LIVE: Sound Design Basics: Sound Design Jargon BUSTED

If you’re getting started with sound design you may be overwhelmed with all the crazy lingo and jargon related to the industry. It can seem difficult to get your head around all the complicated terminology – but don’t worry. In this blog post, we’re going to break down some of the most commonly used sound design terms to make sure you sound like a seasoned pro.

Live sound design involves a range of techniques and makes use of a variety of specialized equipment. When you hear about EQ, synthesis, or routing, you might be a bit lost if you’re new to this topic. To help clear things up, we’re going to go through some of the most popular terms associated with live sound design and explain what they mean – so let’s get to it.

EQ, or equalization, is the process of changing the levels of certain frequencies within a sound source. This allows you to boost certain frequencies while reducing others, making it easier to achieve your desired sound.

Synthesis is the process of combining two or more sound sources to create an entirely new sound. This is done with the help of special sound-design tools, such as synthesizers, samplers, and effects processors.

Routing is the process of sending sound from one place to another. For example, you might want to route the vocals from a microphone to a monitor speaker or the signal from a synth to a mixing desk.

The Mixer is one of the most important components of a sound system. This is where all the signals from microphones and other sources are combined before being sent to the speakers.

Sound Design DAWs are digital audio workstations designed specifically for sound design. These provide all the tools you need to create and manipulate sound, such as recording, mixing, and editing.

Dynamic Range is a measure of the difference in level between the quietest and loudest parts of a sound source. Dynamics processors are tools used to reduce or increase this difference, allowing you to achieve the desired balance in your sound.

These are just a few of the terms related to sound design – there are plenty more. With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be able to impress your peers with your newfound understanding of sound design. So why not grab your microphone and get to work creating your own unique sounds – the sky is the limit!