THE BIG BANG BANG:

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RECORDING GUNSHOT SOUND EFFECTS

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Sound Design Department in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Fine arts in Sound Design

at

Savannah College of Art and Design

Lucy Exley Sheils

Savannah, Georgia

© March 2014

Professor Stephen LeGrand

Professor Robin Beauchamp

Professor Peter Damski

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures 1

Thesis Abstract 2

Preface 3

Introduction 6

Chapter 1: The Acoustic Components of Gunshots 7

1.1. The “Bang” of the Muzzle Blast 8

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1.3. Mechanical Action Sounds 11

1.4. Surface Vibrations and Reflections 12

Chapter 2: Acoustic Variables in Weapons and Ammunition 13

2.1. Firearm Classification 13

2.2. Weapon Material 14

2.3. Barrel Length 14

2.4. Ammunition 15

2.5. Acoustic and Flash Suppressors 17

Chapter 3: Organizing the Session 18

3.1. Assessing Project Goal 18

3.2. Armorers 19

3.3. Budget 20

3.4. Location 21

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3.6. Time Management 23

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3.7. Slating 24

Chapter 4: Recording Techniques 26

4.1. Recorders 26

4.2. Microphone Selection and Placement 26

4.3. Gain Settings 31

4.4. Pads and Limiters 33

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Chapter 5: Session Results and Closing Remarks 36

5.1. First Recording Session 35

5.2. Second Recording Session 36

5.3. Third Recording Session 38

5.4. Closing Remarks 39

Works Cited 40

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Beretta shotgun 3

Figure 2 Characteristic N-shape of a ballistic shockwave 8

Figure 3 The relationship of bullet speed to shockwave trajectory 9

Figure 4: Typical shockwave and muzzle blast signature 10

Figure 5: The relationship of a firearm’s caliber to its muzzle blast frequency 16

Figure 6: Example of recording session spreadsheet 24

Figure 7: Pro Tools session showing PZM distortion 29

Figure 8: Shooter position 30

Figure 9: Microphone position 30

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THE BIG BANG BANG: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RECORDING GUNSHOT SOUND EFFECTS

LUCY EXLEY SHEILS

MARCH 2014

THESIS ABSTRACT The following paper serves as a practical guide to recording gunshot sound effects. The “art” of

recording gunshots hinges on the creative choices recordists make to capture the way firearms

excite their acoustic environments. A typical gunshot sound consists of four discrete and

audible components: the blast of the muzzle, the crack of the bullet’s supersonic projectile, the

weapon’s mechanical action sounds, and the surface vibrations and reflections from the

surrounding environment. In order to create gunshot effects that convey the full blast, crack,

mechanics, and decay of a gunshot, professionals record each firearm from a variety of

perspectives, using an array of microphones. Understanding gunshot acoustics informs

recordists’ decisions in regards to microphone choice and placement. In addition, by researching

how different guns feel, sound, and fire, recordists plan their sessions with greater efficiency.

An appreciation of the visceral experience of shooting firearms helps recordists tailor their

choices of weapon, ammunition, and location to satisfy their aesthetic goals.

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PREFACE

In his “Gun Recording Guide,” sound designer and firearm recordist, Chuck Russom,

encourages people to gain exposure to live firearms before heading into the field to record:

“Experience the guns – Firing and being around a lot of different guns while they were being

fired has influenced my gun sound design more than anything else. To learn first hand how guns

work and to hear/feel them in person is both educational and inspiring.” (Russom, 1)

Each Thanksgiving, my family heads down to the dock for the annual “Sheils Family Shootout.”

After placing the shotguns on large table for all to admire, we take turns shooting skeet off the

dock. The 22-gauge Berretta with silver engraved pheasants adorning the receivers sounds the

way it looks (fig. 1). The shotgun’s blasts are warm and smooth like its polished walnut finish.

Shooting a gun is visceral experience. As is the case with a musical instrument, the shape and

size of the firearm, the material from which it is constructed, and the ammunition it fires

determines the way a gun performs, sounds, and feels.

Figure 1. Author shown shooting a Berretta shotgun

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I chose gunshot recording as the subject for my thesis because I wanted to explore and

promote the best practices regarding the recording of firearms. Typically, recordists strive to

capture effects that sound organic and authentic when matched to an image on the screen. In

post-production, when sound designers construct effects for fantasy-based scenes, they often

draw from the natural world. For instance, the intergalactic spaceship engine roars beneath

layers of dog howls and lion growls. The way human beings experience sound in real life

informs the sound design process. However, in the case of recording and designing firearms, the

opposite is true. The entertainment industry shapes people’s expectations of how firearms

should sound. People hear more gunshot effects in entertainment and news media than they hear

actual gunfire. Even gun-enthusiasts, who shoot often, usually wear ear protection and generally

experience the shot from a narrow perspective: from behind the line of fire. Film, television and,

to a lesser extent, video games, inflate the blast of gunshots for dramatic emphasis, sweetening

them with other booming textures and DSP plug-ins. (Minto, Telephone Interview) As a result,

audiences expect to hear a big, reverberant bang regardless of perspective, type of weapon, or

environment.

I asked production audio professionals to describe their aesthetic goals when recording in

the field, in the studio, or on set. In general, they strive to deliver “clean” and “authentic”

recordings, which encompass the “full dynamic range” of the material, regardless of the subject.

Firearms recordists likewise endeavor to capture clean and dynamic material, but to what extent

should they strive for accuracy and authenticity if, in the end, people expect to hear a big,

billowing bang?

Environment, perspective, and ammunition profoundly determine how a particular

firearm will sound. Gunshots excite their environments, revealing more information about the

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space than they do about the actual weapon (Maher, Telephone Interview). The authenticity of a

specific weapon’s gunshot cannot be characterized by a single gunshot recording, however,

recordists can strive to capture material that conveys their authentic experiences of hearing that

weapon fire.

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INTRODUCTION

The following paper serves as a practical guide to recording gunshot sound

effects. Although field recordings cannot reproduce the “authentic” acoustic fingerprint of a

specific gun, the final mix of each gunshot should capture the visceral experience of hearing the

gun fired in real life. Experiencing firearms first-hand prepares sound designers to make

informed decisions in the postproduction process.

Citing research conducted by ballistic analysts, the first two chapters focus on the

acoustics of firearms. Chapter one discusses the components of a gunshot, while chapter two

explains how variables in a weapon’s design and ammunition impact the sound of its gunshot.

Referencing the advice and expertise of leading firearms recordists, chapters three and four

discuss recording session logistics and recording techniques respectively. Chapter five outlines

the results of three separate gunshot recording sessions and includes a description of the

accompanying audio examples.

The research and fieldwork demonstrate three key points: a variety of carefully placed

microphones routed to separate channels, most effectively captures the various elements of the

gunshot; understanding the acoustical components of a gunshot helps recordists make better

decisions about microphone choice and placement; shooting guns and listening to live gunshots

gives recordists the visceral frame of reference necessary to make artistically relevant decisions

during the recording process.

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CHAPTER 1 – THE ACOUSTIC COMPONENTS OF GUNSHOTS

A gunshot consists of multiple and discrete acoustic events: the blast of the muzzle, the

crack of the bullet’s trailing shockwave, the mechanical actions of the weapon, and the acoustic

vibrations exciting the surrounding environment. Squeezing the trigger of a modern firearm

releases a firing pin, which strikes the impact-sensitive primer located on the ammunition’s

casing. The heat from impact causes a chemical reaction, which ignites the gunpowder. As the

pressure inside the cartridge casing increases, the resultant force propels the bullet forward from

the chamber of the weapon. The sound of a gunshot begins with the first mechanical actions of

the firearm and lasts for as long as the acoustic vibrations continue to disrupt the surrounding

environment after the projectile leaves the barrel. Ballistics audio analyst, Professor Robert

Maher, breaks the gunshot into four discrete acoustical events: the muzzle blast, the supersonic

projectile shockwave, the mechanical actions, and the vibrations absorbed by or reflected off of

the surrounding surfaces. (“Acoustical Characterization of Gunshots” 109)

1.1 The “Bang” of the Muzzle Blast

When the pressurized gases escape from the barrel of the gun, they create an acoustical

disturbance known as the muzzle blast. The initial transient of the blast lasts only a few

milliseconds and reaches sound pressure levels of 140 decibels and higher. The muzzle blast is

highly directional; the majority of its acoustic energy travels in the same direction that the barrel

is pointing, decreasing as the off-axis angle increases, and continues to excite the surrounding

environment seconds after the initial transient. In recordings where microphones are placed in

close proximity to the firearm, the muzzle blast will be the primary source of acoustical

information. Placed at further distances, microphones will pick up reflections, propagation

effects, and reverberations from the environment. (“Acoustical” 109).

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1.2 The “Crack” of the Supersonic Projectile Shockwave

In addition to the muzzle blast, the typical gunshot also contains a loud crack. At

supersonic speeds, bullets leave a trailing shockwave known as the sonic boom or ballistic crack.

Ballistic shockwaves abruptly rise and fall within 200 microseconds, propagate non-linearly, and

produce sound pressure levels of 160 decibels and higher. The rapid rise and fall of the

shockwave gives the ballistic crack its signature N-shape (fig. 2). A recording’s report of the

ballistic shock wave depends on a microphone’s placement and its frequency response, as well as

the recorder’s sampling rate. (Modeling, 260) As shockwaves propagate, they expand. Placing

microphones far enough away from the shooter (over three hundred feet downrange or more)

decreases the shockwave report. Microphones placed behind the shockwave’s angle of

propagation will not receive the direct shockwave at all.

Figure 2: Characteristic N-shape of a ballistic shock-wave (“Modeling” 258)

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Shockwaves propagate differently than the acoustical energy from a muzzle blast. While

the muzzle blast’s highly directional acoustical energy always travels in the same direction as the

bullet’s trajectory, the shockwave’s angle of propagation depends on the speed of the bullet. The

fastest supersonic bullets generate shockwaves that propagate nearly perpendicular to the

direction of bullet. Slower supersonic bullets, traveling just over the speed of sound, generate

shockwaves that propagate nearly parallel to the direction of bullet. Consequently, firearms

shooting slower supersonic ammunition produce muzzle blasts and shockwaves that travel along

the same trajectory. Figure 3 illustrates the relationship of bullet speed to shock wave trajectory.

In this example, the shockwave propagates nearly perpendicular to the bullet trajectory, which

reveals that the bullet is traveling significantly faster than the speed of sound. In this scenario,

microphones placed to the right or left of the firearm, as shown below, will receive more of the

gunshot’s “crack” than microphones placed directly in front of the barrel.

Figure 3: The relationship of bullet speed to shockwave trajectory

(“Modeling and Signal Processing” 258)

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While both acoustic events are loud and abrupt, muzzle blasts and ballistic shockwaves

have unique acoustic signatures. Brian Mays, a member of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory,

analyzed the differences between their two acoustic signatures in his paper, “Shockwave and

Muzzle Blast Classification via Joint Time Frequency and Wavelet Analysis.” His research

indicates that a muzzle blast contains frequencies below 500Hz and typically lasts between 3 and

5 milliseconds, while a shockwave’s energy content resides above 1000 Hz and occurs within a

fraction of a millisecond. (6) Figure 4 shows a typical shockwave and muzzle blast signature.

Figure 4: Typical shockwave and muzzle blast signature (Mays, 2)

The top graph plots the amplitude of a shockwave and muzzle blast over time in

milliseconds; the N-shape of the shockwave’s signal followed by the swell of the muzzle blast’s

signal reveals the two discrete events. The spectrogram maps the power of the two signals using

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Short-Time Fourier Transform technique (STFT). In signal processing, STFT analyzes a signal’s

frequency content over time. In the STFT spectrogram, different colors plot the intensity of a

muzzle blast and shockwave over milliseconds and Hertz. Red, orange, and yellow characterize

respectively high to medium concentrations of the two signals’ power while blues and greens

characterize lower concentrations of the two signals’ power. The spectrogram shows that muzzle

blasts have longer durations and contain lower concentrations of high frequency content than

shockwaves. If recordists examine the different characteristics of these two sounds, they will

better appreciate how to use microphones in gunshot recording to achieve a certain aesthetic

goal.

1.3 Mechanical Action Sounds

A gun is a machine; its moving parts generate the energy necessary to perform its

intended function. Different types of guns use different mechanics to fire and reload bullets.

Mechanical action sounds include trigger and hammer motion, the ejection of spent cartridges,

and the positioning of new ammunition by the gun’s automatic or manual loading system. While

the mechanical action sounds lack the sonic excitement of the muzzle blast or supersonic crack,

they provide important information about the make and model of the gun. In shooter-themed

video games, mechanical actions play an integral role in creating an immersive and authentic

experience. Placing microphones close to the gun will capture the mechanical actions of a

gunshot, but recordists should reserve a day for capturing related effects, especially if they are

recording mechanical actions for a video game or military-themed cinema. These might include

dry firing or general handling of the firearm. (Minto, Telephone Interview)

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1.4 Surface Vibrations and Reflections

If a person fired different guns in the same environment and from the same position, a

critical listener would begin to discriminate, to some extent, between the styles of weapon and

the types ammunition being fired. A heavy .308-caliber bolt-action sniper rifle will excite the

surrounding environment differently than a lightweight .22-caliber rifle. Each gun is an acoustic

instrument; its sounding board is the surrounding environment. Imagine a violin without its

cavernous wooden body. Plucking the string of the dismantled violin would produce a lifeless

plunk. Similarly, pulling the trigger of a gun in an anechoic chamber would result in an equally

underwhelming thud. (Maher, Telephone Interview) While the make and model of the firearm, as

well as its ammunition, determine the acoustic potential of a gunshot, ultimately, the

environment defines its sound. The same gun will sound entirely different from one location to

the next.

In his paper, “Acoustical Characterization of Gunshots,” ballistics analyst, Robert Maher,

writes: “The sound of gunshots, ordnance explosions, and similar impulsive sounds can cause

detectable vibratory signals propagating through the ground many tens of meters from the

source.” (109) Firearms produce loud impulse waves, some of which are absorbed, while others

reflect and diffract off of surrounding surfaces. Some of the acoustic vibration travels through

the ground or other solid surfaces, literally defining the surrounding environment. The signal’s

diffractions, its overlapping reflections, and its eventual decay determine the timbre and

envelope of a gunshot.

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CHAPTER 2 - ACOUSTIC VARIABLES IN WEAPONS & AMMUNITION

2.1 Firearm Classification

The United States Department of Justice classifies all firearms into three broad

categories: fully automatic, semi-automatic, and “other” based on how the weapon fires and

reloads bullets. Automatic weapons fire a rapid succession of bullets from attached magazines

or drums and will continue the steady stream of fire until the shooter releases the trigger. Semi-

automatic weapons also fire ammunition from attached magazines and can fire dozens of bullets

before the shooter needs to reload, but require retriggering after each shot. Some fully automatic

weapons use an external source of power to reload ammunition, but this research focuses on

manually loaded rifles and shotguns, revolvers, and gas-powered semi-automatic weapons.

The mechanics of a firearm’s reloading system determine the power and directionality of

the gunshot’s acoustic energy. Automatic systems distribute the pressurized gasses differently

than manual loading systems. Semi-automatic weapons use some of the energy from the

ammunition’s charge to eject shells from and reload new cartridges into the chamber. Manually

loaded weapons, on the other hand, channel all of the pressurized gas through the barrel of the

gun to propel the bullet. In a personal interview, Chief Warrant and Armory Officer, Steve

Mullet, explained that the higher concentrations of pressurized gas found in manual-loading

systems often results in louder gunshots. Consequently, a repeating revolver, bolt-action rifle, or

any firearm with a manual-loading system, tends to produce more explosive gunshots than a

similar firearm using a semi-automatic or automatic loading system.

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2.2 Weapon Material

Again, if recordists think of a gun as a type of acoustic instrument, they can better

appreciate how each part of the firearm determines its sound. At the 2011 Game Developers

Conference, Charles Maynes discussed weapon material during a panel on gun sound design for

games. “What the weapons are constructed of, whether it’s a solid milled metal, or stamped

metal, or polymers…impacts the sound quality.” Most firearms are made of steel or a mix of

aluminum alloy and steel, although some modern weapons are constructed from a mix of plastics

and carbon fiber.

2.3 Barrel Length

Barrel length impacts the volume of a muzzle blast and the trajectory of a supersonic

bullet’s shockwave. Shooting identical ammunition, an AR-15 with a ten-inch barrel will

produce a louder muzzle blast than an AR-15 with a twenty-inch barrel. (Maynes “Field

Recording”) The pressurized gasses, concentrated in a smaller barrel, escape with greater force

than they do from a longer barrel. However, longer barrels usually increase a bullet’s speed,

which amplifies the ballistic crack and alters the trajectory of its trailing shockwave. Again, very

fast supersonic bullets produce shockwaves that propagate almost perpendicular to the muzzle

blast and bullet’s trajectory. Therefore, microphones placed to the side of the shooter may report

higher SPL levels from the rifle with a twenty-inch barrel because they capture more of the

projectile’s trailing shockwave than the gun’s muzzle blast. Microphones placed behind the

trajectory of the shockwave or significantly downrange of the shooter, will report higher SPL

levels from the rifle with a ten-inch barrel because they receive more of the muzzle blast and less

of the ballistic crack.

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Firearms with shorter barrels produce bigger muzzle blasts and, therefore, result in

gunshots with greater concentrations of low frequency content. Recordists can better capture the

low frequencies of a muzzle blast with larger-diaphragm microphones. In his book, The Sound

Effects Bible, Ric Viers recommends placing a condenser microphone with a larger diaphragm

ten feet in front of the firearm to capture the “bravado” of the gunshot. Generally speaking,

larger diaphragms have more mass and as a result, lower resonant frequencies. (Davis 212)

2.4 Ammunition

Variables in ammunition profoundly determine how a gunshot sounds. However, due to

some confusing naming conventions in ammunition classification, the terms “caliber” and

“gauge” warrant a brief explanation. Both caliber and gauge refer to the internal diameter of a

gun’s barrel. The internal barrel of a gun is also referred to as a firearm’s “bore.” Generally, the

term gauge is used in reference to shotguns. While gauge is a complex unit of measurement that

expresses the bore diameter, caliber directly approximates bore diameter and is expressed in

either millimeters or inches. Regardless, both terms relate to the intended size of a firearm’s

projectile. For example, a .22-caliber Ruger rifle shoots bullets whose cartridges are

approximately .22 inches in diameter.

Acoustically speaking, the two main variables to consider in ammunition include the

cartridge’s mass and the size of its propellant charge. Larger caliber guns shoot bigger bullets.

In theory, bigger bullets make a bigger sound. In reality, a bullet’s speed positively correlates

with a shockwave’s magnitude while a bullet’s mass, rather than its size, impacts the frequency

content of a muzzle blast. Larger caliber guns produce muzzle blasts with lower peak

frequencies (see fig 2). Usually, bullet size positively correlates with bullet mass, but not

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always. A bullet’s size only affects, in microseconds, the duration of the projectile’s shockwave.

(“Acoustical” 6)

Figure 5: The relationship of a firearm’s caliber to it muzzle blast frequency (Nakasone 3)

As mentioned before, as the mass of the bullet increases, the level of acoustical

disturbance also increases. Bullets with more mass require a higher charge to increase the force

of propulsion. The amount of pressurized gas relates to the acoustics of the muzzle blast; an

increase of pressurized gas generally produces a louder gunshot. Bullets with a sufficiently

reduced charge will travel slower than the speed of sound. A subsonic bullet significantly

changes the acoustics of a gunshot by eliminating the “crack” of the projectile’s trailing shock

wave. Subsonic ammunition reduces the sound pressure level of a gunshot signature by as much

fifteen decibels. (Mullet) To isolate the “bang” of the muzzle blast from the “crack” of the

supersonic projectile, recordists should ask their armorers to order subsonic ammunition.

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2.5 Acoustic and Flash Suppressors

Modifications to firearms, such as acoustic and flash suppressors, alter the sound of a

gunshot. Flash suppressors reduce the visible signature of a gunshot, diffusing and cooling the

pressurized gasses as they leave the barrel. Flash suppressors diminish the directionality and

force of acoustical energy as it leaves the barrel, but they do not noticeably muffle the muzzle

blast.

The average acoustic suppressor, on the other hand, lowers the sound signature of a

gunshot by as much as thirty to forty decibels. The pressurized gas from a gunshot decelerates

and cools as it travels through a series of hollow chambers inside the suppressor and, as a result,

attenuates the sound pressure level of the muzzle blast. (Mullet) However, acoustically

suppressed weapons, shooting supersonic bullets still produce very loud gunshots. Some

acoustic suppressors may alter the bullet’s velocity, but they do not eliminate the projectile’s

supersonic crack. Acoustically suppressed supersonic gunshots often obscure the location of the

shooter because the sonic crack sonically masks the highly directional muzzle blast. As

discussed in the first chapter, fast supersonic bullets produce shockwaves that propagate almost

perpendicular to the muzzle blast. As a result, the origin of the suppressed, supersonic gunshot

often sounds forty-five degrees off axis from the shooter’s actual position.

An acoustically suppressed firearm shooting subsonic bullets significantly lowers the

sound pressure level of a gunshot. In fact, the mechanical actions and impact sounds become the

primary source of acoustical information from a suppressed weapon shooting subsonic bullets.

Recordists who want to capture bullet fly-bys and impacts can experiment with suppressors and

subsonic ammunition.

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CHAPTER 3 - ORGANIZING THE SESSION

3.1 Assessing Project Goal

Organizing a firearms recording session begins with an assessment of the project goal.

For example, recording firearms for a sample library requires a different approach than recording

firearms for a specific military-themed movie, television show, or video game. For sound effects

libraries, recordists might target a specific category of guns, such as semi-automatic assault

rifles, and record each weapon in the same environment to achieve continuity. SFX or special

effects sound libraries consist of designed or enhanced sound effects. Sound effects editors often

layer gunshots or similar munitions effects into their SFX designs as sweeteners. Consequently,

recordists might take a more experimental approach to recording guns for SFX libraries. (Viers,

Telephone Interview) When asked if he had specific “firearms recording technique for film,”

Charles Maynes explained that he tailored his approach to meet the specific demands of each

project. (Telephone Interview) However, when working on an epic war movie, recordists will

most likely target historically accurate weapons and record their gunshots in the types of

environments that approximate those seen on screen. (Wu, Telephone Interview)

Ben Minto, the audio director of Electronic Art’s DICE studio, explained how certain

aesthetic considerations unique to video game design require a slightly different approach to

recording firearms. In a telephone interview, Minto talked about recording a cohesive family of

gunshots for video games that feature one hundred different firearms each. “It’s important [for

sound designers] to get some consistency between [the different weapons] so that they all feel as

though are in the same world or universe.” Minto achieves that cohesion by changing

microphones and perspective to record over one hundred different variations of a single gun

being fired in the same environment.

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If they understand the acoustic components of a gunshot and have an experiential frame

of reference, recordists can select the types of guns and ammunition that will most likely produce

the sound they are trying to capture for a specific project.

3.2 Armorers

In film, television, and video game production, the term “armorer” refers to a weapons

handler or weapons specialist. Armorers work with the prop master, director, actors, and script

supervisor. They are responsible for handling and maintaining control of the weapon while on

set. (Hart 7) Even the most experienced firearms recordists enlist the help of armorers,

gunsmiths, or military arms specialists when they organize a recording session. Recordists save

money and time by hiring an armorer. In his article, “Gun Recording Thoughts for 2010,”

Charles Maynes writes, “As a recordist of guns and military stuff, I have found that cultivating

relationships with my armorers is a key thing to the success of a shoot. When I get hired to do a

gunshoot, in most cases it is well in advance of the recording day, and if (in my opinion) I am

allowed to advise on the weapons and range choices it can lead to both an efficient and relatively

more economical expedition.” (1) In addition to shooting the guns, armorers often provide access

to many of the firearms, verify that each gun has the correct ammunition, and discuss safety

protocol with the entire crew.

Armorers load and fire the guns both quickly and safely. Their practiced manner of

handling a gun best represents the natural rhythm of each gun’s handling mechanisms. If

possible, recordists should spend time shooting the weapons prior to the session, but while

recording they should leave the shooting to the professionals. Armorers are essentially the

performing artists on a gun-shoot. Prior to the shoot, armorers should know which weapons they

will shoot, the order in which they will shoot them, and the planned number of shots per gun.

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Recordists will save a time and money if they discuss these details with the armorer beforehand.

Explain to the armorer and to the entire crew, that everybody must remain motionless and silent

for at least six seconds after the gun is fired.

Lastly, recordists should avail themselves of their armorers’ expertise by asking questions

about all aspects of firing a gun. Invariably, the answers will reveal something about the

acoustical properties of both the firearm and the environment in which it is fired.

3.3 Budget

Producers of video games, television shows, and movies, spend as much as tens of

thousands of dollars to professionally record firearms. (Wu, Telephone Interview) When

planning a firearms recording session, recordists should ask the following questions before

estimating the budget. How much will it cost to procure the necessary weapons? How much

ammunition is required for each weapon? How much will it cost to rent the location? How far

will the crew have to travel to get to the location? How many crewmembers, including armorers,

are required and what are their fees? Will the session require additional recording equipment?

What is the estimated cost of equipment rental? (“Gun Recording” 3)

Recordists can consult with individuals in the military, local gun enthusiasts, firearms

proprietors, and armorers. With their expertise, gun-savvy individuals typically help recordists

find ways to cut costs. For instance, both my contact in the military and my hired armorers

offered their collection of guns, suggested a cheap location to record, and priced out the best

deals on ammunition. More importantly, they helped me make informed decisions regarding

which weapons and ammunition would demonstrate the acoustical differences I was attempting

to record.

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3.4 Location

The location selected for the recording of firearms must be a safe and legal place to shoot

guns. Armorers can help determine the safety of a location, but only if they know the types of

weapons that will be fired. For instance, a location that is suitable for shotguns and handguns

might lack the range of distance necessary to safely shoot sniper and assault rifles. Furthermore,

recordists should establish the exact position from which the armorer will stand and shoot the

guns, confirming that he or she can fire each gun safely from that position. By discussing where

the armorer will stand beforehand, recordists avoid having to reposition all of the microphones if

they switch from a shotgun to a rifle.

The old real-estate adage, “location is everything,” applies to recording too. When

someone shoots a gun, the surrounding environment becomes the sounding board for that

weapon. Big budget producers often send recording crews to the desert to record gunshots and

explosions. Certainly, a vacant desert offers the most neutral and quiet environment for shooting

guns. However, according to Charles Maynes, the desert yields a very predictable sound. In a

telephone interview, Maynes confessed that he would be happy to “never shoot in the desert

again.” As discussed in the opening chapter, a gunshot reflects and diffracts off of the

surrounding surfaces and those overlapping reflections determine the timbre and envelope of a

gunshot. A flat stretch of desert will not have a complex canvas of reflective surfaces.

3.5 Choosing Firearms and Ammunition

Large caliber handguns and rifles with manual-loading systems like .308 bolt-action long

rifles as well as large caliber handguns like .357 magnum revolvers, produce loud and deep

gunshots. Antique muskets that burn black powder produce a muzzle blast with a lot of low-end

frequencies; black powder burns more slowly than the accelerants used in modern firearms, and

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as a result, the accumulating pressure creates a warm bang without the sonic crack. Smaller

caliber rifles, on the other hand, like a .22 Ruger long rifle, produce thin and crisp gunshots. If

recordists have access to the same model of gun with different barrel lengths, they can record the

gun with a shorter barrel for a louder gunshot and vice versa.

By using subsonic ammunition, recordists can capture the muzzle blast without the

ballistic crack of the supersonic shockwave. If recordists want to attenuate the muzzle blast and

maintain the sharp transient of the ballistic crack, they can use an acoustic suppressor with

supersonic ammunition. To specifically capture bullet flybys and impacts, recordists can use

subsonic ammunition and acoustic suppressors.

3.6 Time Management

Setting up often takes more time than one would expect; as with production mixing, it is

important to allow sufficient time to set up microphones and test levels before starting the

recording process. “Once you have your spot picked, don’t waste any time. Get set up quickly. It

is going to take you a couple of hours to get everything set up.” (“Gun Recording Guide” 3) To

avoid paying an armorer to sit around and wait, ask him or her to arrive an hour after the crew’s

call-time. Chuck Russom offers a practical timetable in his article, “Gun Recoding Guide.”

…Put mic stands into rough positions

Run mic cables to each stand

Label both ends of each mic cable (with gaffer’s tape, etc).

Put all mics into their wind protection [and] on stands

Power on and test all recorders and mic preamps

Check that all recorders are set to the proper sample/bit rate

Check that all recorders have the proper scene/take names setup

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Check that all recorders flash cards/hard drives are formatted/have available space

Plug all mic cables into mics and into recorders/preamps

In a notebook, take note of every channel of every recorder

Note which mic is on each channel and the position/location of the mic

Fine-tune mic placement (6)

Logistical challenges vary depending on crew size, location, recording gear, and weapon

choice. Recordists must take these variables into consideration when deciding which guns to

shoot first. The weapons used in the session referenced in this study were recorded to ten

separate two-track recorders. With multiple Sound Device 722’s splayed across a field, some as

far as two hundred feet away, the recording crew was not be able to effectively or safely monitor

and playback twenty tracks of audio. By adjusting levels for the loudest firearm, it was ensured

that subsequent shots would remain at safe levels.

Instead of pre-labeling the scenes, channels, or tracks in the metadata for each recorder,

the channels for each recording device were labeled with tape and printed out on blank

spreadsheets that were filled in and amended as needed (see figure 3). Consideration was given

to the possibility that the order of shots might change or that a microphone might be switched

out. Since ten separate two-track recorders were used, renaming the scene or channel on each

recorder would be inefficient.

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Recorder Label

Recorder Model Channel Microphone Distance

Angle to Muzzle

R01 722 Left SM58 15' 45° Right SM58 15' 225° R02 722 Left SM57 15' 45° Right SM57 15' 0° R03 Fostex Left Scheopps CMIT 60' 20°

Right Senn416 32' 125° R04 722 Left PZM.L 68' 0° Right PZM.R 68' 0° R05 Zoom Left AT825 XY.L 196' 135° Right AT825 XY.R 196' 45° R06 Tascam Left Sony Lav 283' 0° Right R07 Tascam Left Senn416 320' 13° Right AT8025 280' 270° R08 Zoom Left Hydrophone 320' 245° Right AT8025 320' 100° R09 Zoom Left 416 60' 20° Right R10 722 Left AT825 XY.L 120' 45° Right AT825 XY.R 120' 135°

Figure 3: Example of recording session spreadsheet

3.7 Slating

It is recommended that the recordist verbally slate each gunshot or series of gunshots,

either before or six seconds after the shot (tail slate.) Verbal slates should include all pertinent

details including the make and model of the firearm, type of ammunition, and if applicable, any

suppression modification. When recording bullet impacts, verbal slates should also include the

material of the target. For example, the following slate includes the make, model, caliber, and

barrel length of the firearm; the make and model of the suppressor; the performance and mass of

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the ammunition; and finally, the target material: “Remington 700, 762x51, 20” Barrel, AAC

Cyclone Suppressor, shooting 170 grain subsonic bullets, impact car hood.”

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CHAPTER 4 - RECORDING TECHNIQUES

4.1 Recorders

Audio professionals like Charles Maynes, Chuck Russom, and Rick Viers record each

gunshot to multiple channels using a variety of different microphones. Many of the channels

will clip with the initial transient, but as Rick Viers explains in The Sound Effects Bible, “[Extra]

tracks will provide safety recordings in the event of distortion or undesired results from one of

the microphones. You’ll also get different distances and sound qualities that can be mixed

together in the edit process.” (296)

Although it is tempting to haul every available recorder to a gunshot recording session,

Chuck Russom reminds recordists that the ability to monitor levels becomes increasingly

difficult with each additional channel. (“Gun Recording Guide” 3) In the sessions completed for

this study, gunshots were recorded to Sound Device 722s, Zoom H4Ns, and Zaxcom Maxxs.

While opinions vary among professional practitioners, this author found the Sound Devices to be

of sturdy construction, with menus more easily navigated than the menus on a ZaxMaxx

recorder. On the other hand, ZaxMaxx offers two additional channels and costs about the same

price as a 722. Experimental microphone tracks, like the hydrophone, were recorded onto a

Zoom H4N. The Zooms H4N is conveniently small and cost thousands of dollars less than the

ZaxMaxx or Sound Device 722.

4.2 Microphones Selection and Placement

In a phone interview, recordist and sound designer, Watson Wu, made the analogy of

microphone coloration to flavors of ice cream. As with ice cream, the specific make and model

of the microphone is a matter of personal preference. Generally speaking, recordists need to

bring a wide array of microphones, including short shotgun microphones, cardioid dynamic

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microphones, and at least one condenser microphone with a medium to large size diaphragm. By

experimenting with different types of microphones, like Pressure Zone Microphones, contact

microphones, lavaliere microphones, and even hydrophones, recordists can extend their acoustic

palates.

Microphone choice and placement will vary depending on the location, the type of

firearm, and of course, personal taste. However, most professionals place a mix of dynamic and

condenser microphones at distances ranging from three feet to five hundred feet away from the

shooter. This technique allows recordists to better capture the dynamic range of the gunshot from

a variety of perspectives. In his article, “Gun Recording Thoughts,” Charles Maynes writes, “I

try to get at least 3 food groups of sound when recording weapons, a hyper close ultra-real

sound, a fat thump (which I tend to use the Crown SASS for) and a good ambient / distant

perspective. I also try to really understand the needs of the film or game as to the sort of gun

sound that is desired.”

When microphones are set to either a cardioid or hypercardioid pattern and placed in

front of the shooter, the attack of the shockwave will arrive at the microphone before the attack

of the muzzle blast. A microphone offset to the right or left of the bullet’s trajectory will report

closer arrival times of the two signals. Increasing the distance between the microphone and

shooter in any direction will capture more of the blast’s and the crack’s reflections. (“Acoustical

Characterization” 111)

On channels that target a close perspective, placement of dynamic microphones at

distances ranging from three to thirty feet away from the shooter is suggested. Specific

recommended distances vary with the type of firearm and ammunition. Microphones placed in

front of the shooter capture the ballistic crack and muzzle blast. In general, microphones placed

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behind the shooter report a slightly warmer sound because they are out of the shockwave’s direct

path. A cardioid microphone placed in front of the shooter, but pointed away from the muzzle

(in the same direction as the trajectory of the bullet) also reduces sound pressure levels of the

ballistic crack. Placing a dynamic cardioid microphone to the side of the shooter so that it is

level with and aiming towards the firearm will capture the mechanical sounds of the weapon.

For medium perspectives, place a mix of condenser microphones at distances ranging

between thirty and one hundred feet away from the shooter. Condenser microphones with larger

diaphragms capture the low frequencies of the muzzle blast more effectively. At longer

distances, microphones capture more ground reflections and report a complex muzzle blast with

less high-frequency content. At distances greater than one hundred feet, condenser microphones

with smaller diaphragms target the ambient decay of the gunshot. Russom recommends that

recordists focus on close and medium-range perspectives because those perspectives deliver the

most comprehensive and “detailed” gunshots. (“Gun Recording Guide”)

PZMs are especially sensitive to a gunshot’s surface vibrations and ground reflections.

Unless a recordist is firing guns with subsonic bullets, placing the PZM in front of the shooter

might result in erratic clipping. After reviewing the results of my first recording session, I

noticed irregular distortion in the PZM channel. Although I expected the initial transient to clip

on a few channels, the shape of the waveform looked significantly different from any of the

others. Figure 7 shows the PZM’s distorted signal in the top track and a typical gunshot

recording in the bottom track. It is apparent that the shockwave and muzzle blast reflections

were overloading the microphone. When placed behind the shooter, PZMs capture some of the

low frequency content of the gunshot and produce the some of the warmest sounds.

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Figure 7: Pro Tools session showing PZM Distortion

Lastly, it is important to take note of any large reflective surfaces in the surrounding area;

placing microphones towards the reflective surface captures an interesting mix of reflections and

less of the direct shock wave. For instance, during the first recording session completed for this

study, the armorer stood in front of a large house and aimed the gun in the opposite direction,

towards open marshlands (see figure 8). The recording crew arranged two shotgun microphones

in an XY configuration, placing them about thirty feet behind the shooter, and pointed them

towards the house (see figure 9).

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Figure 8. Shooter Position

Figure 9. Microphone Position

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4.3 Gain Settings

One of the biggest challenges for gunshot recordists is finding the correct gain levels for

each channel. In his “Gun Recording Guide,” Chuck Russom writes:

The biggest mistake I’ve seen in gun recordings is incorrect gain settings.

Anyone who has recorded sound before knows that good practice is to set your

gain/levels so the loudest signal never exceeds 0dbFS (I’m talking about digital

recording). Often, recordists will set their peaks lower, to give them some

headroom (ex: -10dbFS). This is so that you do not have clipping/distortion in

your recordings.

This approach does not work when you are recording subjects that are as loud

as guns. The maximum level of a gunshot occurs during only a small fraction of

the overall time of the shot. If you focus on keeping the loudest part of a gunshot

under 0dbFS, then you will end up with recordings that sound like popcorn

popping. Instead, you need to realize the initial transient of the gunshot is going to

clip, and that is ok. You want to set your gain to get the best level you can for the

sound that comes after the initial transient. I was once told that the first few

hundred milliseconds are the least interesting part of a gunshot, it is what comes

after that is the cool part. (3)

To find the correct gain levels, recordists can play back the first few gunshots and decide

whether the clipping is causing unwanted distortion. Recordists cannot accurately monitor

gunshot levels in real-time. Live gunfire will overwhelm the signal coming through headphone

monitors and fatigue the listener’s ears. (“Gun Recording Thoughts”) Additionally, all members

of the crew should be wearing ear protection. Ask the armorer to fire a few test rounds, turn up

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the headphone gain, and listen to the results on each channel. Determine the acceptable level of

clipping on a channel-by-channel basis. For instance, allow more clipping on mid-range

condenser microphones, which target the tails of the gunshots. If the meters don’t peak, you will

walk away from the session with anemic gunshots. Target each channel’s perspective and then

set their gain levels accordingly. With proper gain settings, the close range dynamic

microphones cleanly capture the initial transient, the medium range microphones provide the

robust bang, and the distant microphones catch the tail’s ambient decay.

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4.4 Pads and Limiters

The limiters on most recorders have approximately five-millisecond attack times. Even

limiters with one-millisecond attack times fail to catch the twenty-microsecond rise of a ballistic

shock wave’s initial transient. When recording gunshots, recordists should maintain the same

gain settings regardless of whether or not they engage the limiter. Limiters will not eliminate

clipping on the majority of channels. However, many professionals like the way a gunshot

sounds when it hits the limiter, particularly the limiter on a Sound Device recorder. Watson Wu

compares this type of “controlled” distortion to another “flavor” of sound. Engaging the limiter

is an aesthetic choice, independent from any decision regarding a channel’s gain settings. In his

article, “Weapons Sound Effects Recording and Design for the Next Generation,” Charles

Maynes comments on the aesthetics of limiter distortion, writing, “whether the distortion is artful

is of course a subjective issue.”

A microphone pad attenuates an audio signal before the signal reaches the preamplifier.

In, Audio and Media, a definitive text for audio professionals, Stanley Alten writes, “[A pad] is

used when the trim, by itself, cannot prevent overload in the mic signal. The pad should not be

used otherwise because it reduces signal to noise ratio.” (100) When adjusting gain levels for

gunshots, recordists should reposition microphones before they adjust the trim. If the signal

continues to distort, either switch to a different microphone or, as a last result, use a pad. If you

have to record in tight space, pads allow you to bring your microphones a little closer, although

they don’t prevent distortion in the microphone itself. Lastly, bring inline pads if you record

versed fire from automatic weapons; the accumulating sound pressure levels from versed fire can

overload the preamplifier.

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4.5 Recording Ammunition Impacts and Flybys

The third recording session referenced for this study, which focused on subsonic

ammunition and suppressors, presented the perfect opportunity to record bullet impacts and

flybys. Any microphone placed close enough to the target will catch the sound of an impact

(although placing a high-quality microphone in the direct line of fire is not recommended), but

isolating a flyby or an impact from the gunshot requires subsonic ammunition, acoustic

suppressors, and a skilled marksman. For the third session, gunsmith and marksman, Chief

Warrant Officer Steve Mullet was hired to fire the weapons. The recording included bullets

hitting water, a car hood, dirt, brick, plywood, and a sheet of aluminum alloy. Even with

suppression and subsonic ammunition, some of the downrange microphones still captured the

weapon’s mechanical action sounds. The lavaliere microphone provided the most isolation. By

experimenting with contact microphones, recordists can capture some very interesting impact

effects, but this author recommends using the lavaliere for a literal representation of the sound.

To isolate impacts without suppressors or subsonic ammunition, recordists can try placing a

hypercardioid lavaliere microphone close to the point of impact, and using a small caliber long-

rifle, stand as far away from the target as possible.

Most impact sounds are loud enough to mask moderate levels of undesirable ambient

noise. A slight breeze, however, will compete with the whoosh of a flyby. Officer Steve Mullet,

who actually knows what bullet flybys sound like from behind the line of fire, described the

whoosh of an enormous .50 caliber bullet. “It sounded liked somebody swung a big shovel right

past my shoulder.” Based on Mullet’s .50 caliber shovel-comparison, it can be hypothesized that

bigger bullets produce better swooshes. Unfortunately, playback of the tracks of the .308 caliber

long rifle indicated that the mid-range recorders had run out of memory by the time recording of

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the subsonic, suppressed gunshots was done. In addition to user-error, gusty weather thwarted

efforts to capture the elusive swoosh so it was instead necessary to ask Watson Wu about his

technique. Wu also uses subsonic ammunition and acoustic suppressors to record flybys, but

prefers large-caliber handguns to large-caliber rifles. He explained that a handgun’s shorter

barrel reduces bullet speed, which in turn lowers the pitch and fattens the flyby’s swoosh. Wu’s

answer perfectly demonstrates how recordists tailor weapon choice to meet the specific goal a

session.

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CHAPTER 5 – SESSION RESULTS AND CLOSING REMARKS

Over the course of three firearms recording sessions, over two hundred gunshots were

recorded, using a minimum of twelve channels for each shot. Various recording techniques were

explored and fifteen different models of microphones were utilized. In addition to the standard

mix of condenser and dynamic microphones outlined in the chapter four, I experimented with

lavalieres, contact microphones, a Crown Sass-P MK II PZM, and a hydrophone.

The following audio examples demonstrate at least one of the following three principles:

(1) Each microphone captures a gunshot in a unique way; (2) A microphone’s position in relation

to the shooter establishes perspective; (3) A weapon’s design and ammunition impact the sound

of its gunshot. The last category of examples will provide a frame of reference for recordists

who lack experience around firearms. Understanding the acoustic components of a gunshot

allows recordists to plan their sessions with greater efficiency. By tailoring weapon and

ammunition choice to meet the demands of a specific project, recordists can begin to sculpt the

gunshot before they even unpack their equipment.

5.1 First Recording Session

The first recording session focused on microphone placement and gain settings for a

variety of different firearms, including handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Sixteen students from

Savannah College of Art and Design’s undergraduate recording class were on the recording

crew; the added manpower enabled the recording of over twenty discrete tracks of audio with

microphones placed at distances ranging from five feet to three hundred feet away from the

shooter.

Weapon Design and Ammunition

Track 1: Rock River Arms AR- 15 Semi-Automatic, .22 caliber, 20” Barrel

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Track 2: Winchester Model 42 Pump Shotgun: .410 Bore, 26” Barrel

Track 3: Mossberg Model 835 Pump Shotgun: 12 Gauge, 20” Barrel

Track 4: Remington Bolt Action Long Rifle: .22 Caliber, 22” Barrel

Track 5: Beretta Silver Mallard Shotgun: 20 Gauge, 26” Barrel”

Track 6: Sig Sauer P 226 Semi-Auto Pistol: 9mm caliber, 4.4” Barrel, Rapid Fire

Microphone Layers of Mossberg Model 835 Pump Shotgun: 12 Gauge, 20” Barrel

Track 7: PZM Crown Sass-P MKII, 40 feet in front of shooter, facing muzzle

Track 8: XY Stereo Pair: Two Audio Technica Short Shotgun microphones, thirty feet

behind shooter, pointed away from muzzle

5.2 Second Recording Session

The second session focused on handgun calibers and variations in ammunition. Both

semi-automatic pistols and revolvers were recorded for comparison. The use of a Smith and

Wesson Model 19 revolver, which fires both .38 caliber and .357 magnum rounds, isolated the

extent to which caliber impacted the sound of the gunshot. In addition, a .40 caliber Glock, fired

two variations of ammunition: lightweight 165-grain hollow point bullets and heavier 185-grain

full metal jacket bullets.

Caliber Comparison

Track 9: Smith and Wesson Model 19 Revolver: 3” barrel, .38 Special rounds

Track 10: Smith and Wesson Model 19 Revolver: 3” barrel, .357 Magnum rounds

Bullet Mass (in grains) comparison

Track 11: Glock Model 22 Semi-Automatic Pistol: 4” barrel .40 Caliber, 185 Grains, Full

Metal Jacket

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Track 12: Glock Model 22 Semi-Automatic Pistol: 4” barrel .40 Caliber, 165 Grains,

Hollow Point

5.3 Third Recording Session

In this session, a combination of bolt-action long rifles and semi-automatic assault rifles were

recorded. I used acoustic suppressors and subsonic ammunition to record the shock wave and

muzzle blast separately and to isolate impact sounds from the gunshots.

Track 13: Colt AR -15 5.56mm x 45mm Full Mix

Track 14: Colt AR-15 5.56mm x 45mm Dynamic Mix

Track 15: Colt AR-15 5.56mm x 45mm Condenser Mix

Track 16: Colt AR-15 556mm x 45mm Suppression Full Mix

Track 17: Colt AR-15 556mm x 45mm Suppression Dynamic Mix

Track 18: Colt AR-15 556mm x 45mm Suppression Condenser Mix

Track 19: Remington 700 762 x 51mm Full Mix

Track 20: Remington 700 762 x 51mm Dynamic Mix

Track 21: Remington 700 762 x 51mm Condenser Mix

Track 22: Remington 700 762 x 51mm Subsonic Full Mix

Track 23: Remington 700 762 x 51mm Subsonic Dynamic Mix

Track 24: Remington 700 762x51mm Subsonic Condenser Mix

Track 25: Ruger Long Rifle .22 Caliber Subsonic Suppression Full Mix

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5.4 Closing Remarks

Originally, I chose firearms recording as the subject for my thesis because I wanted to

record the “authentic” sounds of rare and collectible guns. However, after interviewing

professional recordings ballistic acoustic analysts, talking to armorers and military firearms

specialists, and researching the acoustical characteristics of gunshots, I reevaluated the

importance, feasibility, and practicality of trying to record a firearm’s “authentic” acoustical

fingerprint. Environment, perspective, and ammunition choices profoundly impact how a

firearm will sound. Furthermore, variables in the recording process, such as microphone choice

and placement, flavor the end result. Most importantly, even if recordists could capture a

singularly “authentic” gunshot, the average audience might not appreciate the subtle differences.

Most people expect all guns to sound big and dramatic, regardless of perspective and as a result,

sound designers often choose gunshots that satisfy those expectations.

I revised my original goal, and focused on targeting the variables, from ammunition type

to microphone choice, with the greatest acoustic impact. The degree to which a recordist should

focus on authenticity will vary from project to project, but in order to make informed decisions,

recordists must understand how different variables impact gunshots sounds. Ultimately, each

gunshot should attempt to convey the visceral experience of how it felt to shoot that gun.

Recordists, who understand the acoustical components of gunshots, understand why some guns

generate big blasts, while others produce strident cracks. Developing this frame of reference

allows recordists to design the final product before they even hit the record button.

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