Stock sound effects
Encyclopedia
A stock sound effect is a prerecorded sound effect
created for or contained within a sound effect library for the intended reuse within entertainment productions; as opposed to creating a new, unique sound effect
.
, sound effects have been used in entertainment productions. Sound effects (AKA sound FX, FX or SFX) are still used to enhance everything from theater, radio
, film
, and television
to video games and online media.
Sound effects were originally added to productions by creating the sounds needed in real-time for each production. Various sound making devices and props (i.e. coconuts shells for horse hooves, sheet of metal for thunder) were used in place of the real sounds. With the advent of radio
and specifically radio dramas, the role of sound effects increased in importance. Film
went from silent to "talkies" and sound effects also became a large part of this new medium.
Audio recording technology continued to evolve, making recording
and playing back sound easier and more accessible. As this happened the more commonly used sound effects, as well as harder to replicate ones, were prerecorded, so they would be easily available when needed. This also allowed the same sound effect
to be used multiple times.
Both producer’s and listener’s sensibilities also began evolving with technology and the need for more realistic sound effects or using the "real" sound increased, so the need for these prerecorded sound effects become even more essential.
As the quality of audio recording and playback increased with time so did access to a wider variety of highly specific "real" sounds that enhanced the quality of productions. For example, rather than a replicated gunshot a producer might select a real gunshot from a certain type of gun, shot under very specific conditions. This increased access to "real" sound effects recordings became increasingly important to producers.
These collections of prerecorded of sound effects, both "real" and sound designed, began to be referred to as stock sound effects and were organized into "sound effect libraries". Stock sound effects became widely used and valuable assets of sound design
artists and production companies. Some stock sound effects have been reused so many times that they have become easily recognizable and some even clichés, such as the scream of a Red-tailed Hawk
, castle thunder
, or the Wilhelm
and Howie screams
.
Many of the original sound effects libraries originated from film
and television
studios that employed the artists who created them, such as Warner Bros.
and Hanna-Barbera
. Over time independent companies such as Sound Ideas and Hollywood Edge became involved, both distributing the major studios’ libraries as well as making their own available to the public. The Internet ushered in a new generation of technology, entertainment mediums and sound effects libraries. Sounddogs
became the first to distribute sound effects libraries over the Internet
and Soundrangers
became the first to create an all new sound effects library for Internet based entertainment. The website, pdsounds.org aims to provide free sound effects under the public domain
. Sound effects libraries continue to be an integral part of many entertainment productions, software and video games.
With the evolving sound recording technology and formats over the years, sound effects library formats have too evolved. Sound libraries have been available on many types of media over the years, from vinyl records, reel-to-reel tape, cassette tapes, compact discs to hard drives and now the Internet
. Sound effects libraries content has grown and evolved as well. With more complex, layered and mixed sound effects as well a wider variety of incidental real world sounds.
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
created for or contained within a sound effect library for the intended reuse within entertainment productions; as opposed to creating a new, unique sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
.
History
From at least as far back as Ancient GreeceAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, sound effects have been used in entertainment productions. Sound effects (AKA sound FX, FX or SFX) are still used to enhance everything from theater, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
to video games and online media.
Sound effects were originally added to productions by creating the sounds needed in real-time for each production. Various sound making devices and props (i.e. coconuts shells for horse hooves, sheet of metal for thunder) were used in place of the real sounds. With the advent of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and specifically radio dramas, the role of sound effects increased in importance. Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
went from silent to "talkies" and sound effects also became a large part of this new medium.
Audio recording technology continued to evolve, making recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
and playing back sound easier and more accessible. As this happened the more commonly used sound effects, as well as harder to replicate ones, were prerecorded, so they would be easily available when needed. This also allowed the same sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
to be used multiple times.
Both producer’s and listener’s sensibilities also began evolving with technology and the need for more realistic sound effects or using the "real" sound increased, so the need for these prerecorded sound effects become even more essential.
As the quality of audio recording and playback increased with time so did access to a wider variety of highly specific "real" sounds that enhanced the quality of productions. For example, rather than a replicated gunshot a producer might select a real gunshot from a certain type of gun, shot under very specific conditions. This increased access to "real" sound effects recordings became increasingly important to producers.
These collections of prerecorded of sound effects, both "real" and sound designed, began to be referred to as stock sound effects and were organized into "sound effect libraries". Stock sound effects became widely used and valuable assets of sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
artists and production companies. Some stock sound effects have been reused so many times that they have become easily recognizable and some even clichés, such as the scream of a Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
, castle thunder
Castle thunder (sound effect)
Castle thunder is a sound effect that consists of the sound of a loud thunderclap during a rainstorm. It was originally recorded for the 1931 film Frankenstein, and has since been used in dozens of movies, Disney and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and TV series, and television commercials...
, or the Wilhelm
Wilhelm scream
The Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games...
and Howie screams
Howie scream
The Howie scream is a frequently-used film and television stock sound effect for a scream...
.
Many of the original sound effects libraries originated from film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
studios that employed the artists who created them, such as Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. Over time independent companies such as Sound Ideas and Hollywood Edge became involved, both distributing the major studios’ libraries as well as making their own available to the public. The Internet ushered in a new generation of technology, entertainment mediums and sound effects libraries. Sounddogs
Sounddogs
Sounddogs.com is a commercial online library of sound effects. , 500,000 sound effects and production music tracks are available for immediate download or on hard drive or CD. Downloads are available in AIFF, WAV, and MP3 formats. Their website began providing service in May, 1997...
became the first to distribute sound effects libraries over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and Soundrangers
Soundrangers
Soundrangers was the first online sound library of original sound effects and production music designed for specifically for interactive media such as video games, websites and interactive software. Soundrangers was also one of the first sound effects and music libraries to pioneer the audition and...
became the first to create an all new sound effects library for Internet based entertainment. The website, pdsounds.org aims to provide free sound effects under the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. Sound effects libraries continue to be an integral part of many entertainment productions, software and video games.
With the evolving sound recording technology and formats over the years, sound effects library formats have too evolved. Sound libraries have been available on many types of media over the years, from vinyl records, reel-to-reel tape, cassette tapes, compact discs to hard drives and now the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Sound effects libraries content has grown and evolved as well. With more complex, layered and mixed sound effects as well a wider variety of incidental real world sounds.
Often-used examples
- The Tarzan yellTarzan yellThe Tarzan yell is the distinctive, ululating yell of the character Tarzan, as portrayed by actor Johnny Weissmuller in the films based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, starting with Tarzan the Ape Man...
- Wilhelm screamWilhelm screamThe Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games...
- Howie screamHowie screamThe Howie scream is a frequently-used film and television stock sound effect for a scream...
- Goofy holler
- Castle thunderCastle thunder (sound effect)Castle thunder is a sound effect that consists of the sound of a loud thunderclap during a rainstorm. It was originally recorded for the 1931 film Frankenstein, and has since been used in dozens of movies, Disney and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and TV series, and television commercials...
- Universal telephone ring
- Red-tailed Hawk screech on YouTube
- Police Radio used in SimCity 3000SimCity 3000SimCity 3000 is a city building simulation personal computer game and the third major installment in the SimCity series. It was published by Electronic Arts and developed by series creator Maxis, a wholly owned subsidiary of EA...
, and assorted TV shows and movies - Pottery BreaksPottery BreaksPottery Breaks is a name given to the frequently-used film and television stock sound effect. Provided by Ultimate Sound, it is notably used in not only Disney's films, television programs and video games, but also other productions by the BBC and others....