Thinking About the Boxes
Sound Design vs. System Design

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Different areas of sound design demand different approaches.

Sound design is a wide field of disciplines ranging from sound effects and soundscape creation, to system design and implementation, to specification of communications equipment. The sound designers scope and range of responsibility can be radically different from one production to an-other. Determining the scope of the design is often the first step in deciding what areas to focus one’s energy. Sound design can be split into two broad categories: content, or conceptual sound design, and delivery, or system design or technical sound design.

Content (Conceptual Sound Design)

Conceptual sound design can be defined as the selection of content in collaboration with a direc-tor to be used in a performance. Often the designer is charged with creating, selecting or compil-ing sound effects or soundscapes that enhance the performance. It is the sound designer’s job to work within the director’s vision and bring that vision to life. Some sound designers also func-tion as composers, and those musical compositions become the audio backdrop for a perform-ance. In this role, the designer is a content creator and collaborator.

Delivery (Technical Sound Design or Sound System Design)

This discipline involves the physical design of the sound system — including placement and type of speakers, microphones, mixing desks and processing. Often, a sound system’s only design goal is to deliver a signal to an audience evenly and equally, providing the same sort of utilitarian function as work lights. These sound systems can be employed as the providers of any signal, from spoken word to a rock band. It may even be used to deliver the conceptual sound design of a production.

Which Is Which

Designers can encounter a wide variety of design situations. The designer is often tasked with designing a show using equipment the venue has on hand or using rental equipment from a sound shop. Either option is certain to have a budget associated with them. Often, system design and sound design intersect with the utilitarian functions of amplification or reinforcement. The real challenge in sound design is using both the concepts of content and de-livery to create something completely new and different. Creating, finding or licensing the per-fect sound effect or music, and satisfying the director’s vision of the cue, is important. However, that perfect sound cue, haphazardly delivered through a sound system without purpose, poten-tially has no meaning within the context of the show. It may be an accurate and faithful repro-duction of the sound cue, but it just sounds like a recording played through a sound system. Util-izing both content and delivery to our advantage, the sound system can serve the purpose of the sound effect. One of the most widely heard sound designers are those who design for film. This is one form of conceptual sound design in which the designers hold very little control over the method of deliv-ery. Their designs are created to be played though a state-of-the-art, multi-channel sound system in theatres, as well as smashed to a single channel and played through a three-inch speaker in a television. In theatre, we can work in four dimensions. The designer can use the tools of space and time as well as content and delivery to produce results that are both subtle and dramatic. Subtlety being demonstrated by the “rolling thunder” cue, where the sound seems to emanate from beyond the walls of the performance space, not distracting the audience’s attention from the stage, but add-ing to the tension of the scene. Dramatic could be demonstrated by the sound of breaking glass coming from the back of the theatre, specifically drawing the audience’s attention. The ability of the sound designer to not only create the sound that is played, but decide from where the sound emanates, free from the constraints of fixed speaker placement or a fixed “surround sound” concept, makes sound design an art of four dimensions.

Sound Placement

Placing a sound, like thunder in the distance, outside the performance space begins by conceptu-alizing what thunder in the distance might sound like. Is the audience’s point of view inside a building or is the audience outdoors? Determining the space in which the audience is to be ob-serving the sound can change the sound considerably. If the sound is to appear to emanate from beyond the walls of a building, the designer may apply more high frequency roll-off to the sound to create the illusion of the walls absorbing some of the sound as it passes from outside to inside. If the desired point of view is outside, a small amount of oscillating high frequency attenuation could be applied to emulate the impression of the sound passing through wind. Also consider from where the sound might emanate. Is it in front of or behind the audience? Should the sound come from the stage or from above? Should the sound come from all around or be placed pointedly, as in the “breaking glass” cue? The audience’s proximity to the actual sound source should also be considered, as that will have great effect on the perception of the cue. Just as a painter may visualize, paint and revise the vision, so must the sound designer by manipulat-ing the content and delivery systems to achieve the desired effect. For the designer, each of these situations creates unique possibilities with regard to the creative process. Knowing that one will be working with a fixed, installed sound system changes the ap-proach to create content for that production. Fixed speaker placement and specific types of equipment (such as microphones) require careful consideration of sound effects. Installed sound systems are designed to provide more or less even coverage to the seating area. This is fine for reinforcement or “talking heads,” but even coverage isn’t always what is necessary to be of serv-ice to a cue. Natural sounds often emanate from a specific location and change in level and timbre with the position of the listener. The designer can compensate by the choice of material and panning, if possible. If practical sound effects, instead of recorded effects, can be used, the sound system can become a reinforcement tool to enhance the effect. The ability of the sound designer to control this aspect of the sound system adds dimension to the design. There is a lot to be considered from a sound design perspective. In addition to show content con-siderations, sound effects, sound system design, reinforcement, communications and video sys-tems are often handled under the auspice of the sound designer, requiring additional time and knowledge to implement. Having an understanding of the associated challenges and solutions is the first step to a successful design project.