Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/309120
43 MAY-JUN 14 / CINEMONTAGE by Mel Lambert W hat sound design and editing plug-ins are missing from the post-production market? Tim Walston would like to see more new DAW plug-ins that provide innovative types of processing. "Most of the time in post, we want to process things, yet make them sound natural and organic," he says. "Wacky sci-fi modulation is less useful to me than a plug-in that could alter a sound's spectrum or texture in a way that sounds real." In terms of future interface developments, "Each plug-in developer approaches the manipulation of sound from a different perspective," considers Richard King. "It would be fun to be able to play one instrument with the depth of control that plug-ins offer, using a library of presets that could be described in emotional terms, or any kind of terms you like. Essentially, Pro Tools is that instrument now, and it works great; but interface design is the next big thing. "What I have in mind is something like Pro Tools with an interface under which all the plug-ins and modulation sources reside," King continues. "But unlike Pro Tools, it would be a playable instrument like a keyboard. All the source sounds, plus synthesizers, would be accessible, as well as all the plug-in parameters; the idea being to treat sound more like music, and have the ability to 'play' it as one feels it. This 'Uber-Pro Tools' would also have the ability for multiple editors to collaborate in real time on sessions." "I'd love to have a plug-in that would allow one sound effect to transform itself perfectly into the waveform of another effect," offers Todd Toon. "For instance, transforming an animal growl into a vocal performance to create a creature. A simple, effective, easy-to-use morphing plug-in would be a dream." "It would be great to be able to change the pitch or speed of something in real time," adds Marc Glassman. "I have an older version of Soundminer that lets you adjust the speed in real time, but it's a little buggy." Ideally, Shannon Mills would like to see "a smaller GUI that has a real control- surface integration, not a makeshift MIDI-controlled device. Also, I'd love to have a better physical control surface for most plug-ins, because most things that I do are performance-based, and riding the controls with a mouse is not very easy," he adds. Within the world of re-recording, "An equalizer that could analyze production sound and ADR tracks and suggest a correction curve would be very useful; there are some currently available, but they don't work very well!" claims film/TV re-recording mixer Frank Morrone, CAS, MPSE (Sleepy Hollow, The Kennedys, Lost). Re-recording mixer Andy Koyama (Million Dollar Arm, Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, Lone Survivor) is looking for "a hiss-removal plug-in modeled after the Behringer SNR2000, and an accurate Dolby CAT 43 emulation." Meanwhile, TV re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor Jason Brennan (Suburgatory, The Fosters, Shameless) would love to see "a simple, low-latency noise reduction that can be strong enough to reduce background noise without compromising the quality of the dialogue before it gets to the compressor chains. That way, a secondary noise-reduction chain doesn't have to be so drastic in noisy scenes, thus creating more artifacts through heavy de-noising." Focusing his eagle eye on potential new plug-ins much needed for the post sound market — with tongue firmly implanted in cheek — Mark Mangini is hoping for some unique solutions: "'Budget-Blocker' would be a brick-wall financial filter that blocks a producer's ability to move money out of the post budget to finish production. 'De-Temp-alizer' would be a plug-in that encodes all temp sounds cut into the Avid tracks, and renders them useless in the final mix. 'Broom- o'-Matic' examines a mix session for needless and over-cut sound effects, and automatically reduces them to the ones you really need. 'Emily Post-Pro' would be a mains-power control device with olfactory sensors that shut down the mix console when filmmakers eat lunch while you work." But wait; he has more: "The 'Time Machine' plug-in does exactly what its name implies; it warps the space- time continuum so that the turnover of picture changes delivered the night before the mix actually come one week before the mix, which is when you really needed them. 'Audubon-be- Gone' would use FFT analysis — and other impressive acronyms — to remove the Red Tailed Hawk screech from your film, your sound library… and all Ford, Chevy and Chrysler commercials. And 'Trailer-ease' would be designed primarily for the commercial and trailer markets. This plug-in scans the work picture for bright flashes of light, inane jump cuts and the phrase, 'In a world…,' and automatically adds loud anvil hits and sub-woofer booms." f If They Had Their Druthers… CineMontage_May-Jun_14-3.indd 43 4/15/14 2:56 PM