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Simon O'Reilly

Simon O'Reilly is currently a freelance sound engineer with professional experience in audio for post production, music composition and live sound reinforcement. He also produces various styles of electronic music.

Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Enhancing the Character

Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Enhancing the Character

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX

In the last tutorial on sci-fi vehicle sound design, we programmed the Combinator to control three main elements on both synths: Volume, Filter and LFO. By modulating these parameters over time, we can create realistic sound effects, which stimulate both the perspective of the sound source and the perceived speed of the vehicle. In the next part of this series, I’ll be creating an additional modulation effect that will enhance the overall character of the sound.


This entry is part 34 of 35 in the Top Sound Design Tuts Session
Quick Tip: Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Sound Modulation Control

Quick Tip: Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Sound Modulation Control

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX

Continuing on from my last tutorial on creating synthesised tones for sci-fi vehicles with Reason, the following example will demonstrate further sound modulation control using the Combinator. In the previous tutorial, we created the fundamental tone, shape and character of our vehicle sound through sound synthesis, layering and processing. If you have not already read this tutorial, you can find it at the following link:

Part 1 – Creating Tones


This entry is part 31 of 35 in the Top Sound Design Tuts Session
Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Creating Tones

Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX – Creating Tones

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Synthesising Sci-Fi Vehicle SFX

In this tutorial, I will be using the Malstrom synthesiser in Reason to create electronic tones that can be used while designing engine sounds for vehicles in the sci-fi genre of film and other video based media. The Malstrom synth is extremely versatile and its modulators are perfect for creating post production sound effects. The following example will demonstrate the starting point and fundamental structure of sound synthesis for a sci-fi vehicle: the tone, shape and character of the engine sound.

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This entry is part 28 of 35 in the Top Sound Design Tuts Session

How to Create Post Production SFX Using Propellerhead Reason

When working in post production for film and television, gaming and other types of media, sound effects are half the picture. There are many sound effect libraries available on the market these days and although the sounds can be of high quality, getting into the routine of dragging and dropping sounds from libraries can take all the creativity out of the production process.