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sound effects posts

Filed under: Audio, Design

Add sound effects to your next project

If you're a web designer or someone that deals with audio or video, you know how important having the right sound effect is to your production. Sound effects should be given the same amount of thought and care as the other parts of your project. But if you're not in the business of sound, where do you go? You go to soundsnap.

Soundsnap is all about high quality, member created sound effects. With effects ranging from animals to transportation, you're bound to find something that will complement your own creation.

Using soundsnap is easy, either type in a search term or browse via the categories on the front page. Soundsnap also lets you audition the files prior to downloading. Sound effects are available in either mp3, wav or aiff audio formats to fit your production needs.

According to soundsnap, most of the members creating sound effects are either industry professionals or hobbyist. This may explain why we found most of the samples of high quality.

So if you're looking for that effect that will put your production ahead of the rest you may want to check out soundsnap.

Filed under: Audio, Fun

Oh, cheer up! Just push the red button ...

We've noticed a meme traveling around Twitter lately that seems to be making people's days at the office a little more fun. Or, depending on how you look at it, making their coworkers' days just a little more annoying. What is this life-changing trend? Old-school sound effects buttons.

If you need a drummer to punctuate all your snappy remarks, like some kind of quirky late-night talk show host, visit Instant Rim Shot. If something doesn't quite go as planned for you or someone in the room with you, go to Sad Trombone. These are perhaps the two most indispensable sound effects in any jokester's repertoire.

Safari users, take note: this is where you finally get some use out of that Web Clip feature, so you can keep these in your Dashboard for the appropriate occasion. We hope you enjoy them -- or loathe them -- as much as we do.

Thanks to Jim Ray for the Web Clip idea!

Filed under: Audio, Fun, Utilities, Windows, Podcasting, Commercial, Freeware

DoNaut - phone call sound effects

DoNautI'm not sure how I feel about this one. I'm not sure I'd ever use it for its intended purpose, but the sound effects are fun to play with.

DoNaut is an application that allows you to add sound effects to voice conversations, and is intended for use with PC based voice calls. It works with Skype, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, ICQ, Open Wengo and other voice-enabled Windows messaging applications.

The effects vary from the subtle, like background sounds to change the listener's perception of where you are, to the not so subtle, like changing your voice or adding crazy sound effects.

I'm a bit of a junkie for sound effects, so this little app is a fun diversion. But I'd be wary about using it for misleading your friends, which appears to be the intended purpose. Of course, it could be fun while recording a podcast.

DoNaut has both a free and commercial version; the full version costs $14.95.

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