sound design
The art of creating and manipulating audio elements, from synthesiser patches to sound effects.
In Depth
Sound design encompasses creating new sounds using synthesis, sampling, processing, and recording techniques. In electronic music, sound designers craft the timbres that define a track's character. In film, sound designers create the entire sonic world — from realistic foley to otherworldly effects. In gaming, interactive sound design responds to player actions in real time. The synthesiser is the primary tool, but sound designers also manipulate field recordings, foley, and processed acoustic sounds.
Ben Burtt designed the lightsaber sound in Star Wars by combining the hum of an old film projector with feedback from a television set, creating one of the most recognisable sounds in cinema history.