In Wavelength EP. 5, UK sound designer Harvey shares how his journey from drumming and electronic music grew into H1 Sound. He approaches silent visuals by chasing emotion and blending music and sound design where it fits the piece. From vacuum cleaner spaceships to fridge freezer recordings, he loves transforming and creating unusual sounds. Harvey also reminds newcomers (and me, Ollie) that creative blocks are normal and experimenting often leads to the best ideas.
Tell us a bit about yourself and why you started H1 Sound...
Hey I'm Harvey, a sound designer based in the UK. I originally started out as a drummer always experimenting with electronic music. At university, I discovered composing for advertising and creating basic foley and sound design which opened my eyes to how sound can completely transform visuals. I spent some time travelling and started an Instagram as a hobby sharing the work I was experimenting with. That hobby turned into collaboration opportunities with other creatives/artists working primarily in the motion design and animation world, and kept growing from there into H1 Sound.
When you’re staring at a silent animation for the first time, what’s the first sound or feeling you chase?
I start by understanding the direction and meaning of the piece, then watch through the video to spot key moments, emotion and atmosphere. I don't start strictly with music or sound effects, I take more of a combined approach. Sometimes the music can create a moment whilst other times sound design carries it. Using the project information from the creative team I can usually envision what things will sound like and as I talk to the team and watch the visuals, I further develop those ideas to bring each moment to life.
You blur the line between music and sound design beautifully. Do you approach them as separate crafts, or does one always lead the other?
I try to blend music and sound design together depending on the project but I also think it's important to recognise when to do so. Sometimes it can be nice to keep them separate, with music creating the emotion and ambience and sound design handling the details and textures. On occasion, especially with abstract work, playing with the flow between the two opens a lot of creative possibilities letting each inspire the other.
What is the strangest thing you have recorded which worked perfectly for a project?
I've recorded all sorts of strange things as us soundies naturally do haha. Inside of freezers, Tuk Tuks or even turning a vacuum cleaner into a sci-fi spaceship! Over time I've built up a whole library of these crazy yet surprisingly useful sounds. Something that sounds completely bizarre on its own can be processed and layered to become a key element or texture to a project. It's a reminder that almost anything can be transformed into something creative.
Logic seems central to your workflow. Are there any tools, plugins, or even weird techniques you can’t live without?
When creating audio I always find it interesting how it can be manipulated with granular synthesis and how it can create a million other ideas and inspirations. I also love plugins from fabfilter, soundtoys, izotope, output.
Finally, for someone just starting out in sound for motion, what’s one thing you wish you knew earlier?
Something I wish I knew earlier is that it's completely okay to be stuck on how something should feel or sound, everyone gets creative blocks at times. Don't be afraid to create something completely new, experimenting with ideas or directions can bring a scene to life in ways you wouldn't have originally anticipated.
A message from us.
Cheers Harvey for giving us some insight into H1 Sound and your creative process. We had the pleasure of meeting Harvey in person for a field recording workshop. Lovely guy.
To download exclusive sound effects created by H1 Sound, or to get in contact about a project, follow the links below:
Website: h1sound.com/
Instagram: @h1.sound
What is Wavelength?
Wavelength is a way to shine a light on the creatives that are part of the Rare Finds Community. Showcasing tallented individuals in the audio visual space.
Check out the previous Wavelength Episode with Alice Boyd here: EP. 4 Alice Boyd