It’s very rare that a sound editor will cut in a single sound effect to match a visual on screen. Usually, we’re layering multiple effects together to create something new. Why do we do this? Because the result is usually something more rich and interesting than a single effect by itself. But layering can be unnecessary and frustrating for your mixer if you don’t do it with purpose. I’d like to talk about the right and wrong ways to layer sound effects to get the most out of your editorial.
Layering Techniques
Recently, an editor delivered a session to me that included a laser gun blast made up of 7 layers. For one, I think that’s too many layers. Usually 3-4 layers is all you really need (and if you have more, you should really consolidate them down to make things more manageable in the mix.)
Secondly, the individual layers didn’t necessarily add anything unique to the final build. Below are all of the layers that were delivered in the edit, plus the final build all together:
The issue with this is that most of the layers sound very similar to each other. The end result is a full laser build that doesn’t sound that much different or more interesting than if our editor had simply used just one of the layers it was built out of. This makes a bulky session which is complicated to mix and is a classic case of over-cutting.
Honestly, all of the individual effects above are highly designed, and, in my opinion, don’t necessarily need to be layered with anything more. However, say you liked the first layer but still felt like it needed something more - you could layer effects that add something unique to the build in frequency, texture, length, and or style. Below is an example of how I would handle that:
In this example, each layer has a purpose. Our initial layer already had that nice classic high-end “PEW” sound that we’ve all grown to know and love in a laser weapon, so I made sure none of my additional layers competed with that. I added the second electrical layer to add some texture and make the laser sound a little more sinister. The third layer, which is a metal sword hit I processed, was to add some tonality and a uniqueness to my build. Lastly, the fourth low-end punch sound was added to give my laser some weight.
The end result is a new sound that is more unique and interesting than any one of its separate layers; It also happens to be made up of fewer layers than the original, which is always a plus since it makes your mixer’s job easier.
Hopefully the above examples show why we as sound editors choose to layer sound effects, and the best practices on how to go about doing that. Basically, make sure each layer has purpose and brings something unique to your build. And even better, challenge yourself to keep your builds to only a few layers, rather than adding and adding with abandon.
How do you layer your sounds? what is your favorite sound build that you have made?
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