The task given in class was to produce a simple mixdown of a place using sounds from a BBC library bank. I worked with friend and classmate Salman. We created a beach setting and atmosphere with a little twist. The uploaded track can be listened to here:
https://soundcloud.com/benjamin-martin-eagle/week-1-test-mixdown
Our homework task was to listen to something we do not usually listen to and note what is going on. I chose to listen to Nick Grimshaw's Radio Breakfast Show on BBC 1. Link to this radio broadcast here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xnny3
In the broadcast, the sound is clear and the host, Nick Grimshaw, talks to directly to the audience. "How are you all?" and so forth being used. It can be noted the overall tone of the show is it's very informal. He talks to his co-host and the listeners as if they were his friends. Telling stories about his day with his dog and so on. He splices up his content with his talking and then a segment of music or a news broadcast. His voice does not have any wacky sound effects going on with it. It's very clear and distinct. Although he has a bit of an accent, he pronounces well so it would be hard to mistake what he was saying.
We were also told to think about music and sound in video games as they are becoming well affluent with their music and sound. I have been playing Mass Effect 3 this week and thought it would be a good example. It is a role playing game set in the future where other races coincide together with humanity. With the inclusion of other races, there'd be different languages and sounds when speaking happens. But everyone speaks English and sounds relatively normal bar a couple races.
One example is the character, Thane:
His voice has been slightly altered to give it that non-human feel. It has a slightly robotic tone.I can't quite tell what other effects are on it though. It sounds very similar to a lot of the voice actors in the mass effect series. Slightly robotic with a rumble or reverb sound that seems like it's coming straight from the throat. Notable ones are Garrus and the Krogan (Grunt and Wrex). They can be heard here as well as the other voice actors:
With the sound of the males primarily in this, a lot of them are grizzly and deep, whether this is effects put on, they all seem to have that same tone except a few. The females voices all seem clear though, no effects put on even if they are alien, bar the ones who are robotic. I found it quite interesting the males are portrayed typically in this as rough and ready as are the females most of the time, but their voice work is different.
With the sound of the males primarily in this, a lot of them are grizzly and deep, whether this is effects put on, they all seem to have that same tone except a few. The females voices all seem clear though, no effects put on even if they are alien, bar the ones who are robotic. I found it quite interesting the males are portrayed typically in this as rough and ready as are the females most of the time, but their voice work is different.
