The Unending Knowledge Quest: An Exploration of an Online Audio Resource

     I have always been of the belief that there are no silly questions in life. What is silly is to remain silent and not ask questions because of the fear of appearing foolish or unknowledgeable. In any profession it is critical that you continually obtain the necessary information that will help you master your craft and keep you sharp. Stephan Stansfield, on Peregrine Poise, basically communicates as one of his points that asking questions of other professionals or experts in your industry is one of the keys to mastery. This is also true for sound designers, both novices and experts alike. We should never feel as if we have “arrived” to the point where we no longer need to learn. Feeling so comfortable that we end our quest for knowledge, could lead to a dangerous point of stagnation and subsequently falling below industry standards.

     In my quest for more information on the topic of sound design, I found Designing Sound, which is a wonderful website that provides information, resources, reviews, news, and perspectives from professionals about the techniques and artistry of sound design. The best part about this particular site is that there is no cost in obtaining the quality knowledge they offer. In an Internet world where there are many websites offering learning materials, whether books, DVDs, or services for a cost, it is nice to alternatively have the option of obtaining quality information for free.

     

     Sound design connoisseur/researcher/public speaker, Miguel Saza, founded this Internet resource in 2009. He later merged his site with another website created by sound design professional Jacob Riehle. According to IMDb, Riehle has worked on sound for such notable films as “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” As if professionals with over ten years of post-production audio experience on successful films weren’t already enough validation, there is also a team of five experienced sound professionals contributing to the content of this website.

      

     One thing I like in particular about this website is that the information is sound (no pun intended) and more importantly, current. Some of the interviews are dated from as recently as this month, which I have found is not always the case with other sites that tend to possess outdated content. Another thing that I also found to be very useful is that they offer a comprehensive listing of SFX libraries from independent websites/creators, which any sound designer desiring to build their SFX collection would love to explore.

     In addition to the treasure trove of information they already provide on their website, they also have Designing SoundTV, which is a counterpart to their online resource and it can be found in the Archives section. It is basically like an Internet television station for sound designers, containing over 290 videos spanning from 2010 to 2012, with eight different categories as well. I like the fact that there are videos that focus on sound for film, games, and television; they provide video interviews, tutorials, and features; as well as featured videos, ones about odd categories of sound design, and numerous videos on sound effects. My only disappointment is that they do not currently have any videos from this year, which suggests that they may not be continuing with this division. Additionally, it probably explains why it is listed under archives. Despite that, there is a wealth of knowledge here for the visual learner that is not only informative, but also exciting to watch at the same time.

     There are several other aspects I could discuss about this site that make it unique and inviting, but in the interest of not belaboring the point, I will end my commentary with simple advice. This website is an awesome example of what we as sound designers can find and obtain in our unending quest for knowledge, so I strongly urge you to visit this online resource in order to experience firsthand what I already have!

     Furthermore, don’t let your quest end here! Let this be either your beginning or continuance of a continually fulfilling journey.  Quality audio is an art that definitely requires knowledge!