Sound design introduction

Sound design is the only non-visual theatrical design discipline. Sound has historically been used in performance in the form of live music or sound effects. In contemporary theatre practice, sounds are generally pre-recorded, but live sound can be an interesting and dynamic choice. Like all design disciplines, it combines artistic and technical elements. A sound design may be made up of the following:

Music is frequently used to underscore scenes, provide atmosphere, or cover scene changes. It may be pre-recorded or live, either pre-existing sourced music or composed specially for the performance.

Soundscapes are immersive audio environments, created by combining sounds. They may be informed by the logic of the scene (for example, traffic sounds in the city or ocean sounds at the beach) or more viscerally by the mood of the scene.

Sound effects reproduce or mimic a particular sound, such as a gun shot, a car door closing, or a peal of thunder. Sound effects are generally pre-recorded but can also be produced live.

Amplification involves using microphones to enhance or alter a performer’s voice or other live sounds. While “amplification” refers specifically to increasing the volume of a sound, it is frequently used with auxiliary effects to change the quality of the sound. Commonly used effects include reverb, distortion, or equalisation (EQ).

Mixing live elements, particularly with live music and vocals. Mixing is a fine art and often employs specialist sound engineers.

Technical factors will affect how the elements sound when played in performance. Speaker placement, volume, EQ, auxiliary effects and the overall mix of the audio elements combine to create an auditory environment.