There are some people that author original sound effects and share them for free on the Internet. I know what’s involved because sometimes I make my own sound effects. The process is… well, is it a process? I think it’s more like you record a bunch of things that you think might sound good, and usually there are surprises along the way. Like this guy, Adam, found a dripping pipe that sounds musical. You don’t just walk up to a dripping pipe and expect it to produce music. These things are found when you listen. And bring your recorder.
On episode 3 of Machine Court, I used the following sound effects which all carry Creative Commons licenses.
- Cave Ambience by Zixem used for the elevator shaft activating.
- Inside a Drainage Pipe by CMU Sound Design used for the elevator coming down.
- Footsteps by CMU Sound Design used for some subterranean walking.
- Dental chair servo switch by Beer Belly used for the elevator door opening.
Spogey’s robot walk is my original sound effect, which is a composite of pitch-shifted electric drills and change rattling in bottles. I just dropped the sample on Freesound now as a tithe to the Creative Commons gods.