Pro Sound Effects?

November 1, 2008 9:42 AM

How do professionals handle sound effects?

I'm wondering what a professional starting out in radio or animation would do for sound effects.

I'm aware of a number of Web sites and CD collections of sound effects. I'm not looking for help finding them, I'm looking for personal recommendations, preferably from professionals or semi-pros.

If you were starting a new, say, radio station and needed effects for ads and morning show shenanigans, where would you get them? Is there an industry standard library for sale/license?

posted by lore to media & arts (4 comments total)

Blastwave FX has quite a selection of sound libraries. I've worked a little with the Sonopedia and found the sounds to be excellent.
posted by jjb at 11:03 AM on November 1, 2008

At my radio station, they are drawn from lots of different sources. Most radio stations will buy or license a sound effects library. Google for them and you'll find hundreds, but that only gets you so far. I'm always looking for sfx everywhere ... on the web, youtube, from DVDs. Often I just take my Zoom H2 and record whatever sound it is that I need. You also get good at figuring out what kinds of things you can do to "fake" certain sounds. Dropping a bunch of cans = car crash. Banging on table = running.
posted by TurkishGolds at 11:12 AM on November 1, 2008

The search term "Foley Artist" may be helpful, both for inspiration and finding professionals.
posted by silentbicycle at 3:54 PM on November 1, 2008

A Prairie Home Companion's sound effects man Fred Newman wrote a book in 1980 (since revised) called Mouth Sounds, on the art of live foley. Certainly something to check out, if only for grins.
posted by The White Hat at 8:45 PM on November 2, 2008