Speaker A
There are thousands of sound effects out there. Dings, glitches, drones, punches, hits. Yeah. And you know, I actually use a lot of them. But there are three types of sound effects that really stand out, and I always come back to them.
Tim Runia breaks down the three sound effects he relies on most for storytelling in video edits: whooshes, risers, and impacts, plus how to layer them.
Key Takeaways
- Whooshes, risers, and impacts cover movement, anticipation, and emphasis and can form the base of most stories
- Good storytelling editing is built on tension and release, with risers creating tension and impacts or drops providing release
- Choosing the right variant (heavy vs. light whoosh, low rumble vs. cymbal riser) changes the tone, from cinematic to comedic
- Fewer, purposeful sound effects work better than massive libraries
What the video covers
- Introduces the idea that three specific sound effect types form the foundation of most of the creator's edits
- Explains early mistake of downloading massive sound packs and overwhelming choice
- Whooshes convey motion, speed, and weight; used for movement, camera moves, and scene transitions
- Whoosh variants: heavy (deep, cinematic), light (quick, comedic), whip (snappy, for whip pans), and wind (soft, for aerials)
- Risers build tension and anticipation, holding the audience on the edge before a reveal or scene change
- Riser variants include a low bass rumble (subtle foundation) and a cymbal riser (sharp, urgent)
- Impacts underline key moments, often at the end of a buildup or during a scene transition as music cuts out
- Risers pair well with smash cuts, especially when followed by silence, for stronger contrast
- Layering whooshes, risers, and impacts gives control over audience movement, waiting, and reaction
- Combining a low rumble riser with a cymbal riser creates deep growing tension with a bright lift on top
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction: Three Key Sound Effects
- 00:49Why Less Is More: Avoiding Sound Pack Overload
- 02:31Whooshes: Movement, Speed, and Weight
- 06:51Risers: Building Tension and Anticipation
- 08:44Impacts: Emphasis and Scene Transitions
- 10:43Layering Sounds for Rhythm and Control
- 12:38Combining Risers and Closing Thoughts
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
the story, give me direction in the edit, and form the foundation of almost every video I make. So, in this video, I will break down what they are, how I use them, and how you can use them to make
Speaker A
They shape the story, give me direction in the edit, and form the foundation of almost every video I make. So, in this video, I will break down what they are, how I use them, and how you can use them to make your storytelling so much more engaging.
Speaker A
thousands of files, and I would spend hours scrolling through them, convinced that I could find a perfect sound effect for every little piece in the edit. And while it was amazing to have all these options, it was also completely
Speaker A
But it didn't always work this way. You know, when I first started using sound effects, I thought the more I had, the better my edits would be. So, I downloaded massive sound packs, thousands of files, and I would spend hours scrolling through them, convinced that I could find a perfect sound effect for every little piece in the edit.
Speaker A
Okay. And maybe there's a fourth as well, but I'll talk about that in the end of the video as well. So, let's start with the first one. A sound that you probably heard a thousand times, the whoosh.
Speaker A
And while it was amazing to have all these options, it was also completely overwhelming. The ones doing the really heavy lifting in my edits were always the same three kinds of sound effects.
Speaker A
someone is walking past the camera or sprinting through the frame or even throwing something across because it just makes the movement feel so much bigger. But they're also perfect, I think, for camera moves like a quick pan from the left to the right or a zoom in
Speaker A
Okay. And maybe there's a fourth as well, but I'll talk about that at the end of the video as well.
Speaker A
separate cuts. So it makes the cut a little bit lighter. There's the heavy whooshes. They are more deep and more slow, more used for big objects and it feels really cinematic. And I use this when an object or person is moving close to the camera
Speaker A
So, let's start with the first one. A sound that you've probably heard a thousand times: the whoosh.
Speaker A
also feel a bit more like comedy or fun, a little bit less heavy. And then there's like the whip. It's short and really snappy for like whip bands or sudden action coming out of nowhere. And it's really good if you want to feel the
Speaker A
So, whooshes are all about motion because they make your audience feel the direction. It makes them feel the speed of something and the weight of something. I will use whooshes for all kinds of movement in the frame, like if someone is walking past the camera or sprinting through the frame, or even throwing something across, because it just makes the movement feel so much bigger.
Speaker A
But with a lighter and quicker whip whoosh it's much more like comedy. You see? And then there's a wind whoosh which is soft and really drawn out. And that's really perfect for aerials or for floating shots making it feel like
Speaker A
But they're also perfect, I think, for camera moves like a quick pan from the left to the right, or a zoom in, or even a tilt upward to reveal something. And then there's using them between shots or scenes. That's where it feels like the whoosh is carrying you from one moment into the next. So it plays like one continuous moment instead of two separate cuts. So it makes the cut a little bit lighter.
Speaker A
don't pull you forward like a whoosh. They kind of hold you right on the edge waiting for what's next.
Speaker A
There's the heavy whoosh. They are deeper and slower, more used for big objects, and it feels really cinematic. And I use this when an object or person is moving close to the camera, or it's a whoosh that I really want the audience to notice or to feel.
Speaker A
tension so the viewers really start leaning forward. And often times it's to prepare them for a big scene change so it doesn't feel like we just jumped somewhere random.
Speaker A
Then there's the light whoosh, which is usually higher in pitch and quick and smooth, and it's great for fast transitions or fast movements. It can also feel a bit more like comedy or fun, a little bit less heavy.
Speaker A
That contrast hits just way harder when there's a buildup before it. And if you don't know what a smash cut is, check out that video later because there I explain everything about it.
Speaker A
And then there's the whip. It's short and really snappy, for whip pans or sudden action coming out of nowhere. And it's really good if you want to feel the speed. I used that one a lot for comedy as well, because, for example, with a heavier whoosh it looks much more serious. But with a lighter and quicker whip whoosh, it's much more like comedy. You see?
Speaker A
There's like a low bass rumble. It's really subtle and you almost feel it more than you really hear it. And it's it's really great as a foundation under a scene when you're building tension.
Speaker A
And then there's a wind whoosh, which is soft and really drawn out. That's perfect for aerials or floating shots, making it feel like you're gliding through the air or gliding through the shot.
Speaker A
risers work so well is because good storytelling editing is all about tension and release. The riser is tension. And when it arrives at the climax, that's the release. And sometimes when that buildup finally ends, you need something for it to land
Speaker A
But movement alone isn't really enough, because sometimes you don't want to move the audience. You want to make them wait, and that is where the risers come in. They don't pull you forward like a whoosh. They kind of hold you right on the edge, waiting for what's next.
Speaker A
So impacts are the moments that underline what's happening on the screen. Sometimes that's at the end of a buildup, like underlining a full stop.
Speaker A
So risers are tension. They create that feeling of something coming, even if you don't know what. And I use risers in a bunch of different ways. Sometimes it's really to build suspense before a reveal, just slowly winding up the tension so the viewers really start leaning forward. And often it's to prepare them for a big scene change, so it doesn't feel like we just jumped somewhere random.
Speaker A
especially when you want to highlight that it's important for the story. But it could also be more visual, like cutting to a striking new scene and letting that impact make the change feel intentional. Either way, it's telling the viewer, "Pay attention to this." One
Speaker A
They're also perfect for leading into a smash cut, especially if it drops straight into silence. That contrast hits way harder when there's a buildup before it. And if you don't know what a smash cut is, check out that video later, because there I explain everything about it.
Speaker A
Because then you don't only see the change, you also feel it. I keep a few types of impacts in my library. There's like the deep impacts, trailer style, very dramatic and often with a long tail. And then there are the
Speaker A
And I've got a few different kinds of risers that I keep coming back to. There's a low bass rumble. It's really subtle, and you almost feel it more than you hear it. It's really great as a foundation under a scene when you're building tension.
Speaker A
layering them, you can control how your audience moves, how they wait, and how they react. you know, all in perfect rhythm with your story.
Speaker A
And then there's a cymbal riser. It's much sharper, much brighter, and it's got this built-in sense of urgency. It really makes you feel like something is about to happen, and you notice it very well.
Speaker A
It's perfect for reveals or those big dramatic cuts where you really want the moment to land. And I also love combining a low rumble riser together with a symbol riser. So you get this deep growing tension underneath and then
Speaker A
The reason risers work so well is because good storytelling editing is all about tension and release. The riser is tension. And when it arrives at the climax, that's the release. And sometimes when that buildup finally ends, you need something for it to land on. Something that tells the audience, "This moment right here really matters." And that's where the impact comes in.
Speaker A
A whoosh into an impact is great when you want a cut to stand out. You know, the whoosh adds the motion and the impact hits right as the new shot appears and gives it yeah really extra attention. So, this is why I say these
Speaker A
So impacts are the moments that underline what's happening on the screen. Sometimes that's at the end of a buildup, like underlining a full stop. But other times it's just highlighting a specific moment in the middle of a scene.
Speaker A
because the video that you're watching right now was actually already finished a few months ago. But I didn't upload it for just one reason. Because ever since I started YouTube, there was one thing that I really wanted to do. So, a little
Speaker A
That could be a physical hit where you actually see something making contact, like a door slamming shut or someone dropping something, giving it more impact, especially when you want to highlight that it's important for the story. But it could also be more visual, like cutting to a striking new scene and letting that impact make the change feel intentional. Either way, it's telling the viewer, "Pay attention to this."
Speaker A
Hey, Jeff. And I asked him, "Hey, what do you think about creating a sound effects pack together?" And his answer was, "Oh, yes, that's a great idea." What we thought would take a few months turned into more than a year. calls,
Speaker A
One of my favorite ways to use an impact is during a scene transition, when the music cuts out and that deep hit lands right as the new shot appears. Because then you don't only see the change, you also feel it.
Speaker A
The story sound pack sounds great. It's built around the exact sounds that I use as the foundation of my edits. The whooshes, the risers, the impacts, and that sound that we still have to talk about, the clicks. These are all
Speaker A
I keep a few types of impacts in my library. There are the deep impacts, trailer style, very dramatic and often with a long tail. And then there are the sharp ones, quicker, more like the sound of one object hitting another.
Speaker A
movement built in for the perfect scene transition. So if you want your videos to feel bigger without feeling completely overwhelmed by thousands of sound effects, you can check it out. The links in the description. I hope you really
Speaker A
So, here's where it really gets fun. These three sounds, the whooshes, the risers, and the impacts, aren't just great on their own. When you start layering them, you can control how your audience moves, how they wait, and how they react, all in perfect rhythm with your story.
Speaker A
It could be a camera shutter or a pen click or a mouse click. And they're really perfect for sequences that need to feel snappy and quick. One of my favorite tricks is using clicks in quick scenes like showing three or four
Speaker A
So, the real magic happens when you start layering these sounds together. One of my go-tos is a riser into an impact, that classic build and drop. It's perfect for reveals or those big dramatic cuts where you really want the moment to land.
Speaker A
sound effects together and what they do. So, I'm going to show you the hook once more, but now with only sound effects.
Speaker A
I also love combining a low rumble riser with a cymbal riser. So you get this deep, growing tension underneath and then a sharp, bright lift on top. It's one of my favorite combinations right before the smash.
Speaker A
just pay attention how these sound effects do their work in the hook. There we go.
Speaker A
A whoosh into an impact is great when you want a cut to stand out. The whoosh adds the motion, and the impact hits right as the new shot appears and gives it extra attention.
Speaker A
this useful, please let me know in the comments because I read them all and it really helps me out. Also, give a thumbs up for the video. And if editing sometimes feel like the hardest part for you, be sure to watch this video next
Speaker A
So this is why I say these three can really form the base of almost any story. They cover movement, anticipation, and emphasis. But there's one sound that I can't leave out, and it's small, simple, but really satisfying as well.
Topics:sound effectsvideo editingwhooshriserimpactsound designstorytellingYouTube editing tipssmash cutaudio layering
