Creating a sound: how ringtones are made for Lumia
If we talk about the psychological perception of a mobile device, what factors influence it in the first place? You probably immediately come to mind with such parameters as design, case materials, technical stuffing and interface. But do not forget that ringtones, albeit indirectly, but also affect the feeling of using the gadget, and in many cases are even a full-fledged part of the brand . Not for nothing, entire teams of specialists are working on the creation of branded melodies, who, in order to create a unique sound, are ready to invite real orchestras or spend hours trying to record the correct purring of a cat.
The recently released Lumia 830, Lumia 735 and Lumia 730 models have been updated with ringtones, thanks to the efforts of Tapio Hakanen, head of sound design in mobile devices from Microsoft, and Alexi Eeben, chief sound engineer and creative expert in updating this year. Our colleagues were able to ask them a few questions about how ringtones are created, and we are happy to share this interview with you.
Working on the creation of tunes, a group of Microsoft audio engineers are primarily people-oriented. The developers believe that it is very important that every Lumia user can find melodies in a standard package that he would like to set for the ringing tone, message and alarm. And it is very difficult to do this - you have to not only rely on expert judgment of specialists, but also resort to all sorts of studies that help make a universal audio selection for consumers around the world.
')
Where do you get inspiration for creating new melodies?
Alexi:
In general, we should be aware of all current trends in music and sound design, and we should also have a clear idea of what people most often choose as a ringtone.
We strive to make our melodies like as many users as possible, so we need to take into account such parameters as the length of the melody, its tone, mood and relevance. Some sounds "grow old" rather slowly (and even become classics), and some, on the contrary, quickly lose their meaning. For example, styles in electronic music come and go so quickly that we update this part of the portfolio much more often.
Finally, everything needs a special uniqueness, because, as it seems to me, this is the only way that sounds make a special sense for someone else. From adolescence I adore jazz, and for the first time in the framework of this year's audio update I had to work with a chamber jazz band.
What do you think is a good ringtone?
Tapio:
It seems to me that, historically, ringtones are a musical composition or a part of it and are very much remembered. But today we see that everything goes in the direction of simplicity, functionality and restraint, although the geographical factor also takes place.
For example, people in the United States prefer mostly something minimalistic and restrained. And in China they prefer more lively and vibrant ringtones.
Alexi:
It is very important to develop tunes that are fairly simple. Users also need more calm and quiet ringtones, like this one, one of my early "hits" as early as 2005 release.
There was a simple Cat ringtone, why did Two Cats replace it this year?
Alexi:
It's very simple, at that time I had one cat, and now the second one has appeared.
In general, the whole story with these "cats". Usually they “talk” a lot, but when I approached them with a portable voice recorder, they immediately fell silent. It took me a lot of patience and attention from both animals to get the meow that was needed. The supply of high-quality food for the whole year also helped, and after heavy negotiations, they still put their paw prints as a signature on the actor's voice acting contract.
But seriously, whatever the sound, we prefer natural sound rather than some special effect from the audio library. A real orchestra, a real acoustic jazz band, a real sauna, wind music and real cats.
For example, this simple sound was, in fact, performed by a real percussionist and is not a synthetically derived sound. You may not recognize the difference, but you will obviously feel it.
And what of this collection of 2015 do you like exactly?
Tapio:
Bird Box. This melody was recorded with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra three years ago, but it still sounds fresh and is an excellent example of how something discreet can give a storm of emotions.
Alexi:
My favorite tune is That girl from Copenhagen. It is somewhat similar to the Slow Coffee ringtone we love so much, but now the voice of a jazz singer is heard here. I always have a weakness for such melodies.
Sounds for SMS, alarms, letters and system alerts are constantly evolving, but it seems to remain the same. How do you achieve this balance?
Tapio:
The reason is that it takes some time to recognize them. Leaving them the same or very similar, we make it so that for people purchasing a new Lumia, it is easier to distinguish the sound of a text message coming; The same goes for calendar alerts.
The audio design is directed towards honing the sound, so that it is more pure, simple and even minimalist.
You can listen to the full Tones 2015 collection on our SoundCloud page here .
And we write in: Habrahabr | Twitter | VKontakte | Facebook | Google+
The recently released Lumia 830, Lumia 735 and Lumia 730 models have been updated with ringtones, thanks to the efforts of Tapio Hakanen, head of sound design in mobile devices from Microsoft, and Alexi Eeben, chief sound engineer and creative expert in updating this year. Our colleagues were able to ask them a few questions about how ringtones are created, and we are happy to share this interview with you.
Working on the creation of tunes, a group of Microsoft audio engineers are primarily people-oriented. The developers believe that it is very important that every Lumia user can find melodies in a standard package that he would like to set for the ringing tone, message and alarm. And it is very difficult to do this - you have to not only rely on expert judgment of specialists, but also resort to all sorts of studies that help make a universal audio selection for consumers around the world.
')
Where do you get inspiration for creating new melodies?
Alexi:
In general, we should be aware of all current trends in music and sound design, and we should also have a clear idea of what people most often choose as a ringtone.
We strive to make our melodies like as many users as possible, so we need to take into account such parameters as the length of the melody, its tone, mood and relevance. Some sounds "grow old" rather slowly (and even become classics), and some, on the contrary, quickly lose their meaning. For example, styles in electronic music come and go so quickly that we update this part of the portfolio much more often.
Finally, everything needs a special uniqueness, because, as it seems to me, this is the only way that sounds make a special sense for someone else. From adolescence I adore jazz, and for the first time in the framework of this year's audio update I had to work with a chamber jazz band.
What do you think is a good ringtone?
Tapio:
It seems to me that, historically, ringtones are a musical composition or a part of it and are very much remembered. But today we see that everything goes in the direction of simplicity, functionality and restraint, although the geographical factor also takes place.
For example, people in the United States prefer mostly something minimalistic and restrained. And in China they prefer more lively and vibrant ringtones.
Alexi:
It is very important to develop tunes that are fairly simple. Users also need more calm and quiet ringtones, like this one, one of my early "hits" as early as 2005 release.
There was a simple Cat ringtone, why did Two Cats replace it this year?
Alexi:
It's very simple, at that time I had one cat, and now the second one has appeared.
In general, the whole story with these "cats". Usually they “talk” a lot, but when I approached them with a portable voice recorder, they immediately fell silent. It took me a lot of patience and attention from both animals to get the meow that was needed. The supply of high-quality food for the whole year also helped, and after heavy negotiations, they still put their paw prints as a signature on the actor's voice acting contract.
But seriously, whatever the sound, we prefer natural sound rather than some special effect from the audio library. A real orchestra, a real acoustic jazz band, a real sauna, wind music and real cats.
For example, this simple sound was, in fact, performed by a real percussionist and is not a synthetically derived sound. You may not recognize the difference, but you will obviously feel it.
And what of this collection of 2015 do you like exactly?
Tapio:
Bird Box. This melody was recorded with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra three years ago, but it still sounds fresh and is an excellent example of how something discreet can give a storm of emotions.
Alexi:
My favorite tune is That girl from Copenhagen. It is somewhat similar to the Slow Coffee ringtone we love so much, but now the voice of a jazz singer is heard here. I always have a weakness for such melodies.
Sounds for SMS, alarms, letters and system alerts are constantly evolving, but it seems to remain the same. How do you achieve this balance?
Tapio:
The reason is that it takes some time to recognize them. Leaving them the same or very similar, we make it so that for people purchasing a new Lumia, it is easier to distinguish the sound of a text message coming; The same goes for calendar alerts.
The audio design is directed towards honing the sound, so that it is more pure, simple and even minimalist.
You can listen to the full Tones 2015 collection on our SoundCloud page here .
And we write in: Habrahabr | Twitter | VKontakte | Facebook | Google+
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/362687/
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