Partial Sound FX?

I want to hear more apendage ripping....the severed arm was awesome. All of the effects thus far have been exceptional. Keep it up.

Sounded a bit strange at first but now couldn't imagine your podcasts without 'em now - GO SCOTT!

IMHO, the author of How To Succeed in Evil (on podiobooks.com) got the sound effects just about perfect. Glenn

Seem just right. Peg

The partial sound effects work excellently,Great job on "Nocturnal".

Honestly for the most part I never even notice them, which is a good thing. They further the story without making me stop and listen to them. The part where they were in the alley and there was street noise ... I never would have even known there was sfx in there if scott hadn't said there was. Great job

I have one example were I had a hard time focusing on the content due to the sound effects. In Nocturnal Episode 2 just before the boy was dragged out of the room/cell you had some background sound. Instead of listening to the story I tried to hear what was going on in the background. And one were I liked the effects. When they had dragged the boy outside (the cell/room) and the door was shut with a boom. Thanks for the great work and I'm already waiting for The Rookie 2!

I like it...just enough to make an impression but not enough to annoy

I didn't think about it when listening which proves it works.

Ok...so I am chiming in late but I like the sound effects. I think the most important thing is that they aren't too loud. And from what I've heard so far they work really well with the story. Tangentially, I thought modifying your voice for the parts where characters are speaking over the phone worked really well, too.

I like the effects, as previously mentioned they were muy effective in 'The Rookie'. If gunshots are going to be part of it, they need to sound different depending on the gun. A shot gun that sounds like a pistol? I don't think so. Icepick http://www.brucepress.net

When I first jumped on the podcasting boat I got hooked by MOREVI which uses sound effects. I think it's one way podcast recordings can be set apart from typical audiobooks. You used them in The Rookie, I don't see any reason to quit now. Also, voices are awesome. They add that homey, personal touch. I have to say though. . . .a woman you are not, Scott. Some of your women's voices are just plain bad. Names are escaping me damn it. Margret from Infection (I REFUSE to call it Infested. it just doesn't have the same menacing feel :( ) and Jian from Ancestor were both pretty decent. I think their accents helped in those cases though -.-0. The alien voices in The Rookie are phenomenal. The Quyth, Sklorno and Krederockian (sorry if I butcher the spellings. I'm playing it by ear) voices are AWESOME. Good mixes. Keep it up.

I am liking the sound effects so far. Can't wait for the next chapter.

It sounded good to me,when the little thing dragged of the kid it sounded amazing. You don't like it FUCK OFF.

I am absolutely loving the use of the sound fx so far.... Very well used and perfectly positioned to great effect!

Uhmmm... Yeah, the Addition of Partial Sound Effects, is perfect, as long as it is not overdone. sounds of steps, the occassional whispering or screaming in the background, or the loud thunderous bang, boom or pop brings an acute sense of living in the moment. It pretty much makes the listener jump out of his skin for a split second and that's all it takes, for the listener to say, "OH SHIT" and look across a few aisles of seats on a commuter train and see another commuter starin' at him/her with a strange look on their face, wonderin' what the hell you could be listening to.... And of course, you pity them because they can't enjoy what you have... ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa. ( oh sorry ... lost track there) So gettin' back to SFX .... Yes .... I say ... but don't over do it. Frikshun

Just right, nice addition. Using Google Maps?! BRILLIANT!!! When Pierre lands on the dumpster I choked on my coffee the first time I heard it, and when Sam the NARC screams while Johhny is on the phone makes me burst out laughing everytime. This is the gooood shit!

Hey Scott! Loving the book so far (but then, I am a dirty dirty junkie). On the sfx, I think its a question of balance. Too many of them and its distracting. I like your straight reads but i think the partial sfx can work very well. Maybe use about 85% of the number you used in episode one so that when you do use them they have a bit more punch! Oh and please please see if you can find a chicken scissors sound effect! Your loyal Irish Junkie, Stephen K

WTFO Sigler, what's this about "partial" sound effects? Sounds about as half-assed as your supposedly "weekly" podcasts. Or is that "weak-ly" podcasts? Don't get me wrong, I like what you've done with the sound--just as I like getting my fix. But what's with this stringing us out crap? What, you don't think we can take the "full" sound effects? Is it just you wimping out on us again, or are you hero-worshiping Marquee de Sad--giving us only enough to keep the pain exquisite and not overwhelming? I listen to this junk on my way to/from work, so the sound effects have to compete with city traffic without getting me into an accident. For me, I need you to turn it up a notch (unless that means you'll be late, again, with my fix). Of course, I may have had too much bad junk lately, overdoing the J.C. Hutchins while waiting for the good Sigler stuff. Too bad the iPod doesn't emulate olfactory effects...

Scott, great job at the sound effects. It makes the story even more scary. I never heard the soud of the arm breaking. I chickened out and turned the volume of my radio down when I heard it coming. Please leave it the way it is now. I think that more effects will not make it better. It can't be better than it is right now !

Love your stuff, Scott... thanks for letting me listen! =1 I have to say I enjoy the occasional effect... crowd noises in backgrounds, maybe a gunshot when appropriate can make me jump out of my seat (for example, The Failed Cities Monologues nails it just right.) One thing I found annoying was the stereo effects you did on The Passenger... most of the time I only listen to my pod with one earbud in, while I work, so I can hear the phone ring, etc. I would have to give my vote as nay for effects like this in the future, as effective as they may have been. Keep spoken word mono, music stereo. - kokodhem

Don't overdo the special effects, then they're great. Which is to say, keep it the way it is. Very cool. As I said before, this podcast has the best production quality of any and all podcast novels, by far. The only thing missing is a good female voice... j/k They are not vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, goblins or human cannibals. They are something more, something far more insidious than all of the above ... They're the Spanish Inquisition!! Nobody would expect that!

I already mentioned this in a voice mail, but I feel like repeating myself here... 'cause I can. Having sound effects is great, but moderation is key. I felt there were too many in Nocturnal #1 and 2 (although that did not detract from the fact that Nocturnal 1 and 2 were [i]awesome[/i]!). You don't need an effect for [i]every[/i] gun blast, for example, just the one that hits its mark and rips a large hole in a door or someone's chest. You don't need to have a background of the kid sobbing while you describe the scene--just do a vicious loud "crack!" for the breaking of the bone, then put some sob in your voice at the beginning and end of all the kid's lines for the rest of that scene. -- Furry cows moo and decompress.

I liked them. There weren't too many, and they weren't overpowering at all. Murder at Avedon Hill - podcast novel by P.G. Holyfield - http://pgholyfield.com/maah

I love the SFx you are doing. It adds to the audio experience. What I like best is that you use them to convay the story and not just to prove you know how to use a sound lab. Great Work, Keep it Up. Thermonuclearpenguin Think Like A Mob. Though you may be one you are powerful, take that power and change the world.

As long as the partial sound effects remain partial and restrained then I find them to be a nice enhancement to the overall podcast experience. They are sort of like nutmeg. Good in sprinkles and really bad in big clumps.

Scott, the partial sound effect adds an awesome dimension to your stories. In infection when I heard the VOICES I thought I was going ape-shit insane. The Rookie and Now Nocturnal the sound effects are sweet. LESS IS MORE! The gunshots ring out and startle me which is awesome. But I don't want to hear birds flapping or ambient needless traffic noise or any other shit like that. I still have trouble using metal scissors... You've scarred me, my friend.

I loved your FX in The Rookie - so kept to a minimum and in the right places to enhance the story - I say keep partial FX! AWESOME job Scott - you are a crazy sick dude! And that is why I am an OJ forever!!!

I love the enhanced production! Keep up the great work! Shmoo ______________________________________________________________________________________________ A good Wizard knows it is useless to waggle fingers and shout in ancient tongues, when a good club will do.

I didn't read everyone elses comments, so sorry if I repeat what someone else said previously and more poorly. First, let me get my basics out of the way. Been with you since Earthcore Episode 10 and there since. I really appreciate what you do and the price it costs me. But sound fx... I hated the effect on Perry. I thought it was on purpose because you were going to morph it into something later on in the story but it didn't and it was horrible. He sounded like a shitty Sci-fi channel movie monster. That said, the stuff you did with the voices in Rookie was great. But then the guns in that last joint that I can't think of the name for (transporter or something) got redundant and made me want to punch you. I say nay unless you have someone else working on it that has the time and experience to do effects for everything. You have enough shit to do and when things start repeating or when voices are so horribly tweaked your ears atart to have minor hemmoraging it completely removes the listener from the story. That's my piece. BUt what do I know? I listen to Scott Sigler.

At first, I was like WTF?? - But half way through the episode, it made me jump, and scared the shit out of me, adds a whole new realm to the "novel". I wouldnt over do it ....

Thumbs up on the sound effects. Excellent first episode.

Hey! I gotta say in the Rookie, the ambient crowd noise you used was awesome. The time slowing down was great. Just gotta keep it flowing with the story. In the Rookie and other Podcast novels like Jack Palms II I noticed when sound effects were used at key points it really made the story "pop" but later in Jack Palms II the sound effects kept comming over and over and it just made me think it was over done. It lost it's touch. I didn't feel that way with the rookie, so somewhere in there you find a balance. Saving it for key moments and using it far between gives it the needed punch I think it deserves. Also your voice acting is key, you bring alot to your stories with your voice and the voice mods you apply keep that up. It always gets me into the characters =) Peace out and love the new book!

Works for me

Love the sound FX. keep them coming.

I like.

I like the partial sfx, we know you don't have a full blown foley sound stage, and it would take as much time in creating all the sounds as working the dialog, this type of work is enhanced with just a few tasteful bangs and gory blood curdling sounds every so often, it does enhance the experience for us. Keep up the great work Scott.

The first time I listened to ep.1 was in my noisy car while driving to work. I had to crank up the volume, and the sound effects drowned out parts of the story. I listened to it again this morning but through headphones while sitting in my nice, quiet living room, and the effects made perfect sense. It was like a great combination of an audiobook and a radio play. The only suggestion I would make is to not string the effects together as much. There was one part at the Five Doors that reminded me of an old sound effects record with three or four effects in a row. Other than that, I loved it. BTW, I think Scott's vocals in Nocturnal are his best to date. The first scene with Aggie was really well done. ~ I can taste the hatred. ~

Sadly there was no sound effect for the chicken scissors. :) -marqueA2

I really liked all of the sound effects you put in there. The kid's whimpering seemed a little bit quiet for having his arm snapped right in two near the wrist, but it sure set a tone of dread while you were describing the scene. Maybe have him scream like a girl when you play the snapping sound. The link to this thread in your BloodCast update on podshow.com is b-u-s-t-e-d busted. You've got scottsigler.podshow.com/node/489 instead of scottsigler.com/node/489. It's easy to figure it out, and I'm sure you've gotten complaints about it already, but I figure I'd be a pain in the butt. But I digress. The sounds are great and need just a tiny bit of tweakage to be perfect. Keep it up.

Some of the SFX are really cheezy though while others are high quality, if you just kept this discrepancy to a minimum you could add more and better SFX.

Sound effects. 1. They are great and add a bit of depth. 2. I think that Scott has almost found the golden percent of sound effects. I would just say that it needs just a little bit more... just a tad. Some additionally ambient sounds from time to time would be nice. Maybe once or twice more per chapter would be absolute perfection. 0100001101101000011010010110001101101011011001010110111000100000 0101001101100011011010010111001101110011011011110111001001110011

scott"s writing doesn't need effects but they worked for me here.