BAM! What can you expect from our new library and what makes BOOM TOONS so special? Stay tuned for many laughing fits while our lead sound designer Axel “Riff Raff” Rohrbach reveals some secrets of the trade.
“SPLASH, POOF, ZAAAP, BANG, OUCH, POW, BASH, WHOOSH!”
What can we expect from the BOOM TOONS library? Which sounds / sound range?
This library contains a whole bunch of different cartoonish sounds, ranging from whooshes to toys, crashes, flutes, percussion instruments and many, many more. Compared to most of our cinematic style libraries the sounds in the BOOM TOONS library are rather sweet, funny, intimate, and sometimes very classic. But they are not just suitable for cartoon purposes, they are a great fit for any “less dark” visual production.
What was the inspiration for producing the library? What was your mind set behind it?
We focused on classical cartoon sound effects modernly recorded, with some extras. The mindset was to offer sounds that clearly have this typical cartoon feel, but without the retro sound quality. Of course this quality is part of the sound, but we think our recordings offer enough flexibility to re-record them to make them sound “old-school”. We set out building this library to offer a wide set of sounds for actual cartoons, but also offer a wide set of friendly sounds for all kind of media, especially commercials and image films, but of course also trailers, movies, TV series, games.
How was the recording process?
We started with the most obvious sounds which the topic itself demands. Then we beta tested them internally and looked for gaps. Some gaps are difficult to fill, because you need to find the right tools, props and acting to get the sound you need. So we started with a bunch of toys, flutes, carillon and added tire squeals, crashes, wobbling sounds, plops etc. One of the major ideas was to avoid artificial sounds and really record as many real world props as possible. The recording process itself was very funny. We heard cartoon sounds everywhere we went. Every time we recorded cartoon sounds we could immediately imagine a funny situation of a cartoon.
What material did you use?
Oh we used an immeasurable range of objects. Uncountable. We used classical instruments like orchestral percussion, trombones, guitars and toy instruments. A whole arsenal of flutes and smaller percussions, a lot of wood to create “sproing” sounds and sticks and ropes for whooshes. We had whole cases full of toys, balloons and vessels. The studio was packed with those things over a long period of time as you can imagine. We were asked if we were opening a new business, selling toys and crap. (laughing)
How many times did you start laughing while listen to your own recordings?
Quite a lot, and I’m German, so that’s saying something! Some things are really funny, some are just kind of “feel-good” sounds that don’t make you laugh but instantly get you to smile.
Allow our customers an exclusive insight and reveal a secret behind the Cartoon sounds! 😉
Some typical cartoon sounds are quite easy to reproduce, some are really hard to figure out. I think the BOOM TOONS library is no different from other topics – most importantly live your life by listening to your environment to get inspired, to find things that are unique, to figure out what props you might want to take away from its original spot and bring into the studio.
But to give a little hint: Take a hot water bottle and drag it over a wooden floor. Or speak through an electric fan. Also, be careful when recording farts, it’s a dangerous business!
