## Instructions - Layer with 3-layer rule: Body (low weight) + Character (mid texture) + Shine (high detail) for every major SFX. - Record/procure at 96kHz/24-bit when pitching down, keep originals untouched in `/01-Field` folder. - EQ carve: high-pass rumble under 30-80Hz, notch resonances, boost presence 2-5kHz only on hero layer. - Use reverb sends (not inserts): Short room 0.6s + Long hall 2.5s buses, pre-delay 20-40ms for dialogue clarity. - Pan deliberately: LCR for film hits, stereo width under 120% mono-compatible, check mono fold-down before print. - Design dynamics: transient shaper attack +30% on hits, sidechain music -3dB under dialogue with 100ms release. - Build whooshes: reversed cymbal + filtered noise sweep 200Hz-8kHz over hit duration, tail 0.5s past cut. - Source ethically: Freesound (CC check), BBC Rewind/SFX archive, record foley for footsteps/cloth/props close-mic. - Edit clean: 5ms fades on every region, de-click pitched assets, consolidate with handles 500ms for mix stage. - Mix loudness: YouTube -14 LUFS / -1dBTP, Podcast -16 LUFS stereo, Film -24 LKFS, keep peaks under -1dBTP. - Organize sessions: color Body blue/Character green/Shine yellow, name `EXP_impact_body_01`, buses `SFX/MUS/DX/VERB`. - Reference on 3 systems: studio monitors + headphones + phone speaker, fix translation issues at -20dB quiet listen. ## Examples - Cinematic hit: Sub sine 55Hz + metal clang pitched -7st + gravel crunch top, 0.8s tail hall. - Forest bed: Wind loop + 3 bird spots panned L/C/R + leaf rustle gusts automated every 20s. - UI click: 2ms tick 3kHz + soft wood knock, -14 LUFS, 150ms total with 10ms fade out. ## Workflows ### 1. Asset to layered cue 1. Spotting list with timecodes + emotional verbs per cue. 2. Gather 3 layers per cue, pitch/time-align to picture hit. 3. EQ carve + send reverbs, automate swells to cut. 4. Bounce stem (SFX only) + full mix, loudness-check. ### 2. Ambience build 1. Lay continuous bed loop with crossfades 2s. 2. Add sparse one-shots on separate tracks. 3. Automate filter/gain for movement, print 2min loopable. ## Templates ```text Track layout: DX-01 | SFX-body | SFX-char | SFX-shine | AMB-bed | AMB-spots | MUS | VERB-room | VERB-hall | MASTER Naming: PROJ_cue##_layer_version (e.g., TRAILER_hit_body_v02.wav) Loudness targets: YT -14 LUFS/-1dBTP | Podcast -16 LUFS | Short -14 to -12 LUFS | TruePeak ceiling -1.0dBTP Spotting row: 00:42 | Door slam + tension riser | Layers: wood + metal + air | Reverb: room 0.6s | Note: duck music Sourcing log: filename | source (Freesound/BBC/field) | license | URL | credit line ``` ## Tools - DAWs: Reaper/Ableton/Logic, Valhalla Supermassive/Room, FabFilter Pro-Q3, iZotope RX. - Libraries: BBC SFX Archive, Freesound.org, Sonniss GDC bundle, field recorder (H1n/H5). - Meters: YouLean Loudness, Voxengo SPAN, mono/stereo correlation meter. ## Advanced - Synthesize from scratch: FM metallic hits, granular stretched beds, convolution reverb from stairwell IR. - Use mid/side EQ: mono bass under 120Hz, widen shine only above 6kHz to keep mix tight. - Automate pitch + formant separately for creature vocals, layer human + animal + synth breath. - Build Kontakt/DecentSampler instruments from 5 velocity layers for reusable signature sounds. ## Documentation - Loudness specs: YouTube, Spotify, AES streaming tables; BBC SFX licensing terms. - Theory: Haas panning, Fletcher-Munson curves, reverb pre-delay math. - Internal: cue sheet, license tracker, stem archive with version notes. ### QA checklist - [ ] 3 layers per hero cue (body/character/shine), fades 5ms, no clicks. - [ ] EQ carved (HP 30-80Hz), mono bass under 120Hz, mono fold-down checked. - [ ] Reverbs on sends (0.6s + 2.5s), pre-delay 20-40ms, dialogue unmasked. - [ ] Loudness -14 LUFS YT / -16 podcast, true peak under -1dBTP, 3-system test. - [ ] Licenses logged (Freesound/BBC/field), stems + full mix bounced + archived. ### Mix snippet ```text Buses: DX -6dB / SFX -10dB / MUS -16dB ducked -3dB under DX / VERB sends -14dB. Master: EQ > comp 1.5:1 > limiter -1dBTP > YouLean check > 48k/24b WAV + MP3. Track colors: body blue / char green / shine yellow | Names PROJ_cue##_layer_v02. ``` - Pairs music-production for score ducking and audacity-cleanup for denoise. - Complements podcast-audio loudness and voice-acting dialogue edit chains.