I’m standing here at my computer (it’s a standing desk) needing to create a ton of sword and melee weapon sounds for a project I am currently working on. If you’re like me, you probably don’t own any swords, so you need to be a little creative to find a way to make these sounds. Fortunately, I’ve already had a few projects where I had to create sword sounds, so I want to share with you my technique for creating sword sounds at home.
So, how exactly do you make a sword sound effect? Well, it’s pretty simple – just hit knives of various sizes together and layer them in your audio editing software. Pitch shift some of the sounds down to fill out the body of the sword sound and leave others as they are. Once you’ve done this, you should have a basic sword sound effect.
What tools do you need?
Here is a short list of items you may have lying around your house that you could use to create sword sound effects.
- Metal spatula
- Metal knives
- Chef knives
- Metal tongs
- Hammer
- Large forks and spoons
- Metal ladle
- Pizza rolling knife
- Pans
- Any metal bars used for hanging clothes or other objects
- Knife sharpener
- Cheese Grater
- Any metallic BBQ utensils
- Metallic tools, wrench sets, etc.
Be creative with the items you find. If you find a metal that can ring out, there is a good chance you will be able to use it to make your sword sounds. If not, it will usually make a nice bell sound.
10 Tips for creating awesome sword sounds
- Experiment with different sizes of knives, blades, metal spoons and spatulas, etc.
- Be creative and use your ears. If a metallic object sounds like it could create a sword sound or scrape, then use it!
- Use different techniques to create the sounds. Hold the knife in different places, muffle the blade, use the tip, sides, and back of the knife, etc.
- Record multiple takes to have a wide variety of choices to choose from.
- Let the metal ring out. This helps the listener know that it is a metal sound.
- Use multiple knives together in your hands at once. For example, hold 2 knives in your right hand and left hand. Hit, scrape, and smash them together.
- Add a kick or impact sound to beef up a sword hit effect. It will add punch and make the sound feel a lot fuller and closer to the listener.
- Add a whoosh to a scrape or sword sheathing to intensify and fill out the sound.
- For those who want nothing but the real deal, you can consider purchasing a real sword online. They are relatively inexpensive and of great quality at Sword-Buyers-Guide.com. They sometimes have sales and you can get an entry-level sword for under 100USD. Sometimes for as little as 50USD.
- BE CAREFUL and use cut resistant gloves! These are knives after all. Here’s a link to an amazing and inexpensive pair on Amazon.
Post-Production Edits
Reverb
Add some reverb to your sound. Keep the decay of the reverb really short so that it stops along with your sword sound. This will add air and depth to your effect.
EQ
Boost the highs with an EQ shelf anywhere between 5khz and 10khz. Cut the lows to clean your mix and remove any unnecessary sounds.
Layering
Layer your sword sound with kicks, impacts, punches, other hitting sounds to create some nice sword hit sounds. This is a great way to make it sound like the sword is hitting another person, box, or object.
Layer different metal sounds together to fill out the body of the sword sound effect. If you are creating a hit sound, then lower 1 or 2 audio sources down by 12 semitones or more. At the very least, have a deep bass layer, a body layer, and a top shing layer for your sound.
Conclusion
There are no fast and hard rules for creating sword sound effects, but it can be done using everyday items you can find in your home. Be creative and have fun. And for those who do want to be hardcore about it, you can find some real swords HERE.
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What other ways do you make sword sound effects?
Comment below!
