As sound editors, we have our own vocabulary for describing the characteristics of the sounds we use in our work. We have our own terminology to describe pitch, timbre, frequency, weight, timing, and even emotion… Sometimes instead of using vocabulary we just replicate the sounds with our mouths… but when we’re discussing our sounds with other collaborators with different backgrounds we may need to reframe how we describe our sounds. As a fun exercise, I started exploring classic musical terms like legato, staccato, and crescendo through the lens of sound effects. In this exercise I researched the terminology and brainstormed sound effects that represent the terms. This exercise was a fun way to expand my musical vocabulary to better communicate sound with collaborators!
There’s a powerful Pro Tools feature I’ve been using more and more in my editorial as of late and after chatting with other editors in the office I’ve realized it’s commonly overlooked. It’s using sync points when syncing your audio in the timeline!
As sound editors, we’re constantly coloring our audio clips on the timeline hundreds of times throughout the workday. In the same way that each of us has our own unique approach to sound selections and design, I’d hypothesize we each have our own individualized color-coding habits as well. Do some people seriously color-code magical chimes as anything other than yellow?? My curiosity motivated me to do a simple survey around the office—asking each editor exactly which color from the Pro Tools Color Palette they’d choose for specific sounds. The results were fascinating!
