Making ufo sound in far distance

[Ruriko]

I got a flying ufo audio and I want to make it sound like it's flying from a far distance and then slowly you hear it close up. How can I do this in audacity? I'm still at sound editing

[whomper]

slowly change the gain so it increases will do that.
i dont use that but that is described in the docs/wiki/tips/ and some forum messages here that are doing something similar.

how did you capture the UFO sound? got any pictures too ?

[kozikowski]

<<<slowly change the gain so it increases will do that. >>>

How would I do that using Audacity 1.2 tools?

Koz

[steve]

This is a really interesting effect Ruriko, but one that is difficult to produce in Audacity 1.2.6.

Could you upload a sample of your UFO sound somewhere on the Internet (for example "sendspace.com") and post a link to it, then upgrade to Audacity 1.3.12 and I'm sure that someone will be able to give you a step-by-step method of how to do this.

(Thinks: Trebor will probably be interested in this - I'll give him a nudge when the UFO effect is available)

You can download Audacity 1.3.12 from here: http://audacityteam.org/download/beta_windows
No need to un-install Audacity 1.2.6, they can live side-by-side. The limitations are that Audacity 1.2.6 cannot open projects after they have been saved by Audacity 1.3 (though Audacity 1.3 can open 1.2 projects). Also, you can't run both versions simultaneously.

[Trebor]

Suggestions ...

1. Have the equalization gradually change from bassy in the distance to trebly when close.
(Mix bassy and trebly versions of the ufo noise : gradually fade-in the trebly one).

2. Have the stereo image gradually change from mono in the distance to stereo when close.
(Mix mono and (pseudo)stereo versions of the ufo noise : gradually fade-in the (pseudo)stereo one).

3. Of course quiet when far away, gradually getting louder as it approaches.
(Finally gradually fade-in the whole track after the various components have been mixed together).

Look at the changing frequency analysis of real aircraft approaching,
e.g. ... http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=57804

[Ruriko]

Here's the audio file http://ufoseries.com/soundEffects/ufoFlyAtmos.mp3 I couldn't find any better sound for a flying ufo.

[Trebor]

I've done everything I described above, plus slowed it down by 50% ...

UFO approaches (Before-After effects applied).mp3

(468.57 KiB) Downloaded 134 times

[ The UFO sample you linked to has abrupt changes in volume, I could have produced a better result from scratch ].

[Ruriko]

Well if you could make it better from scratch do you mind making it? or tell me the techniques you'd use?

[Trebor]

Stereotypical UFO approaches.mp3

(964.9 KiB) Downloaded 98 times

Steps 1-3 above, plus some delay when the UFO was distant.

[steve]

The source sound for this one was white noise;

1) Generate white noise (must be 32 bit for this to work)
2) High Pass filter effect - 1000Hz 48dB per octave
3) Repeat the high pass filter another 3 or 4 times
4) Low Pass filter effect - 1000Hz 48dB per octave
5) Repeat the low pass filter another 3 or 4 times
6) Amplify

Then quite a few track duplications, pitch change, sliding pitch change, fade and envelope - basically the same techniques that Trebor described.
Main point of this example is the "subtractive synthesis" method of creating the tones by removing frequencies from noise.