Not long ago, Anime skyrocketed onto the world stage, transcending borders and age groups. Its rise can be attributed to several factors, least of which is Studio Ghibli’s beautiful and sentimental films, but also the action packed phenomena that are movies like One Piece, Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, or Last Airbender, and studios like Netflix desperately trying to make successful live action versions.  

It’s a ridiculously successful genre that we have, until this time, not been up to the challenge of doing audio for. But realizing we’ve been missing out on a great deal of fun, we’ve finally tuned into the wave and prepared our inaugural library for the genre, ANIME ESSENTIALS, packed with earth-shaking punches, electrifying zaps, and shimmering spells that will make viewers’ hearts race. The sounds in the library are all professionally designed to capture the over the top dynamism found in iconic anime series.  

This library is packed with a plethora of high-quality sounds divided into versatile categories, including BLING, EXPLOSION LONG, EXPLOSION SHORT, IMPACT, WHITE NOISE, LASER, MOVEMENT FAST, MOVEMENT LONG, PUNCH, SHIMMER, STINGER, TONAL, WHOOSH, WOBBLE, and ZAP. From thunderous impacts to mesmerizing tonal effects, ANIME ESSENTIALS has it all.

A STUDY IN ANIME

Our team, this time with Michael Schwendler taking the lead, embarked on a sonic adventure to capture the must-have sounds of anime. Michael immediately dove into the world of anime, watching countless hours of series, noting the most compelling audio elements for references, and creating new BOOMing sounds for this collection. 

“I binged 10 or 12 different anime series which were the most popular at the time,” Michael shares. “I captured all the audio, cut out all the snippets, and categorized them into 15 categories.”  

With this kind of dedication and submersion into the genre, we were able to create both an authentic and cutting-edge library, pushing the boundaries of traditional sound design and giving anime sounds a real BOOM quality. 

FOR THE NEWBIES: A QUICK PRIMER

We sought out different techniques to get truly “anime” style sounds.  

• Explosion Sounds: When we didn’t use real explosions, we would start with white noise. Filter out unwanted frequencies, modulate the tails to keep the low-end punch while reducing high-frequency noise, add delay to give a sense of movement, and to it off with distortion. This layered approach gives that real exaggerated anime-style impact. 
• Zap Sounds: Think quick, impactful envelopes. We’d use an impact sound as a base, add filters and frequency shifters, and automate the parameters with fast envelopes. The goal was to create a sound that hits hard and dissipates quickly, mimicking the sudden burst of energy typical in anime zaps. 
• Stinger Sounds: These are longer sequences with evolving textures. We’d utilize delay and frequency shifting a lot here, layering multiple plug-ins to get a rich, unpredictable result. Experimentation is key here—sometimes the best sounds come from happy accidents. 

“A lot of the sounds are made by differently automating plug-ins… every now and then something really cool pops up,” said Michael. “Just automate every parameter by LFO or an envelope follower or just randomly, and you get these really cool, unpredicted results that would never come up otherwise, just by mangling different parameters.” 

DIVE DEEP INTO THE PROCESS

For most of the library, we used either synthesizers or organic sounds processed through heavy FX chains, pitch-shifts, and filters to create these sounds. 

“Some of the sounds came from our Euro rack, and the rest is sample-based, but heavily automated with plug-ins,” Michael shares. “There were some commonly used plug-in types, like frequency shift that’s almost on everything, or like a delay.” 

The use of different plug-ins and frequency shifters played a crucial role in shaping the unique tonal qualities of the sounds.  

VERSATILITY MEETS INNOVATION

What sets ANIME ESSENTIALS apart is its sheer versatility. This library isn’t just for anime. The sounds are perfect for a wide range of applications, from crafting unique interface sounds to enriching general sound design projects. The collection includes sounds that are not only high-quality and impactful but also flexible enough to fit into various contexts. 

Consider a scene where a spaceship zips past with a dazzling whoosh, or a hero’s punch that shakes the earth. ANIME ESSENTIALS has you covered. The sounds are designed to enhance storytelling, creating immersive audio experiences that captivate audiences. 

UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY

BOOM Library’s ANIME ESSENTIALS is more than a sound library; it’s a gateway to unbounded creativity. It provides sound designers with the tools needed to push the envelope and create memorable audio experiences. From the thunderous roars of epic battles to the subtle twinkles of magical spells, ANIME ESSENTIALS delivers a rich palette of sounds that inspire and elevate your projects. 

ANIME ESSENTIALS

Unleash the power of epic anime action with ANIME ESSENTIALS, a 7.9 GB collection of 566 files with over 3,300 sounds! Enter a world where synthesized tones collide with distorted effects and tonal sweeps, channeling the electrifying energy of anime legends like One Piece, Full Metal Alchemist, and Cowboy Bebop. From thunderous impacts to mesmerizing shimmers, each sound is designed to pump your anime-style creations to new levels. 

Make sure to order by July 25th, 2024 and grab ANIME ESSENTIALS at a 20% intro discount! 

The Demo