“Quadcopters” for Strata, in Partnership with Sound Ex Machina
We’re excited to announce that Audiokinetic has launched "Quadcopters", a new Strata multitrack SFX collection created in partnership with Sound Ex Machina, a team of recordists and sound designers known for high-fidelity realism & intense detail. This new collection includes 170 sounds of radio-controlled quadcopters delivered at 96 kHz and 24-bit in multitrack format, for sound designers who want total control over each component that makes up their rendered sounds (clip edits, sources, effect settings, etc). Designed for adaptability, you’ll find recordings of quadcopters of various sizes, with accompanying start, stop, hover loop, maneuver, take-off, landing, dynamic flyby and precise acceleration sounds to bring your world to life.
Why a Quadcopter Collection?
Quadcopters represent a unique piece of technology, encapsulating an era of innovation. Their distinct sound captures the essence of modernity and technological advancement, making them a highly sought-after element in audio design.
Ideal for filmmakers, game developers and sound designers, this collection is the perfect tool for creating scenes involving drones or any futuristic vehicle or technology. And in multitrack format, total control is at your fingertips. The collection’s versatility lends itself to various genres, from action-packed sci-fi movies to immersive video games, documentaries, and any other project that requires the use of the highest quality & fully customizable quadcopter sounds. With this collection, you’ll be free to create your own blend of engine sounds that fit your world, be it a drone, spaceship or other futuristic vehicle.
What Sets These Recordings Apart?
In our latest project, we redefined the limits of drone recording, thanks to the exceptional skills of our drone pilot. His expertise allowed us to conduct extremely close and precise flights, delivering impressive recordings. We experimented with a variety of drone models, starting with a small toy drone with just 3-inch rotor blades, to more advanced models with 9-inch rotors.
Standard & FPV Drone Recordings
What truly sets this collection apart is its meticulous attention to detail. We didn't just record standard drones. Our focus was also on FPV (First-Person View) drones, which are piloted using VR goggles. Particularly noteworthy are our 5- and 8-inch models, which were self-built and specifically designed for FPV (First-Person-View) mode. Unlike conventional drones, which are often equipped with automatic control and stabilization systems, these FPV drones offer a much more free and challenging flying experience. Without the usual limitations and automations, flying these drones requires a high level of skill. The advantage lies in the increased agility and speed, which allows for stunts like flips and rolls in the air. The speed of these drones also makes for particularly satisfying Flyby sounds. We were able to record a variety of wild flight maneuvers, distinguished by their dynamism. For recording these impressive sounds, we used a combination of an MS (Mid-Side) set and an XY stereo pair. Including FPV drones was a deliberate choice to push the boundaries of traditional drone recordings. These drones offer a more agile and immersive flying experience, resulting in a diverse range of sounds that add depth and authenticity to any project.
Bringing Quadcopters to Multitrack Format
To facilitate the integration of these sounds into video games, we created a comprehensive Strata collection. We made sure to cover every conceivable drone action that might be necessary in-game. Every detail was considered - from the initial sounds of quadcopter start-up, to flying with various RPMs, landing, maneuvers, and flight movements recorded at different speeds and made available to reflect the dynamics of these fascinating flying devices.
The whirring of the rotors adds a dynamic dimension to the sound profile, signalling the precise and agile movement of the drone through the air. In moments of acceleration or deceleration, the sound intensifies, conveying a sense of speed and momentum. By utilizing a Hover layer with a Ducking instance and directly integrating maneuvers, sound designers can precisely underscore these maneuvers. The track “Lift off” showcases the benefits of the multitrack format vividly. Here, a separate sound of an acceleration boost has been added, intensifying the sense of speed after takeoff. Users have the flexibility to customize drone sounds to suit their needs and adjust the parameters of individual elements. Furthermore, a Weight Layer has been employed to impart more power to the signal in the low-frequency range, making the drones appear larger and more impressive. Similarly, the Cinematic Layer, with the Distortion track, contributes to a richer sound image, elevating the recording to next level. Within the layers, users can explore the effects used and adjust parameters as desired to push the drone to its limits. To impart an advanced, futuristic character to the propulsion systems and the whirring of the rotors, the Bee Effect layer was utilized. Through an effect chain created in ENRAGE, the signal is modulated, adding more movement to the sound, akin to a swarm of bees. This sets the drone apart from a standard recording and makes it usable for “spacy” use cases.
Consistency At Your Fingertips
Our recordings offer unparalleled consistency and cleanliness, providing polished files fully editable and accessible to the sound designer. There’s no need to spend time cleaning up recordings before use; everything is ready to go. They’re organized under UCS categories with very detailed metadata attached to every sound. Each detail within the engine is meticulously separated as an individual item, ensuring precise control and customization for your sound design needs. With every aspect of the engine categorized and readily available, achieving your desired sonic landscape has never been easier. Sound designers finally have everything they need to create something different that fits every time.
About Sound Ex Machina
We are a small and agile team of recordists and sound designers, providing royalty-free, context-based sound effects libraries to sound pros, developers and filmmakers around the world. We’re always trying to find the next best opportunity for a nice field recording session.
With the fascinating new category of quadcopter sounds, we are proud to expand our already diverse sound library. Our collaboration with Audiokinetic and Strata plays a crucial role in this. Through this partnership, we can provide our quadcopter sounds in an optimized way and firmly believe that this partnership will not only improve the quality and accessibility of our sounds but also pave the way for innovative sound design solutions.
We hope these new sounds will offer sound designers out there many creative possibilities and inspiring moments. This expansion of our sound library underscores our commitment to high-quality and versatile sound resources. We look forward to seeing and hearing the creative works that will be made using “Quadcopters”.
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