written by vivian williams

sound effects editor, BOOM BOX POST

A filled out library is essential for any sound effects editor. We here at Boom Box use the BBP original libraries on the daily, but there’s some disagreement on which library is the best. I decided it’s time to settle the score! As far as I’m concerned, MY opinion is the right one, so let's start out by diving into my personal top 3.

Vivian’s Top 3:

1. Squish, Splat, Ooze

In first place, we’ve got Squish, Splat, Ooze. This library is so versatile, I use it on nearly every episode I work on. The files in here work for slimy creatures, food texture, mud, wet surfaces, you name it! There’s slaps, drops, stirs, drags and everything in between. My most used file in this library is definitely the “Slime Movement Steady 1”, it just works for everything!

2. Percussion: Magic Chimes

In second place, we have Percussion: Magic Chimes. Chimes and cartoons are like Bert and Ernie. This library is especially essential if you’re working on anything animated. A little gliss up for a happy moment, or some steady chimes on something magical? It’s bound to show up over and over again. My most used file in this library is the “Bell Tree Glissando Up Fast High”. I use that every time there’s a burst of sparkly magic, something perfect being displayed for the first time, or even a heavenly moment from the skies. Having this library assures you’ll be able to cover everything ~chimes~.

3. Robotic Creations: Heads Up Display

In third place, we have Robotic Creations: Heads Up Display. The Robotic Creations library is a bundle, but I challenged myself to pick a favorite and I definitely use Heads Up Display the most. Don’t let the name fool you, this is not just for robot sounds. I use these for computers, cell phones, alarms, and anything UI. It’s impossible for me to pick a most used file from this one, it has such a wide range of sound categories. I will say though, all the robots in this library have names, and I’m particularly fond of Gregory’s sounds.

The Office Votes

Now, I know what you’re thinking - “Vivian, why should we care what you think?” You want a larger audience poll to decide which library is the best? Fair enough! Here’s the office votes:

Jeff Shiffman

Owner, Re-Recording Mixer

“My favorite original Boom Box Library is Pinball. I'm biased, as it's my childhood machine that I recorded, so there are a lot of memories there. Still, it's a great example of what we are trying to do with Boom Box Library; extremely thorough libraries that fill a niche not yet offered by others.”

“My favorite library is Human Vocalization: Babies & Kids. Jeff and I recorded our own kids for this library, so it brings back really fond memories of my oldest son (now 7!) when he was a squishy 6-month old. But it’s also a really useful library and fills a huge gap in our company library.”

Tim Vindigni

Studio Engineer, Sound Editor

“I really like the Human Vocalizations: Women and Men library because me and my coworkers recorded our voices for it. It’s a lot of fun to cut Katie’s laugh, my sneeze, or Brad’s cough into an episode of TV. Then when it airs, I get to point it out, “Look mom, that’s my scream!”

“I love the 1966 Mustang library because of all the fun memories creating the recordings, and also it sounds sweet!”

Contractor Invoice — Katie Jackson, MPSE

Sound Effects Editor

"I like using the Human Vocalizations: Women and Men library, it's perfect for background characters and non-english expressions"

“Pinball! I like pinball!”

“I probably use Human Vocalizations the most out of any BBP library. Not having to go set up a microphone and record either myself or another editor is a huge time saver.”

Natalia Saavedra Brychcy

Sound Effects Editor

“The Human Vocalization library because it’s very versatile when we need crowd reactions and specific crowd vocals”

“I love the Robotic Creations library because it covers everything I need for robot beeps, digital vocals, and synth UI in general. It features retro sounds, tight, sleek effects, and everything in between.”

“I like the Robotic Creations: Heads Up Display Library. It's helpful when I need cute and creative UI sounds, but also I designed some of the sounds in there and it makes me happy that people get to use them!”

“I find myself using the Editor Toolbox packs the most frequently. I like the Household Edition for room tones when designing backgrounds and the foley recordings for various object drops and grabs.”

“I don’t even know how to open the library.”

The Final Talley

I guess I’m not in the majority with Squish, Splat, Ooze being the favorite. And I think they’re all wrong for that! But our goal here is to decide a winner, and I can’t let my biases stand in the way of that. Let’s break down this very complicated math -

AND THE WINNER IS…drumroll from the BBP Hand Drums library please…

Human Vocalizations!

I mourn for Squish, Splat, Ooze not making the podium, but with almost 20 libraries to pick from, it’s an honor just to be nominated.

let us know your favorite boom box library pack!

If you enjoyed this blog, check out these:
Recording A Vintage Pinball Machine
New Boom Box Library: The 1966 Ford Mustang
The Making of a Sound Library: Shopping Carts

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