Sweetening sound effects?

M

movie_dude

New member
Hi,

I recently have been looking for gun shots and explosions to add to some of my future shorts, so i bought some gun shot packages from shockwave sounds. I didn't realize that these sounds are from 45 feet to 75 feet and so on. I have several free explosions and gun shots off the internet but they sound like they were recorded of a 1965 movie :embarasse

Anyways i just want sounds that have a big bang! to them. A nice crisp gun shot or explosion. Is there any way i can turn what i have into that or does anybody know where i can get those kinds of sounds? (i preferably would not like to pay any more money)

Thanks in advanced :Drogar-Happy(DBG):
 
Check out sounddogs.com. Lots of Fx to choose from. Not free but you can audition before you buy so you don't end up paying for stuff you can't use.
 
There are a few things you can try to make your available gunshots a bit more immediate.

Try fading the sound out after the innitial attack. you may be able to shorten the reverb tail a bit, but it'll sound pretty fake if you overdo it.

Boost a bit of the top end, to add more bite to the sound.

Layer three effects: a sharp and cracky gunshot with the reverb tail faded out, a big low-frequency sweetner (black-powder or a shotgun) to add weight, and a more distant gunshot with a long reverb tail at a lower level to round everything out.

If you have a decent foley effects library, some outside-the-box thinking can yield all kinds of useful sweetners. Once you've laid an accurate gunshot sound, try sweetenning it with percussive yet dry foley hits (wood-on-wood slaps, non-ringey metal hits. In a pinch, I once recycled the snap of a tail-slate to bring a gunshot closer in the mix.

I'd also like to echo Steve's suggestion of Sounddogs.com. Great selection and reasonable prices. If you simply can't scrape together a few bucks for the sounds, try sifting through the CC-licensed tracks over at http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/.
 
I go into the sound files of video games to get sound effects. Call of Duty 4 and FEAR (FEAR Combat is free) have many great gun and explosion sound effects. Also, go to www.fpsbanana.com/ and go into the sound section and choose your gun (CS:S have the best quality). MANY great sounds for guns and explosions. You can also go into the skins section and dl the skins (don't have to use them :P) and rip the sounds that come with the skins.
 
Another post where a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) would really help. The sound needs to be doubled. Import it into a DAW, copy it to another track. Then knock the timing off by 3-5 ms. This will double the sound, while avoiding major phase issues. contnue this process until you have the tone you are wanting.

Reverb will help, but only after the original sound has been sweetened.

Layers, baby!
 
wreck2 said:
I go into the sound files of video games to get sound effects.
Click to expand...
I trust you're getting permission from the publishers?

Seriously, though, pulling sound files from video games and using them in your own work without permission is illegal. Don't do it.
 
wreck2, video game sounds are all copyrighted unless they say specifically otherwise (don't hold your breath on that one). The odds of getting caught are probably very slim but it is infringement. That would also apply to films and TV shows and just about anything else some one has ever paid for.

Movie_dude, The standard library that was/is used is the Sonic Boom collection. It has one CD of shots and one of gun Foley. Any big film will also usually record some new shots. Especially if they have some specific or out of the ordinary weapons. But like the other posts mention layers are the key. If your looking for "Hollywood" realism then up sizing is also a good idea (if your guy is firing a 22 look for 38 or 45 gunshots.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone! This has helped alot. I have tried a few of the suggestions here and have come out with some nice results. won't forget this advice now!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top