Advice: Editing High Heel Sounds

[rob1234567890]

Hello,

I needed to add some more lower frequency (bass) to recorded high heel shoe sounds. Right now the high heels are more of a "slap" sound in the higher frequencies, and without compromising quality is there a way I can have it more of a boom in the lower frequencies?

What is this technique called, and how would I go about doing this? Using adobe audition, or the like.

Thank You,

[Drew Stephenson]

Assuming that the low frequency content isn't there in the core recording (otherwise you'd have just cranked it up with EQ) then there are a few ways I might try it.
Take a copy of the sound, pitch it down an octave (or two) and then blend it back in to taste.
Add in a bit of reverb with a very short decay and EQ'd to only give that low frequency element, blend to taste.
Add an additional sampled sound that does provide some low frequency content but with a similar sharp attack. A rimshot on a kick drum maybe, or the blunt end of a drumstick against a fairly resonant floorboard. Blend to taste.
Swap out the sound completely for a different sample that does have the necessary low end.
For all of the above, play very close attention to phase otherwise you might get a very erratic response.

[Random Guitarist]

Create a copy of the track with an octaver/pitch shifter & mix in under the main track?

[MarkOne]

Does anyone else think that this should have read 'hat'?

Failing that, are we talking Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin?

[Drew Stephenson]

Does anyone else think that this should have read 'hat'?

I was assuming it was a Foley question.

[BJG145]

I was thinking along the same lines as Drew. Depending what you're trying to match, you might also consider gating to sync it up.

Layering sounds, eg for adding bass frequencies to kick drums, is quite a common technique, so you'll find more on that on Youtube etc.

[MarkOne]

Does anyone else think that this should have read 'hat'?

I was assuming it was a Foley question.

Fair enough. But, in which case, heels on pavement? Heels on marble hallway, parquet, or floorboards? Each would be a very unique and different sound, requiring a different treatment, probably.

[ajay_m]

This really is a classic Foley thing where you have to record something live to match the soundtrack, because the footsteps will (I presume) move away, past or towards the listener and so unlike something like a snare hit any attempt to add something fixed to each footstep will sound unnatural. So you have to experiment with mics and surfaces then when you have a sound that complements the recorded sound you "perform" using whatever you used - could be walking in ordinary shoes with a leather sole, for instance but on a wooden surface.

It's an art form. I used to have to do this for amateur theatre. Got stumped once on "the beating of gigantic wings". Turns out you use an umbrella and open and close it repeatedly!

[Mike Stranks]

It's an art form. I used to have to do this for amateur theatre. Got stumped once on "the beating of gigantic wings". Turns out you use an umbrella and open and close it repeatedly!

Ha! I used to work with an after-school drama club 'writing for radio'... The FX request that sticks in my mind is "A wasp that becomes a WW2 bomber..."

[ajay_m]

It's an art form. I used to have to do this for amateur theatre. Got stumped once on "the beating of gigantic wings". Turns out you use an umbrella and open and close it repeatedly!

Ha! I used to work with an after-school drama club 'writing for radio'... The FX request that sticks in my mind is "A wasp that becomes a WW2 bomber..."

A reasonably skilled cellist ought to be able to do that. An old friend learning the cello said it was great fun 'you could do terrific bomber impersonations' he said, so I imagine it's possible to start on a high string and waver that about then move down register. Amateur theatre is a terrific way to learn about sound design, for sure. I can also recall doing one of those 'play that goes wrong' productions, in this case, called something like "A Christmas Carol from the Farnsworth Amateur Dramatic Society" and let me tell you, getting the lighting and sound cues spot on is a major effort. At one point the police radio breaks through into the PA, all the lighting and sound cues have to be wrong - but the joke is lost if they're not wrong in the right way. But the audiences loved it!. I was exhausted at the end of every performance.