Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with effects

Speak the speech trippingly. Or pitched low. Or with a mumble.

grumblebee — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:07:15 -0800

Is there a resource that lists and explains the various effects one can use to accessorized speech, such as altering pitch, speeding up, slowing down, etc.? As a director, I often have to help actors make vocal choices. My company regularly employs doubling -- that is using one actor to play multiple parts. So that the audience doesn't get confused, it's great if the actor makes each of his characters sound different.

Some actors are naturally gifted this way. Others need help.

Note: like most modern actors and directors, I take a psychological approach to character work. So I would never simply tell an actor something like "speak more quickly" or "raise your pitch." But once we've done the psychological work, it would be awesome to see an array of choices from which you could pick an appropriate set of effects.

The vocal instrument is flexible but not infinite. There are only so many things one can do while speaking: add gruffness/gravel, change the pitch, change the speed, change the degree of annunciation, try an accent, etc.

I would like a complete list. The perfect list would include effect, example (e.g. an actor who naturally talks with that effect, such as George C. Scott for gravel) and any hints/pitfalls to help create the effect without hurting your voice.

I have a bunch of Voice-For-The-Actor books, but none has the list I'm looking for. If such a list doesn't exist, maybe we could compile one together here.

Help with a javascript effect please!

bonsai forest — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:17:29 -0800

I'm trying to implement this moo tools javascript effect to fade in, and then fade out a single image element, and I need help to make it work. This is my attempt. As you can see, when you click my effect link, the image fades up just as I would like, and when you click my effect link again, the image fades away, but then my problems start! After fading away, the image all of a sudden reappears, and then, when you click the link again, it just fades and reappears. I just want the clickable link to toggle the image on and off.

I do not know javascript at all, and haven't been able to figure out what is causing this. this is the code I am using for onload:

window.onload = function() {



// MOO.FX OPACITY 

	aboutOpacity = new fx.Opacity('aboutContent', {duration: 1500, onComplete: function()

 		 { aboutOpacity.setOpacity(1); } 

  	});

		

	aboutOpacity.setOpacity(0);		

}



// HIDE/DISPLAY FUNCTIONS 

function displayAbout() { document.getElementById('aboutContent').style.display = ''; }



function hideAll() {

		document.getElementById('aboutContent').style.display = '';

		}

and this is the html I am using to trigger the effect:

onclick="hideAll();displayAbout(); aboutOpacity.toggle(0, 1);

Will antianxiety meds take away a temper?

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:21:16 -0800

Will antianxiety meds take away a temper? I'm starting to realize that I need to be on antianxeity meds. I have never been on one (only antidepressants) and have been putting it off due to fear of side-effects and guinea pig system until we find one that works.

However, I'm beyond stressed lately even wondering if I have post partum anxiety issues. I love my son to death but when the stress becomes unbareable, one more thing puts me over the edge and my temper goes to a zero to 60 in 3 seconds and I blow up (slamming door, yelling at the animals to get out of the way because they're always at my feet, etc. but never, never do I touch him). I do everything possible not to yell at my son or have him see my blow ups because I grew up this way and I never want my son to feel the way I felt as a kid. Yet yesterday I failed miserably. High stress of the day and high traffic on top of his non stop wailing/screaming/shrililng in a car seat for a 40 min drive led me to just lose it, scream, hit the steering wheel, cry and of course, that made things worse for him. The entire ride I just wailed and cried and my husband had to calm me down via phone. I just can't take it anymore.

And yes, I am in therapy about this and the 9 billion stressors in my life. It just feels like with parenthood, I'm at a breaking point. All I fantasize about is being alone somewhere with no one to bother me and to sleep and not have one person/animal ask me to do something. My husband tries to get it. He doesn't and at times, adds to it. Plus he has his own anxiety/sleep/high stress due to work issues and is on Cymbalta. So we're already quite a pair. :(

I think I want to know what do antianxiety meds feel like? I don't want to be a zombie or neutral since I'm tired to the point of dillirium all of the time (made an appt. for thyroid/diabetes check since I'm concerned). I also am afraid of the weight gain and any other side effects.

I was "good" on Wellbutrin for a year then that stopped working but again, I'm not depressed, suicidal, or anything linked to post partum psychosis. I'm just fed up with stress, feel like I'm ready for a nervous breakdown, while at the same time feeling like I'm going to jump out of my skin 24/7. Even my teeth feel like they're buzzing I'm that wound up all. of. the. time.

Any insights to what they're like would be helpful. I know each case is unique but still, a general knowlege would be helpful and if it takes the 0 to 60 temper away.

Live bass guitar looping - how DID he do it?

monster max — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:01:33 -0800

A little while back I heard a bass guitar player with some kind of amazing live looping set-up - what on earth was it? I keep wondering what he was doing. All I could see was that he was grabbing (sampling) things he was playing, as he was playing them (ie while he was continuing to play), using foot pedals of some sort, and then incorporating those loops into the rest of the track. Amazing. But how?

The time machine in back to the future was just a DeLorean covered in __. What's the word for _?

bartleby — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:41:51 -0800

Prompted by the success of a previous post, I have another special effects question. Is there a term of art for the stuff like extra model kit parts and other doodads glued to a model to give it a sense of scale and complexity? Most often seen in sci-fi stuff.

Think the Death Star: if it was just a smooth ball, it would have looked kind of silly and would have given no sense of proportion or scale. But spend a month gluing _______ to it, and now it seems like a giant space station. Or the opening of the original Star Wars, that long pan over a Star Destroyer? That was one long shot of ___________ that made it seem huge, when it was really just a 6-foot scale model.

Or the time machine from Back to the Future. Rather than design something from scratch, why not just take a stock DeLorean and cover it in _________ ? See, now it looks like a time travelling car.

Is there an industry term for _________ ?

I want to say "cruft", but that's bloated or unnecessary computer code. Another word? Better one?

VST for Linux?

Squid Voltaire — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:26:55 -0800

What do Linux people do for realtime music effects? I used to play around with AudioMulch and a whole bunch of sweet VST effects on my Windows machine, and it was great. You know, stuff like Transverb and the like.

Now I use Linux, and while there are a host of advantages, there is no VST (something about the license from Steinberg, I think?). In fact, the DAWs I've used (Audacity and Ardour) don't seem to be set up for effects processing at all.

I'm assuming that you are meant to do you effects processing upstream, and chain it into the DAW at the last step (I use JACK, so this wouldn't be a problem) but that's just a guess. So...

A) What do Linux people do for digital audio effects? Is there maybe a nice converter or emulator or something I could run that will let me use my old windows stuff?

and B) I presume that there's some sort of program that takes in audio, runs it through an effect, and spits it out again, right? What is it? I use Rarkarrack, but that's only good for a certain number of effects (and is also impossible to spell).

Any advice?

I need an adjustment

orville sash — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:07:52 -0800

I want some help applying effects and filters in Pro Tools and Reason I am sort of a newbie to home recording. I have been recording in both Reason and Pro Tools. I have the following questions:

1.) When I record a track in Reason, is there a way to go back over that track and adjust the knobs on the devices (like, for example, distortion module) so that those adjustments also occur in playback?

2.) Is there a way to "fade in" a filter or effect in pro tools, rather than processing the entire track with that effect? So it sounds as it was recorded at first and then the effect gradually fades in, modifying the track.

Bonus question:

Is there a way to do what I asked in #2 with Acid (the program, not the substance)?

Please note: I'm a total n00b, so I am going to need very specific instructions, I.E.: (click on the region button and go to ...) I don't really have the vocabulary of these programs down pat yet.

Thank you for your help.

After Effects Resolution vs Adobe Premiere

bostonhill — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:22:09 -0800

After Effects Resolution vs Adobe Premiere Hey everyone,

I just bought After Effects and I am sort of a noob when it comes to this so I am hoping someone can help me when it comes to aspect ratio/resolution.

I have a file that was created in AE where the resolution is 1280x720 (16:9), however, the format I am working with in Adobe Premiere is 720x480 (I use a DVX100b camera).

What do I have to do in order for the 1280x720 resolution to fit properly in Premiere 720 by 480?

Much thanks

Digital Sound: Variable Speeds with same pitch: How?

candyhammer — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:44:11 -0800

many programs and devices have a function that slows down or speeds up audio without changing the pitch. my rockheaded layman's theory on illustrating how this must be done is that it divides the whole audio track into something like audio pixels that are so short that they can be shortened without actually removing any of the details that you're hearing-- it's just you're hearing every small detail for less of an amount of time (likewise with slower speed, it lengthens the amount of time that you hear every of those little "audio pixels" so that it is twice as slow). my question for the hive is:

whether anyone knows what that process is called, or what of any number of names it has;

what is a more sophisticated explanation of the way that effect functions (or, 'an accurate explanation', as the case may be, though I think my theory is pretty sound, again, in terms of telling it like a four-year-old would understand rather than examining and presenting the finer points for whatever the process consists of);

and lastly, whether there are any interesting articles, resources, or discussions about it, especially regarding its introduction to the sound production/editing world and its early days in use.

What is this shot/effect from Heroes called?

cramer — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:47:25 -0800

On NBC's Heroes, what is the shot or effect called when Matt Parkman uses his telepathy? Bonus points if you can also point me to tips for emulating this in After Effects. In case you don't watch the show, the foreground elements remain stable while the background moves further away. I lack the vocabulary to google effectively, so any help is appreciated.

Now...In 3-D!

mattdidthat — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:10:00 -0800

With what imaging software was the new Sci-Fi Channel logo created? The logo looks like it was built from cardboard or HD polyurethane foam and then photographed, but I'm certain it's not that simple, and I don't think its creators used Photoshop--I think they used a 3-D modeling program. Note the different lighting effects and shadows here, and here.

What 3-D modeling programs would I use to create those effects? Are they compatible with Illustrator CS4? I'm on a Mac.

YESFX!!!

god particle — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:12:14 -0800

Where can I find some interesting effect pedals? I'm bored by the more "traditional" selection of effect pedals from big-name makers such as Boss or Digitech, so I'm looking for some more interesting, lesser-known producers of effect pedals. I have a taste for noise and crunchy distortion and glitch and lo-fi but I also appreciate delays and spacey, ethereal sounds...in short, I'm open to anything.
I do have a DIY pedal somewhere in my closet but I haven't gotten the courage to try putting it together just yet, so I'm also open to resources related to building your own or modding pedals (I don't have any electronic experience so beginner stuff is best).

keyboard effects

plexi — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:16:49 -0800

I just got a nice keyboard with no on-board effects. What are some good effects equipment for keyboard? Should I just string along some MXR pedals? Invest in a Roland Space Echo? VST?

How do I put together a sound with guitar effects pedals?

invitapriore — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:28:29 -0800

I want to get a handle on how to put together specific electric guitar sounds using effects pedals. I've played guitar for some 13 odd years now, and electric guitar for most of that, but during most of that time I was a child with no money to spend on effects pedals of any sort. Now that I can invest some bucks in these things, I'm interested of really taking advantage of the "electric" part of electric guitar.

With that in mind, I guess this is a two part question:

1) I've got a basic idea of how most all standard guitar effects work and sound on their own, but I'm often baffled when I want to pick apart what, specifically, makes a certain player's sound tick. On the other hand, I don't really know how to make feedback, for instance, but I suspect I don't currently own a loud enough amp, so maybe I'm not as informed as I think I am.

2) The sounds I'm most currently interested in figuring out are those of Jimi Hendrix, Sonic Youth and Dungen. I just want to know how Jimi gets his tone. I know that a lot of Sonic Youth's sound comes from non-standard tunings and prepared guitars, and that's something I'll just have to experiment with, but I like their timbre too, especially on Daydream Nation. With Dungen, I'm specifically interested in the sounds the guitarist makes in the solo at the end of the song Du e For Fin For Mig on the album Ta Det Lugnt (this is pretty specific, so no worries if it doesn't get answered).

I guess that's all. I'll note that I inherited a Digitech 2112 from a friend's father, and while I like it alright, I find that it has a high latency and doesn't seem to offer the types of sounds I want, but I'll admit to not exploring it to its fullest depths. I guess I'd prefer analog and DIY solutions, but I'll welcome whatever works. Cheers and thanks!

Music

cluelessguru — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:23:27 -0800

Can you remember the 1970s disco songs that start with sound effects such as machine gun fire, door opening slowly , and a man laughing ominously? I just cannot recall their names. And googling hasn't helped.

Please give me the names of a few of them.

Thanks a million.

Too much poop!

AlliKat75 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:42:28 -0800

New Puppy Filter: What is the deal with tapeworms? Our new puppy, an australian shepherd (8 weeks old), had a tapeworm. We took him to the vet, and he was given the necessary injections to fix the problem. However, this puppy is seriously pooping about every 45 minutes, and is peeing more often than that. Is this a side effect of the meds? Anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance.

Sex on drugs

DLWM — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:23:34 -0800

What are your experiences having sex on drugs? I'm curious about any experiences you all may have had having sex, well, on drugs. Mostly I'm curious about the subjective psychological effects it had on your emotions/sensations/etc. -- what did it feel like?

For instance, I've had sex stoned, and while it certainly augmented my physical sensations, it also made me feel a lot more spacey and less emotionally involved in the act. And it made me feel a little anxious and guilty when I realized I'd been off in la-la land.

This page is kind of in the vein of what I'm looking for, but it's pretty worthless. I'm much more interested in descriptions of the subjective experience than the physiological explanation.

Disclaimer: I have no plans to engage in the illegal or dangerous use of controlled substances, which is why I'm curious to hear other people's stories. I'd be interested to hear about pharmaceutical as well as, uh, other substances.

How can I install Final Cut Express plugins/effects?

eric1200 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:03:22 -0800

How can I install Final Cut Express plugins/effects? I am using Final Cut Express HD 3.5.1. I downloaded some free plugins but I don't know how to install them. I haven't been able to find ANY information about this anywhere!

The closest I have come is reading that I should drag them into a plugins folder, something like Library>Application Support>Final Cut etc. However this folder doesn't even exist on my computer.

Where should I drag these plugins/effects?? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE (even if you tell me I'm clueless and it's not possible).

Advice on hoodia

AuntieRuth — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:34:24 -0800

Does anyone have any real life experience with taking hoodia? Does it work? Have you noticed any unfortunate or alarming side effects?

How do I encode songs with an equalizer applied?

kenbennedy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:36:48 -0800

Can I apply an equalizer or other effect to songs as they are encoded? Can I decode/re-encode songs and do this so they sound better on my ipod? I have an Intel Macbook running Leopard, and have started listening more frequently to music on my ipod. When I listen to it on my laptop (with the same headphones), I like to use the equalizer and some subtle tweaks with SRS iWow to give the songs a better feel/sound. The equalizer settings on the ipod really don't cut it. Is there a way to permanently apply custom equalizer settings or other effects (similar to what SRS iWow does) to songs so they sound better on the iPod?

Can I rip CD's and apply equalizer settings or other effects? I like to use Apple lossless for my songs, and listen to them through a headphone amplifier/DAC coming out of the USB on my laptop or the line out of my ipod.

I know the songs can "take" the built in equalizer settings with them and use them when I play them on the ipod, but those settings don't do much (don't do enough for me). Any software suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Bonus points if I can also apply time shifted crossfeed to the left and right channels to improve the feel of the soundstage.

Undo iPhoto effects?

d7415 — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:29:21 -0800

Is there an automated (or "simple") way to undo iPhoto effects? Some look difficult, but the "pop art" effect in particular looks like if should be fairly easy to get something like the original image back.

Busby Berkeley Effect?

idledebonair — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:23:11 -0800

I want to recreate, as closely as possible, the Busby Berkeley effect where the faces go all kaleidoscopic and hazy, like in 42nd street. Here is a still. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this, via plugin, or motion paths? Also, for extra credit, how did they do this in the 1930's? I use After Effects and Premiere.

Aging makeup for film.

es_de_bah — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:34:09 -0800

How do I age someone for a film? Looking for something relatively cheap/easy. We don't have any proper makeup experience. Looking for supplies, techniques and tips. Thanks!

Why the big price gap in guitar FX pedals?

spiderskull — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:08:41 -0800

What is the essential difference between guitar effect pedals in different prices ranges? Also, are the DIY stompbox kits worth it? I'm in the market for a delay pedal, and the gaps between prices are huge (especially for such a simple effect). Is there anything intrinsically wrong with Danelectro's pedals? Why are they so much cheaper than, say, Boss pedals?

I've read this question and its answers (namely, these two), and they were helpful.

I've also got an engineering background and am handy with an iron, so building my own would be no problem. The thing is, the kits aren't any cheaper than just buying a production one. So are they worth the extra effort for sound quality?

What movie's characteristic sound effect was caused by using a tube to blow bubbles in a toilet?

Addlepated — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:52:15 -0800

What movie's characteristic sound effect was caused by using a tube to blow bubbles in a toilet? I remember watching a "Making of" type short piece about a popular movie, probably back in the 80s or early 90s (before DVDs) where they created the big important characteristic sound effect by blowing bubbles in a toilet with a tube. Anyone know what it was?