Spatial Audio Design Exercise/ Project 1

 

SUN JIAYUE (0376224)

VSA60704 / Spatial Audio Design/ Bachelor of Design ( Hons) in Creative Media 

Exercise / Project 1

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MIB

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Lecture

Week 1 & Week 2:

In the first week, the lecturer introduced the module content, assignment requirements, and grading percentages for the semester, helping us better understand the direction of the course.

The lecturer also explained the software and equipment that we would use later, such as recording and audio editing software.

After that, the lecturer brought us to visit the school recording studio and introduced the equipment inside, including microphones, mixers, and headphones.

The lecturer also demonstrated the basic ways to use the equipment, giving us a basic understanding of the recording process.

Nature of Sound：

Definition of Sound ：

Sound is a vibration of air molecules that stimulates the human eardrums, which the brain interprets as sound.

What are Sound Waves?

The vibration and propagation (movement) of air molecules are called sound waves. They exist as pressure variations in a medium (e.g., air).

How Sound is Created & Heard？

• An object vibrates, causing the surrounding air to vibrate.
• Vibrating air molecules form sound waves that travel through the air.
• These waves make the human eardrum vibrate, and the brain processes this as sound.

The Human Ear：

1. Outer Ear

The outer ear is the part we can see on the outside of the head. Its job is to collect sound and direct it into the ear.

2. Middle Ear

The middle ear contains:

• The eardrum
• A small air-filled space
• Three tiny bones called:Malleus，Incus，Stapes

These bones help pass sound vibrations deeper into the ear.

3. Inner Ear

The inner ear includes:

• The cochlea (hearing organ)
• Semicircular canals
• Endolymphatic sac

This part is responsible for hearing and balance.

How the Cochlea Works

Inside the cochlea, different sound pitches affect different areas.

• High pitches activate one area
• Low pitches activate another area

If many notes are played at the same time, multiple parts of the cochlea work together.

How Sound Travels

Sound moves through different materials at different speeds:

• Fastest in solids
• Slower in liquids
• Slowest in gases (such as air)

Psychoacoustics

Psychoacoustics is the study of how humans hear and experience sound.

It looks at:

• How people react to sound psychologically
• How music and sound affect the nervous system
• How humans understand:Pitch，Loudness，Volume，Timbre (sound quality)

Wavelength

Wavelength is the distance between one wave and the next matching point in the sound wave.

Amplitude

Amplitude shows how loud a sound is.
In a waveform, louder sounds have taller waves.

Frequency

Frequency represents the pitch of a sound.
It shows how many sound waves happen in one second.

Frequency is measured in:

• Hertz (Hz)
• Kilohertz (kHz)

Higher frequency = faster vibrations = higher pitch.

Week 3:

This lesson focuses on the concept of sound shaping, which is the process of refining and transforming audio to achieve a desired tonal quality and spatial atmosphere. Students are introduced to two important tools used in audio production: parametric EQ and reverb.

Parametric EQ allows users to control specific frequency ranges with precision. By adjusting frequencies, sounds can become brighter, warmer, clearer, or more focused. It is commonly used to improve vocal clarity, reduce unwanted frequencies, and shape the overall tone of audio.

Reverb is used to create a sense of space and depth. It simulates how sound behaves in different environments, such as small rooms, caves, halls, or open outdoor spaces. Through reverb, audio can sound more natural, immersive, and atmospheric.

By combining EQ and reverb, students learn how to shape sound creatively and improve the listening experience. These techniques are essential in music production, film sound design, gaming audio, and multimedia projects.

Week 4:

First, this sound is relatively soft, then it becomes the loudest, a process from nothing to something, and then it stays for a while before gradually fading away.

• The period from the very beginning to the highest point of a sound is called "pitch".
• When a sound lingers or persists, it is called "sustain".
• The sound gradually fades away, which is called "attenuation".

The audio and video can be adjusted, and the speed, direction, etc. of the sound can be changed.

The volume can be adjusted, the volume of the sound can be changed, the speed at which it disappears can be altered, and a fading trend can be observed.

This exercise focuses on creating the sound effect of a jet plane flying past the listener. The main goal is to practice stereo panning and volume automation to simulate movement from one side to another. By adjusting the sound position and loudness, the audio creates a realistic flyby effect.

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Exercise

Week 3（Exercise1）:

During this exercise, we worked with several altered versions of the same song. Each track had different audio changes applied to it, making it sound different from the original recording. We first used the Parametric Equalizer tool to adjust the frequencies of each track so that they would sound closer to the original version. After that, we added a reverb effect to enhance the overall atmosphere and depth of the audio. The original audio file was provided as a reference so we could accurately compare and improve our edits.

This is the original audio

Exercise 1 :

Fig 2.1. Telephone

Fig 2.2. in the Closet

Fig2.3. Walkie Talkie

 

Fig2.4. Bathroom

Fig.2.5. Stadium

Fig.2.6. Airport or Train Station

Week 3（Exercise2）:

In the final sound effect exercise, we were provided with a jetplane flying sound and asked to enhance its realism through audio editing. Our goal was to make the sound feel as though the jetplane was passing overhead and gradually flying away into the distance. To create this effect, we adjusted the left and right audio channels so the sound would move from one side to the other, simulating the movement of the aircraft and creating a stronger sense of space and motion.

Exercise 2:

Fig.3.1 . 

Fig.3.2.

Fig 3.3.

Week 4（Exercise 3）:

The focus of this week's practice is on sound effect editing. We have obtained simple explosion and perforated audio clips, and our task is to convert them into more dynamic sound effects.

Exercise 3:

Week 5（Exercise 4）:

Exercise 4:

In this exercise, the lecturer provided us with two different images, and we were required to create unique environmental sound effects based on each scene. I searched for a variety of sound effects from online sources and edited them to better match the environments shown in the images. By layering and modifying different sounds, I was able to create a more immersive and realistic atmosphere for each scene.

Fig 5.1.

Fig 5.2

Fig 5.3.

Fig 5.4.

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Reflection

Experience

After studying these modules, I have gained a deeper understanding of audio design and software application, mastered many new skills, and also developed a great interest in sound effect design. This has been of great help to my subsequent module learning. Many problems also emerged in this part, which enables me to fully understand them in my future work and avoid recurrence. Such exercises also provided assistance for the larger modules that followed.

Observation

I find that making changes to some very small things has a significant impact on the audio. Whether it's the effect of the equalizer or the change in the volume of the audio image, such simple changes can make the entire audio have a different effect, giving people a different feeling.

Research

I need to process the audio more meticulously. I need to make my sound effects more story-like. I also need to learn the different meanings represented by each parameter and the application of keyframes to achieve a video with a sense of space as much as possible. This will be very helpful for the future. I'm only doing simple audio editing now. I still need further study.