Sound Designer

Job Duties

Sound designers work with directors to develop recorded (sometimes called “canned”) sound effects for stage productions. Ideally, the sound design for a stage show supports the live vocals produced by performers on stage, while also providing any sound effects that are needed by the narrative of the play.

Sound designers typically begin by reading the script thoroughly, and making notes of any sound effects that are included in the text, which will not be provided by actors live on stage. Examples might be a sound of a phone ringing, or a gunshot heard from off-stage. Depending on their preferences and the needs of a production, sound designers might record their own sound effects using Foley techniques, or they may use pre-recorded sound effects. Foley (named for pioneering sound effects artist Jack Foley) is a technique of reproducing everyday sounds in a recording studio for use in film and theatre. Professionals who create these sound effects are called Foley Artists. In the past, pre-recorded sound effects CDs were the norm for use in theatre productions, but today there are many websites where sound effects can be downloaded, either for free or for a fee-per-clip depending on the quality of the recording. In shows where the sound designer is asked to source or create incidental music, background noise, or atmospheric sound, communication with the director is key in order to assess the tone and feeling that is required from scene to scene.

In musicals, the sound designer’s job often also includes the essential task of mixing musical recordings, live mics, and the sound from the orchestra (if there is one). Mixing is the process of adjusting the volume and pan of different parts of a soundscape or song in order to best highlight all the instruments, while also allowing singers’ voices to shine over the backing track. On large-scale productions, this task might be done with the assistance of an audio-engineer (sometimes called a sound operator). The audio-engineer operates the sound board during a show, mixing the audio in real-time. Sound designers also work with set designers to determine where speakers and mics will be located on the stage so that both the audience and the performers are hearing what needs to be heard.

The job of the sound designer is both creative and technical: Almost all sound designers have a background in music, either as a performer or a composer. However, they also require an in-depth, practical knowledge of audio equipment, and the science of sound.