3 Sound Design Secrets That Feel Like CHEATING

Learn 3 powerful sound design techniques with cheat codes to instantly upgrade your videos and create immersive audio experiences.

Key Takeaways

Layering sounds across different frequencies enhances audio depth and clarity.
Carving out space in music for dialogue improves mix quality and clarity.
Using genre-appropriate sound packs maintains style consistency and professionalism.
Intentional sound-visual mismatching can evoke stronger emotional responses.
Creative music transitions using reversed beats and reverb improve video flow.

What the video covers

Sound keeps viewers hooked beyond just visuals, and mastering sound design can elevate your work significantly.
Layering sounds with different frequencies creates a fuller, more dynamic audio experience.
The cheat code for layering is applying frequency carving techniques to dialogue and music for a balanced mix.
Using specialized sound packs like Happy Editing’s transition pack helps maintain style consistency across different video genres.
Committing to a coherent sound style rather than mixing random sounds enhances the overall video aesthetic.
Using sounds that intentionally do not match visuals, inspired by 'emotional realism' from the show Euphoria, can deepen audience engagement.
Creative sound mismatching can transform mundane visuals into more impactful experiences.
Techniques for trimming and transitioning music tracks include reversing beats to create natural risers and adding reverb on final beats.
The video is sponsored by Happy Editing, whose sound packs are highly recommended for professional sound design.
Practical editing tips and examples are shared to help editors apply these sound design secrets quickly and effectively.

Chapters

What is the main benefit of layering sounds in different frequencies?

Layering sounds across different frequencies creates a fuller and more dynamic audio experience, making your sound design richer and more engaging.

How can I improve dialogue clarity when mixing with background music?

You can carve out a pocket in the mid-frequencies of your music track using EQ or DSR effects, allowing the dialogue to sit naturally in that space for a clearer mix.

Why should I avoid mixing random sound effects from different genres?

Mixing random sounds can make your video feel incoherent. Committing to a consistent sound style that matches your video's genre enhances professionalism and audience immersion.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Doom scrolling on mute has made us forget how powerful sound really is. Pretty visuals grab your attention, but it’s sound that keeps you hooked. I'm going to share the three sound design techniques that took me 16 years to master, but it only takes you a few minutes to learn. Using these three alone will instantly upgrade your work. But for each technique, I'm going to share a secret cheat code that made the biggest difference in my work, so you won't want to miss any of these.

Speaker A

few minutes to learn using these three alone will instantly upgrade your work but for each technique I'm going to share a secret cheat code that made the biggest difference in my work so you won't want to miss any of

Speaker A

My sound effects used to sound really flat and boring. It wasn't necessarily the sounds that I used, but it was how I used them. Now, the best example I can give is a whoosh. A single whoosh can be okay for matching visuals of a small movement, but when there's a big dramatic one, a single whoosh isn't quite enough. Finding a deeper whoosh will help but still lacks weight. Thinking about sounds in different frequencies is what solved the problem.

Speaker A

of a small movement but when there's a big dramatic one a single whoosh isn't quite enough finding a deeper whoosh will help but still lacks weight thinking about sounds in different frequencies is what solved the problem [Music] so imagine layering a cake where each

Speaker A

So imagine layering a cake where each layer adds a unique flavor, except on an audio spectrum it looks more like this. Now, by layering sounds with different frequencies, you can achieve a much more full, dynamic sound. Instead of scrolling endlessly for the right sound effects, thinking in layers puts you miles ahead. Now, the cheat code for using this technique is applying it outside of sound effects, like with your dialogue and your music. I used to throw my dialogue track right onto my timeline and then lower the gain of my background music and just call it a day. But ever since I saw a tutorial from my buddy Dave, I've been using this technique he shared in every video I've ever edited since I learned it. Instead of using the DSR effect for its intended purpose, you can use it to carve out a pocket in the mid-frequencies of your music track. Your dialogue naturally sits in that pocket, and you can always EQ it to cut off the low and high ends for a better fit. But this technique gives each element its own space, resulting in a fuller mix.

Speaker A

layers puts you miles ahead now the cheat code for using this technique is applying it outside of sound effects like with your dialogue and your music I used to throw my dialog track right onto my timeline and then lower the gain of

Speaker A

A lot of you have asked me where I get my sound effects from, and my go-to answer has always been Artlist. But a secret weapon I've been using for years is sound packs from Happy Editing. I'm really excited that they're sponsoring this video, and I want to show you how I use their packs to make my videos stand out. First, let's have a listen to this promo cut using sound effects that are scattered across different sources and genres.

Speaker A

intended purpose you can use it to carve out a pocket in the mid- frequencies of your music track your dialogue naturally sits in that pocket and you can always EQ it to cut off the low and high ends for a

Speaker A

So it sounds pretty good, but it does feel a little bit safe because I'm using the same set of sounds that I would for any video I work on. Having a broad library of sound effects is amazing when you're working on a lot of different genres of videos, but if you're working on an athletic commercial and you're using the same sound effects that you would for a wedding video or corporate video, you're not going to get the best results. Now, let's replace the sounds with ones from Happy Editing's transition sound effects pack. This pack covers all the categories of sounds that I frequently use when I'm editing, like risers, hits, and whooshes, especially whooshes. Let's take a listen.

Speaker A

years is soundpacks from Happy editing I'm really excited that the sponsoring this video and I want to show you how I use their packs to make my videos stand out first let's have a listen of this promo cut using sound effects that's

Speaker A

Hear the difference? The sound matches the visual aesthetic and feels way more coherent, and that's the main tip that I want to share: commit to a style instead of mixing random sounds. Gritty bass hits aren't going to work for your corporate videos the same way clean bell dings won't work for your streetwear promo. Sound packs have been the easiest way for me to keep my style consistent or to keep a specific video feeling consistent. Most of the glitchy sound effects that you hear in my work have been from Happy Editing. So if you like the sounds that you heard, check out this transition sound effects pack with the link below. Huge thank you to Happy Editing for sponsoring this video.

Speaker A

library of sound effects is amazing when you're working on a lot of different genres of videos but if you're working on an athletic commercial and you're using the same sound effects that you would for a wedding video or corporate

Speaker A

Keeping this tip in mind, the cheat code I'll sometimes use to make my video stand out is using sounds that do not match the visuals. This was inspired by the show Euphoria, where the director uses something they call emotional realism. The cinematography on the show portrays how the characters feel in their environment rather than what's literally happening. I took that same principle and applied it to sound design. So in a video I made called The Vessel and the Filter, it's just shots of me making coffee, but the message is how making coffee is similar to our creative process as filmmakers. To add more weight to the visuals, I replaced the literal sounds with only nature sounds. Coffee grounds breaking became the crackling of icebergs, and the swish of coffee transformed into an ocean crash. By limiting myself to only nature sounds and intentionally mismatching the visuals, you can create a deeper experience for your audience.

Speaker A

whooshes let's take a listen he the difference the sound matches the visual aesthetic and feels way more coherent and that's the main tip that I want to share commit to a style instead of mixing random sounds gritty Basse hits aren't going to work

Speaker A

Okay, so let's say you're editing a 30-second promo video and you want to use a song that's 3 minutes. How do you cut the music to fit in that video length? I had a lot of trouble trimming down music when I first started because ending a song early felt like just driving and then suddenly slamming my brakes. The remix feature in Premiere does a pretty good job, but most of the time I need more control to fit the visuals or to emphasize key moments. So after watching endless amounts of movie trailers and promo videos, I'm going to share my favorite way to transition in and out of a song. If the song you're using doesn't have a natural lead-in, you can use the beginning beat of the song, reverse it, and use it as a riser to naturally ease into the song. If the beginning beat doesn't work, you can always try reversing the tail end of the song to use as a riser as well. This method is a great way to introduce a new song in the same video or to get back into a song after a bridge or a quiet moment of the song.

Speaker A

sound effects that you hear in my work have been from Happy editing so if you like the sounds that you heard check out this transition sound effects pack with the link below huge thank you to happy editing for sponsoring this video

Speaker A

Now, the way that I like to get out of a song is by adding a reverb on the final beat. All I do is cut before the next beat hits, cut the beginning of the beat, nest it, extend the nested sequence by placing something else further down the timeline. In this case, I just duplicate that section, disable it, and move it down further so we don't hear it a second time. Then I go back to the main timeline and add a studio reverb on it. You can play with different presets to find the best fit, but usually I like to start out with the Great Hall preset. This is without the reverb, and this is with the reverb. Sometimes I'll do a little fade at the end of the original track and then play the reverb version underneath like this.

Speaker A

realism the cinematography on the show portrays how the characters feel in their environment rather than what's literally happening I took that same principle and applied it to sound design so in a video I made called The Vessel and the filter it's just shots of me

Speaker A

Using these two methods already gets you great and natural sounding results, but the cheat code that I use to make it feel absolutely seamless is layering sound effects on top of these methods. So to ease into a track, I look for sounds like risers, swells, or suckbacks to layer underneath like this. They're also great for getting out of a song to emphasize moments in your videos like this. I don't know if you noticed, but you got a crack in your windshield. If you want the ending of your song to hit harder, don't be afraid to add these sounds as well, and even impacts, slams, or hits to wrap it all up with a bang. The quality of my sound design improved drastically after applying these three techniques, so let me know in the comments if they helped you as well.

Speaker A

icebergs and the swish of coffee transformed into an ocean crash by limiting myself to only nature sounds and intentionally mismatching the visuals you can create a deeper experience for your audience okay so let's say you're editing a 30second

Speaker A

promo video and you want to use a song that's 3 minutes how do you cut the music to fit in that video length I had a lot of trouble trimming Down music when I first started because ending a

Speaker A

song early felt like just driving and then suddenly slamming my brakes the remix feature in premere does a pretty good job but most of the time I need more control to fit the visuals or to emphasize key moments so after watching

Speaker A

endless amounts of movie trailers and promo videos I'm going to share my favorite way to transition in and out of a song If the song you're using doesn't have a natural lead in you can use the beginning beat of the

Speaker A

song Reverse it and use it as a riser to naturally ease into the song If the beginning beat doesn't work you can always try reversing the tail end of the song to use as a riser as well this method is a great way to

Speaker A

introduce a new song in the same video or to get back into a song after a bridge or a quiet moment of the [Applause] song now the way that I like to get out of a song is adding a Reverb on the

Speaker A

final beat all I do is cut before the next beat hits cut the beginning of the beat Nest it extend the nested sequence by placing something else further down the timeline in this case I just duplicate that section disable it and

Speaker A

move it down further so we don't hear it a second time and then I go back to the main timeline and add a studio Reverb on it you can play with different presets to find the best fit but usually I like

Speaker A

to start out with the Great Hall preset this is without the [Music] Reverb and this is with the [Music] Reverb sometimes I'll do a little fade at the end of the original track and then play the Reverb version underneath

Speaker A

like this using these two methods already gets you great and natural sounding results but the cheat code that I use to make it feel absolutely seamless is layering sound effects on top of these methods so to ease into a track I look for sounds

Speaker A

like risers swells or suckback to layer underneath like this they're also great for getting out of a song to emphasize moments in your videos like this I don't know if you noticed but you got a crack in your windshield if you

Speaker A

want the ending of your song to hit harder don't be afraid to add these sounds as well and even impacts slams or hits to wrap it all up with a bang the quality of my sound design improved drastically after applying

Speaker A

these three techniques so let me know in the comments if they helped you as well [Music]

Topics:sound designaudio layeringdialogue mixingmusic editingsound effectsHappy Editingvideo editing tipssound packsemotional realismPremiere Pro

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