sonic design project 1
Lee Jong Yun / 0358356
Sonic Design
Project 1
Table of Contents
Instructions
PROJECT 1: AUDIO IMAGING – Progress
For this audio imaging project, I selected Scenario 3: Cities + Transport + Exterior Atmosphere. I came up with the idea of using a subway environment because I felt it would be a strong fit for this theme and would let me create an immersive urban atmosphere from a first-person perspective.
The concept is to build a scene where the listener can feel like they are physically standing in a subway station and boarding a train — all without using any voice or dialogue, just through layered environmental sound design.
To collect the sound assets I needed, I used the Freesound.org website, which was recommended by Mr. Razif. There, I found a variety of audio clips including train sounds, station ambience, footsteps, phone notifications, and more, which I plan to layer together to bring the environment to life.
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Sound Design Progress Explanation
For my audio imaging project based on the “Cities + Transport + Exterior Atmosphere” scenario, I created a subway ambience to tell a story from a first-person point of view using only sound. My goal was to help listeners visualize the experience of being in a busy subway station.
To build the atmosphere, I started by adding a main ambient sound of a subway station to set the overall environment. I layered in people talking in the background to give the feeling of a crowded and active space. I also included ventilation machine sounds to add a mechanical, underground vibe to the station.
To make the scene feel more realistic and modern, I added phone notification sounds and typing sounds to suggest someone using their phone or working while waiting. When people enter the station, I used card tapping or beeping sounds to represent contactless ticket scanning.
I also included scratching sounds and tuck - tuck noises of the train arriving or moving, which helped create the feeling of the train's physical presence. For the train itself, I used train approach and departure sounds, along with announcer audio to signal things like train arrivals or safety messages.
As a final touch, I added a soft wind sound to create more movement and natural atmosphere, though it’s subtle and a bit hard to hear clearly in the mix.
This is the sound of my progress
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OCqbMght5Yd9VmQXxYspNh5bdztqOrRM?usp=sharing
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Feedback (Mr. Razif)
After presenting my progress for Project 1 (Audio Imaging), I received the following feedback from my lecturer, Mr. Razif:
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The overall sound is too centered and needs better use of stereo space. I was advised to pan certain sounds to the left or right to create more dimension.
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Some background noise is too loud, making it difficult to hear other details clearly. The noise volume needs to be lowered or balanced.
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The echo from people chatting should be removed as it makes the mix unclear. However, adding echo to the announcer would make it sound more realistic in a subway environment.
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The final audio length should be reduced to a maximum of 3 minutes.
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Certain smaller sound effects (like phone notifications or wind) are not clear enough because of louder overlapping noises.
This feedback helped me understand how to improve the clarity, depth, and overall realism of my sound design. I used these suggestions to refine my mix in Adobe Audition.
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Progress After Feedback
After receiving feedback from my lecturer, Mr. Razif, I made several improvements to my audio imaging project based on the comments given. The initial version had issues with clarity, stereo balance, and overall mix quality, so I took the time to make detailed adjustments to enhance the final output.
Key Changes Made:
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I reduced the overall noise level of the background ambience, which was previously too loud and was masking other important sound effects like typing, phone notifications, and footsteps.
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I used panning to place different sounds more clearly across the stereo field. For example, I placed the typing and phone notification sounds slightly to the left, and footsteps and crowd movement slightly to the right, to create a more dynamic and immersive audio space.
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I removed the echo effect from the background people talking, as it made the audio sound muddy. In contrast, I added a subtle echo/reverb to the announcer sound, to make it feel more realistic for a subway environment.
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I trimmed the audio so the final duration is under 3 minutes, as requested, while still keeping the main storytelling beats intact.
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Lastly, I went through and balanced the layers carefully so that each sound is now more audible and clear without being overwhelmed by the background ambience.
These changes helped strengthen the storytelling and technical quality of my audio imaging project. The final version now delivers a more balanced and believable subway scene from a first-person perspective, as intended
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Reflection
Through this project, I realized how important it is to give sounds space on the left and right. That sense of direction and distance made the audio feel more realistic and full of presence, as if I was actually standing in the subway. I enjoyed experimenting with the sound effects and creating a surrounding atmosphere that made the scene come to life.
I also learned that giving spatial differences around the sounds made a huge improvement compared to the version before feedback. In my earlier version, every sound was placed in the center, so it did not have the proper sense of space or realism. After applying the spatial adjustments, the overall sound felt more natural and immersive, allowing the listener to sense movement and environment better.
I also discovered that this process feels very similar to how professional film sound designers work, layering and shaping sounds to tell a story without dialogue. After making the changes that Mr. Razif suggested during the feedback session, I noticed a big improvement in the overall quality. The audio felt more balanced, professional, and dynamic.
This project helped me understand how powerful sound can be in building mood and storytelling. It also gave me more confidence in using Adobe Audition to layer, pan, and mix audio effectively to create believable and engaging soundscapes.
This is the Final
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Vq3vZWTSvWmcSIJg79srLrBI-_UJIIAs?usp=drive_link
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Audio Reference
Used audio url
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