for business). I just ask that you don't redistribute them (even for free). If you do use a sound for personal projects, credit is appreciated!

I've listed what the recording is and ways you can think about how the D50 performs in that situation.

Sound effect: Freight train idling and departing at a crawl sound effect. The train idles, rings a bell and then departs slowly to the left.
What to listen for: stereo image, detail of bell, crispness of rail grinds.

Sound effect: Freight train autorack cars pass sound effect. Constant slow passing autorack freight cars.
What to listen for: stereo image, breadth and sense of space via rattling, frequency balance.

Sound effect: College crowd in a food court sound effect. A packed food court at a college atrium during lunch.
What to listen for: capacity for depth, ability to deal with wide, diffuse sounds, capacity for detail in a large, reverberant space.

Sound effect: Water sputtering from faucet sound effect. Water choking as faucet is turned on after plumbing has been drained.
What to listen for: ability to record specifics at close range, detail, stereo image.

Sound effect: King beer can opening crispy sound effect. It's a can of Kronenbourg 1664, if you must know. It was delicious.
What to listen for: ability to record specifics at close range, detail, stereo image, crispness, background interference.

Sound effect: Jackhammer working and chattering sound effect. Microphone set to 120 degrees (wide POV), about 10 meters away, some traffic in background.
What to listen for: ability to capture detail amongst competing sounds, ability to capture clarity at distance, balance of frequencies.

Sony PCM D50 windscreen comparison

Here are some basic traffic tracks, recorded minutes apart. One is with the Rycote windscreen on. The next is with it off. The time I recorded these it wasn't a windy day. Only a slight occasional breeze.

Sound effect: Intersection traffic at a hill sound effect, wide POV.

Sound effect: Intersection traffic at a hill sound effect, wide POV, no wind sock.

Sony PCM D50 vs. Sonic Studios 6S/EH binaural microphone

These samples compare the D50's onboard microphones with an external mic. Listen for the breadth of the stereo image, the weight of bass, treble and mid-range, and how they manage to capture detail and image in different environments when callenged by reverberant space, traffic and compressors.

Note that I recorded the ambiences sequentially (I couldn't run the D50 and the 6S at the same time).

Sound effect: Cafe crowd light and steady with cutlery sound effect. Light cafe crowd chatting with some distant street traffic and background fridge compressor running.

D50 version:

DSM 6S version:

Sound effect: subway station entrance. Turnstiles clicking, crowd voices, footsteps passing. There's a groaning sound in the left channel - this is a worn out escallator running. Listen also for distant subways arriving and departing, and if the recordings convey that sense of distance well or not.

D50 version:

DSM 6S version:

Like this review? Do the sound samples help you? If so, consider taking a few seconds to retweet this post. This really helps us! Thank you.

Want more details? Next week I'll finish the article describing secondary features, including gripes, praise and observations. I'll also have a list pros and cons we found with the Sony D50.

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From time to time we like to show off features of Airborne Sound we're proud of.

Today I want to write about the sound effect previews on the website.

What's so special about our previews and the sound effects player?

Preview quality

Most websites use low-res, 8-bit previews. Because of this it's hard to know what you're hearing. When you don't know what you're listening to, why risk buying it?

At Airborne Sound it's different. We want to make our sound clip previews as good for you as technically possible.

They play MP3s at the maximum bit rate: 320 kilobits. The sampling rate is CD quality: 44,100 hz.

This way you're not missing the richness and vibrancy of the sound fx. You'll hear it the same in the sounds you download. Still unsure? Every sound you buy is backed by our Forever Guarantee.

And that voice you hear in the preview? That's an audio watermark. Don't worry, the file you download won't have any watermark.

The sound effects preview player

What's the problem with players on other websites? Well, they have ugly players. You have to wait for the entire sound to download to begin listening. And after that, you have to listen to the sound from the beginning to get to the end.

We're really happy with our sound effects player, and think you will be too.

Here's our player. Try it out:

Our player is slick. It loads sound clips quickly. You start hearing the sound even before it has finished downloading which is helpful for long ambiences.

Best of all, it has scrubbing. You can drag the black bar left or right to jump to any location in the preview. Listening to a jet passing? No need to wait out the first 15 seconds if you want to hear the ripping pass in the middle. Scrub the player to jump to exactly where you want the sound to begin playing.

It has some other cool stuff. The black and green spikes on the outside show the sound spectrum. The blue ripples in the center show the waveform. And of course we show the current duration right in the center.

And here's an animated image that shows you where everything is:

Technology

Our previews are a Flash/Javascript/HTML 5 hybrid. On the iPad or iPhone? The player uses HTML 5.

Not using Flash on your PC? No problem. The player will happily use Javascript instead.

Questions about our previews or need help? Contact us, we're happy to help.

Subscribe to our free newsletter, RSS feed or follow Airborne Sound on Twitter. ]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.airbornesound.com/news/tutorial-9-tips-to-improve-editing-and-mastering-sound-effects/ Subscribe to RSS Feed

Field recording good audio is only one of three steps to creating a great sound effect. The full process includes:

1. recording a sound effect with microphones
2. mastering the sound fx in editing software
3. describing and categorizing the completed sound

At Airborne Sound we demand excellence in each of these steps. Today I'll write about the second step, mastering.

Mastering music is much different than working with sound effects. It requires different skills. I won't discuss that today. We'll focus on sound effects.

What is mastering sound effects?

Mastering sound effects, broadly speaking, has two approaches:

1. cleaning up problems introduced while recording
2. enhancing or changing an existing sound (this may blur the line with sound design)

Mastering sound effects is a nuanced skill. The approach to mastering a sound effect depends on the sound itself. A mastering technician will apply different skills to fighter jet sound fx than to patio crowds clips. A filter or plug in may work with one sound but be inappropriate with another. It's similar to the idea that you don't use a wrench to hammer a nail. The proper mastering technique depends on the sound itself.

Broadly speaking, however, common tasks when mastering include:

• editing, trimming and applying fades to a sound effect
• modifying the level or loudness of a sound
• removing audio imperfections or sounds that distract
• applying filters and equilization to remove unwanted parts of a sound, or highlight some aspects over others
• enhancing the sound with processing and plug-ins to give the it new characteristics

As you can see, mastering sound effects is a complex task.

At Airborne Sound we have created guidelines for our team to ensure each sound clip is mastered with the highest quality.

Here are our tips to improve mastering sound effects.

Check your work




This is the number one skill that separates pros from the amateurs in any profession. Check your work before you deliver.




Wait a day before you listen to your mastered work again. You will have fresh ears. Play back the audio and you'll spot editing errors quickly, such as:



• bad edits (hiccups or bad crossfades)
• dead air at the head or tail of sounds
• bad fades (sound does not ramp up or fade out smoothly)
• bad loops



Remove the recordist




Remove any presence of the recordist from the track. Common errors: breathing, clothing moves, slight foot shifts.




Smart fades




Fades allow a sound effect to begin and end smoothly. The problem is that the audio in the fade itself is unusuable.




Airborne once reviewed a sound submission of a crowd clip that had a 30 second fade out. This was, unfortunately, useless. Why? Everything after the first second cannot be used it is only partially audible. The following 29 seconds were wasted.




Each sound will require its own appropriate fade length. A good starting place is a 1/2 second fade in, and 3/4 second fade out. Use your ears and create a fade that feels natural.




Also, choose a good point to begin the fade: not in the middle of a yell or a bell toll, for example. Begin the fade where the sound effect takes a breath.




Volume




Sounds that are -15 dbFS or lower should be normalized before they are used; they're just too quiet to be useful in most situations.




Save the editor work. No one wants to receive a quiet sound that they will need to normalize before they can use it.




Use your judgement to choose the right gain range. Some suggestions:



• standard specifics: no lower than -10 dbFS
• close crowds, traffic or bird atmospheres: -7 to -10 dbFS
• quiet ambiences such as wind or room tones: -12 to -15 dbFS



The exact level can be a matter of preference. However, the important point is that very quiet sounds are not useful. Increase the volume to an appropriate level.




And for that matter, there's no need to blast every sound you cut. Not every sound works well at maximum level. A soft breeze shouldn't be as loud as a gunshot.




Note: if there is too much noise floor after you've raised the level, erase the file.




Remove performances




Remove all music from your recordings. Broadcast music (TV, radio, shopping mall PA) or buskers and street performers, whether close or distant, are copyrighted. Using a sound effect with music in it could get you sued. Don't tempt the RIAA.




Avoid this and you'll also respect the original artists who created the performance.




Also questionable: video games, Windows or Mac OS X sounds, cell phone ring tones. All are copyrighted.




Remove image shift




Sometimes the recordist turns the microphone, or it wobbles. The result is that the sound seems to waver.




This is difficult to detect unless you are listening sharply. It must be removed so that the sound's perspective will be consistent.




Watch your multimeter









A multimeter is a tool that shows information about the sound effect. Most multimeters will include:



• a spectrum analyzer
• stereo image analyzer
• level meter



The stereo image analyzer will help you spot problems with phase and image width. The spectrum analyzer can display exactly which frequency is causing that persistent whine. The level meter will show sound levels with far more accuracy than a default audio editor will allow.




A multimeter will help you edit smarter and quicker.




Metric Halo's Spectrafoo and RND's Inspector XL are examples of multimeters.




Beware denoising









It's rare when a sound effect is recorded perfectly. Often problems such as clicks, pops, hum, rumbles and hiss can be introduced.




Software like iZotope RX is excellent for removing these things. Waves Z-Noise is also good.









Be aware that learning to use these tools correctly takes time and trial and error.




Don't rush with these tools. If they are used carelessly they can cripple your sound effect even more.




Improper use of a declicker may leave thumps behind. Pushing a denoiser too far will result in artifacts that sound chirpy and watery, or like "singing robots."




Be conscious of this. Plug ins are not a cure-all for a bad recording.




Which leads us to the final tip...




When in doubt...




...throw it out. Not sure if a sound is worthwhile, or valuable? Heavily edited? Erase it.




Poor or even mediocre sound files will not help your projects, or make your library more valuable. Great sounds make you want to cut. Poor sounds will bore you, and your clients.




At Airborne Sound we keep only exciting, vibrant and high-qualty sound effects. Keep only these sounds in your collection to inspire your recording, editing and sound design.




Delete everything else. Your library and your projects will be better for it.

Have any tips for mastering sound effects? Share them in the comments below.

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Our sound effects library here at Airborne Sound features metadata. Every one of our over 18,000 sound clips is embedded with extensive bonus info.

We use the Soundminer application to wrap our WAV files with invisible metadata. Lately, we used Soundminer's MP3Converter specifically to embed metadata in compressed MP3s.

This article will be a brief review of the small yet indispensable application. I'll cover why we use the application and how it works. I'll conclude with some thoughts and pros and cons.

Introduction to metadata

What is metadata?

Metadata is bonus hidden text information wrapped around sound fx files. Special applications allow sound librarians to add the metadata, search the resulting catalog and then transfer the sounds to other programs.

Why is this important?

Sound professionals usually have large sound effects libraries. Finding the perfect sound within gigabytes of folders is a daunting task. With metadata-embedded sound effects, you can search sound libraries faster and smarter.

Without metadata you are limited to the information stored in the file name or a folder name. Metadata allows you detail and context.

Many of our customers request compressed versions to use in iTunes. So, we at Airborne Sound embed metadata in our MP3s to help them search more powerfully.

Read more about metadata and how we use it at Airborne Sound.

Why MP3Converter?

There are a many applications that let you browse and embed metadata. At the moment, Soundminer is the most flexible and powerful.

However, there is one thing that the main Soundminer application lacks: it cannot export sound files as MP3.

iTunes can convert your full-resolution sound files to MP3, of course. The problem is that you will lose all your Soundminer metadata in the process.

MP3Converter keeps your metadata intact. It will transfer your diligently-populated metadata to MP3 ID3 tags, which can be used in iTunes or any other application which uses ID3 tags.

It also allows you to batch convert large swaths of your library to MP3 from AIF and WAV quickly.

MP3Converter is $199 at Soundminer's store. It is available for Mac OS 10.4 or higher.

Purchasing and Installation

MP3Converter needs either a HASP or iLok key to run. During the purchasing process you're asked for your iLok User ID or HASP Serial ID.

It's important to note that this application runs independantly from Soundminer. There is no 'handshaking.' MP3Converter doesn't check with the Soundminer license or application. As such, you have flexibility to install MP3 on a different key or separate key type entirely.

After completing the purchase with either credit card or PayPal.com you're provided with a download link.

You'll need a license on your iLok or HASP to launch the program. This is applied manually by the Soundminer staff, who note that licenses are transferred only during EST business hours. My own experience was much better: Soundminer staff transferred the license to our iLok account within hours, and after business hours.

How to use it

Using MP3Converter is simple.

1. select the bit-rate you want for your MP3s. This ranges from 32 kpbs to 320 kpbs
   
2. select the sample rate: 44100 or 48000 hz
   
3. select ID encoding: unicode (for extended language and character set support) or 'more compatable'
4. click the 'Start Converting' button
5. a pop-up menu asks for the folder of your source files. This can be the top-level folder containing many sub-folders and files, or it can be a single folder with files within
6. a second pop-up asks where you would like the converted MP3s to appear

An option to Toggle Filename Override is available from the Advanced menu.

MP3Converter will churn away, displaying the amount of files remaining to be converted.

It's that easy.

Results

MP3Converter matches the same nested folder structure within a 'Converted MP3' folder.

It's also quite fast. On a quad-core 2.8 mHz iMac i7 18.3 gigabyts of WAVs were converted from 48 kHz 24-bit to 44.1 kHz 16-bit 320 kbps MP3s in about 19 minutes.

The help file doesn't indicate what source Soundminer field is transferred to which MP3 tag. Here is the mapping we found:

• TrackTitle -> Name
• Library -> Artist
• CDTitle -> Album
• Publisher -> Grouping
• Composer -> Composer
• Description -> Comments
• Category -> Genre
• Year is populated from Date Created
• Album art is also transferred to Artwork

MP3Converter Pros and Cons

Highlights

• major benefit is being able to transfer metadata from Soundminer fields to MP3 files
• fast
• stable
• mirrors nested folders
• great customer support

Caveats

• would be nice to have some kind of notification when the transfer is complete, perhaps a beep when done
• start converting button is a bit misleading - would make a bit more sense to specify source and destination and have them visible in the main window
• help file is out of date
• would be helpful to remember previous folders you've used

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We've added an email newsletter to the blog. This means you receive our posts in your email inbox as they are published.

It's free, private and you can unsubscribe at any time.

It's basically a new way of staying in touch.

Click this link to join. Enter your email address, name and delivery preference on the subscription page. We'll send you a confirmation email. Just click this link and that's it! You're all signed up.

Sound effect specials for subscribers only

Right now we're working on some exciting sound fx packages that we'll release later this month. We'll be giving blog subscribers first crack at these sound effect collections at a discount not available to the general public.

Sign up for the newsletter and we'll let you know about these packages when they're released just for our subscribers.

Ways to stay in touch

So, now you have four ways of following our sound effects news:

1. visit airbornesound.com and click the News button at the top any page
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Thanks to everyone who has visited or retweeted our posts. Stay tuned! We have exciting things planned.

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YDAW54VXEVHC

We beat our target!

We've been recording sound effects all year. We try to add at least 2,500 new sound clips to the library every year.

We're happy to report that we beat our target. Last month we released 2,720 fresh downloadable sound effects to Airborne Sound.

This brings the total to over 18,000 professionally recorded and curated sound effects offered on the website.

And these aren't just raw sound effects. Our sound librarians have spent months cutting, prepping, categorizing and describing these new sound fx. So they're professionally mastered, library-frinedly, Soundminer-enabled and ready to go.

Discount off any sound effect on Airborne Sound

To celebrate we're offering a 25% discount on everything in the store. Use febtarget at the checkout to apply the discount. The code is good until February 9, 2012.

Some of the sound effects we recorded

We're quite proud of the sounds we added. Here are some of our favorite sound clips from our 2011 sound library.

More sound effects from 2011

Click the links to see search results and to listen to more sound effects we recorded in 2011.

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Field recordists are relying on higher sampling rates to record sound effects. 96 kHz, 24-bit recordings are standard. At Airborne Sound we record all our sound effects at this HD rate, and the majority of our library is high-resolution as well.

The problem is that these higher rates fill hard drives faster.

Every few years I found myself trading up for bigger external drives.

And then I heard about Drobo. Drobo is an American company that makes external storage cases that work in a unique and interesting way.

I've had a Drobo for a few months. Here is my 'first impressions' review of the Drobo 4.

I'll start with an overview, then showcase some images and conclude with some pros and cons.

What is a Drobo?

The Drobo is a storage case for internal 3.5" hard drives. This isn't a new concept. Drobo, however, does four things differently:

• it allows you to use many hard drives to combine into one big pool of storage
• it allows you to use any mix of hard drive sizes
• it provides a new type of RAID-style redundant backup
• it allows you to 'hot-swap' drives in and out at any time

What does this mean?

It means you will have a drive that is 'never full and never fails.'

It means you can fill a Drobo with any combination of internal hard drives, removing and adding them at any time, and have a fully redundant backup if any drive fails.

To do this, Drobo uses something called BeyondRAID.

A bit about RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology designed to let many drives work together to create a huge amount of storage.

The 'redundant' aspect means that the data is in essence duplicated. The duplicate is tucked away behind the scenes and is used when the original data drive fails. This mirroring is performed by the RAID and occurs completely in the background.

This is done because even the best hard drives die over time. Because RAID duplicates the data, a single hard drive can fail and your data will be safe. The backup data copy on the RAID's alternate drive will be substituted for the damaged drive seamlessly.

Drobo's BeyondRAID is different from typical RAID arrays in two important ways:

• you can add more drives to Drobo and increase the total size over time. Start with 500 Gb, then add 2 Tb a month later. A typical RAID locks you in to your initial drive set up
• when a RAID drive fails, you need to replace the damaged drive ASAP before more data is corrupted. BeyondRAID protects against this. Up to three drives can fail before losing data

Why use Drobo?

I had been finding my sound libraries spread across a number of external Lacie drives. I also had many random-sized internal hard drives lying around from previous upgrades: a 1.5 Tb, a 2 Tb and a 500 Mb.

I wanted to bring everything together. This is where Drobo excels. Drobo creates one massive pool of storage that can be expanded at any time. Getting low on space? Just buy a new drive and slide it in.

This is especially helpful since internal hard drives are always cheaper than external drives.

A big pool of storage is great for massive sound library collections. It's also good to use with Time Machine or other incremental backups.

The redundant aspect of Drobo's BeyondRAID means that even if one hard drive dies, your data is safe. It will let you know which drive to remove. All the while, your data will still be completely accessable.

Drobo is also user-friendly. It is incredibly easy to set up and maintain. In minutes you can create your own mass storage backup.

Drobo hardware

I have the original Drobo, which has four drive bays. There are other versions which add more bays, network options and different interfaces.

The Drobo case looks cool. It will look very slick sitting on your desk. It's made of thick plastic and feels solid and reliable.

The lights on the front of the Drobo tell you drive status at a glance. Blue lights at the bottom show the current capacity: each light indicating an additional 10% full.

Each drive bay has an oblong light which indicates the health of the drive in green, yellow (add more space soon), red (add space now or replace drive).

To add or remove drives you simply remove the magnetically-attached front faceplate and slide the drive in. One warning: as soon as you insert the drive it is formatted. No windows appear asking for confirmation; the new drive is erased immediately. It is ready to use in under a minute.

The Drobo has two Firewire 800 ports and a USB 2.0 port. I've had bad experiences with some hard drive jacks in the past: cables can sit in the ports loosely. Not so with the Drobo. Like the rest of the unit, construction is solid.

Power is provided by a power brick. The Drobo arrives with its own high-quality Firewire and USB cables so you'll have all you need in the box.

Drobo software

Drobo uses software called Drobo Dashboard to interact with the drive. Drobo requires you to install the software to format your first drives. It allows you to set the Drobo as one single device, or to create partitions.

Afterwards, you can use Drobo Dashboard to monitor your capacity and the health of drives. The software, incidentally, is gorgeous.

You can also perform admin functions like formatting, renaming, diagnostics, etc. You can park the drives by using the 'standby' option. This protects the drives when transporting the Drobo.

'Drobo Copy' allows you to create 'tasks'. A task schedules copies of a folder to the Drobo. The first time the task is run, it will copy everything in the folder. Thereafter it will only copy new or updated files in that folder. I didn't use this function but it seems pretty simple.

The Drobo Dashboard also automatically checks for firmware updates.

Drobo Pros and Cons

Highlights

• ease to use - simple to get up and running. Add or remove drives on the fly without powering down. Just remove the magnetically-attached front faceplate and add/remove
• construction - well made. Solid jacks, drive bays and case
• reliable - months of regular use and not a single problem
• aesthetics - it looks incredibly slick. Design is top notch. Thoughtfully made
• simple, solid software

Caveats

• the Drobo's fan is loud. Not obnoxiously, jet engine-loud, but loud enough to be a problem to sound editors if it is nearby. The fan doesn't run all the time but when it does it is too loud for sound editing in my opinion
• while the Drobo can add any configuration of drives, using mismatched drive sizes results in unusual total capacities. Use their capacity calculator to gauge things accurately
• the Drobo is a bit bulkier than I expected. While the design itself is impressive, it's long and squat

Have a question or comment about the Drobo? Leave comments below.

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We will be writing about:

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• new sound effects we're adding to the website

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