Interesting stuff | Sound effect and sound design by Martin Pinsonnault

All posts in the category "Interesting stuff"

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

By Martin Pinsonnault

Invited by NexT International Film Festival in Bucarest as a sound designer

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Life is full of surprises:

A short film by Serge Marcotte, The Greens, for which I did sound design, was selected by a film festival in Romania (Bucarest, March 2012). This festival differs from others in that it welcomes both filmmakers and sound designers. On the thirty films in competition, about half were represented by the director or the sound designer, or both. Screenings, meetings, seminars with themes, group meals were on the menu! Cultural exchange guaranteed!

How come this invitation for sound designers?

As a tribute to a pair of young Romanian director-sound designer, who tragically perished together in a car accident, the “Next Cultural Society” created the Next International Film Festival. The creative approach of Andre Toncu, the sound designer of the Romanian duo, now serves as an inspiration for all generations of filmmakers and sound designers, a wish that he had made during his lifetime. What a powerful example of the importance of sound in the film process. I would love not to have to convince anyone of that.

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Categories: Cinema, Creative partners, Discussions, Interesting stuff, News, Sound designing

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

By Martin Pinsonnault

Web Echoes 2: Sound Design, technical challenge, … innovation

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

It is still very hard for me to conciliate sound design and web design at the same time. I finished to work on War Witch at the beginning of February, so I am writing a series of posts that will lead to new collections. Stay tuned! A lot of new ahead!

As an appetizer, here are my Web Echoes…

Steve Papagiannis, a supervising sound editor from the Los Angeles area, started Stavrosound blog about six months ago. So far, his articles are oriented towards dialog editing and it’s particularities like crackles or even more dreaming ideas like this. Very cool!

One Stop Digital, Excellent technical resource for Pro Tools users, published this post that talks about programs that conform sound to picture. More possibilities.

Another blog about Sound Design is azimutaudio. He takes the time to review few SFX libraries.

This post from irrationalgames.com has an super article about gun recording.

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Categories: Discussions, Interesting stuff, News, Sound designing, Sound editing, Sound field recording, Sound mixing, Tips and tricks

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

By Martin Pinsonnault

Web Echoes 1: Impulse Response, Pro Tools functions and workflow

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Internet plays an important role in my creative, technical and learning process. It is also a great source of motivation, particularly when I discovered Sound Designer’s blogs and Independent SFX Libraries and their makers, few years ago. Since then, I improved my surfing skills by using RSS feeds to centralize information in an aggregator daily. Collecting, marking, saving and later following the flow of specialized news that come automatically in my computer without loosing any time searching. Every week, I discover new sites, blogs, SFX boutiques, opinions products, tutorials on a wide range of subjects… The content is accessible and contribute to my reflections and learning about sound. I would like to share a few of particular interest in this Web Echoes 1, an ongoing News Report that I instigate today, as a way to share content and help to grow collectively and individually! This one is more technically oriented towards Impulse Response, Pro Tools functions and workflow, conforming and sound metadata!

1. Brought by Designing Sounds last week, from the team at ArenaNet, they did a recording session in a never completed Nuclear Power Plant, recording tones and all sorts of incredible sounds. Wow! I am very impressed! This presentation video is instructive for our ears as an authentic document for future constructions. I look forward to see more. Impulse Response in progress…

2- This post from Ian Palmer’s Post-Production Sound Blog talks about working from home. It confirms a reality that will increase over time. Technology gives us solutions to work remotely and gain flexibility and efficiency. Ian is starting SFX collections as well, here is the link.

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Categories: Discussions, Interesting stuff, News, Sounds and words, Tips and tricks

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

By Martin Pinsonnault

Portable and discrete sound recording kit

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

I often carry with me an ultra portable recording kit for weekends, in the countryside, city walks and other public places. In addition to being compact and discrete, it reproduces the environment, it’s acoustics and specificity.

This is a binaural recording system that I have personally fitted into a bag that I wear around the waist. It produces a smooth and natural stereo sound. It is particularly immersive. It is very realistic to headphones listeners.

It consist’s of a pair of DPA 4060 omnidirectional microphones mounted and self powered by Core Sound battery box(here) and a M-Audio’s MicroTrack I. The mic preamps of the recorder are not the ideal, I have to say, but I usually don’t need to push them too much. It’s a gain in portability and discretion. All this comes in the bag. I can go almost anywhere. It is worn around my waist because I’d rather have the mobility of my head at all times. The Rycote’s and the mics are on both sides of the bag.