So far we've talked about different types of mappings for sounds, from simple ones like pitch and timbre, to more complex ones like multiple auditory streams. We've talked about how to design these mappings and how to get feedback on them. But we haven't talked about how to actually make the sounds. This module will cover how to make sounds. We'll review some of the different tools or software that you can use for making sounds. But first, why would you want to do this? In most of our examples, we use recorded and synthesized sounds. To use recorded sounds, first, you need to create the sound clip, then you can play the clip after an action inside of the learning tool. To use synthesized sounds, first, you need to create the code to generate the sound, and then you need to activate that code after an action inside of the learning tool. Keep in mind, there's no right or wrong way to do this. There's lots of ways to make the sounds that you might need. Cost, time, and skills, or background are factors that will inform your decisions of how to create the sounds. Keep these in mind as we covered the different sound design methods. First, you can get sounds with a microphone. You can record using any of these tools: A phone with an app for audio recording or with normal video recording, a microphone, a portable recorder, or even using software. If you decide to record sounds, you can play around with physical objects to get the sounds that you want. Let's check out an example. Maybe I want something like the sound of two sticks hitting together. I could program a sound to mimic this, or I could just do it, and use that sound clip for whatever I need. This kind of sound creation works for quick recording and prototyping. Now, here's that sound embedded in Ohm's law as the slider feedback sound. As we move the slider, you can hear the type of stick playing in place of each clip. If you want a higher quality audio recording, you can use a pop filter to reduce the background noise. For other tips on high-quality audio recording, check out the extra materials. There are lots of tools that you can rely on for audio processing or even for recording. We'll provide links to all of these tools in the resources so you don't need to try to copy them down now. Audacity is a free open-source audio processing and recording tool. If I want to record a sound directly, I can use Audacity and my computer's mic. Here's a short video from when I recorded the drumstick sound. FFmpeg is another free open-source audio processing tool. It supports lots of features like filtering or converting media file type. None of these are programming-based solutions, but they can be useful for fast prototyping. There's a huge range of sound design programs from Ableton Live to Reaper. Many of these tools costs money through a yearly subscription or an outright license. These tools can take longer to learn, but they are quite powerful. There are also lots of tutorials available on YouTube, Lynda.com, and other skill learning websites. So how do these work? You can use these programs to create a new sound or to modify sounds that you already have. Many of them support free or paid instrument packs or synthesizers through downloadable plug-ins. If you have access to musical instruments like a piano or synthesizer, you could actually use that to make and record sounds. Branch out and try something crazy to get the sound that you want; you might end up really liking it. There are also lots of libraries in websites with sound clips available for use. Some of them, like Freesound, are totally open and free to use. Others have sounds available for pay, like SoundSnap. Explore a variety of sites to find a sound that you're looking for. Many of these sites let you search by keywords. You can often search by sound type, whether you want something that is loopable or other features. Take a minute to explore a site or two right now; check out what kinds of sounds they have. Even if you don't plan to use them, they can be a good inspiration. There's lots of programming environments that let you create sounds using code. We'll introduce a couple here, but we'll cover them in later lessons. Web Audio is one of those programming languages. Other programming tools include SuperCollider or Pure Data. While you're exploring the different methods, remember that you might need to license a sound to use it. Websites or programming tools should state their restrictions and usage. Make sure you check them out before you use anything publicly. You can usually find this information in a FAQ for that website or program. In the rest of this module, we're going to go through some practical examples using a subset of these tools to introduce how they work.
