
Tonebenders Podcast
Tonebenders is a Sound Design podcast dedicated to covering the worlds of sound editing, field recording and audio post production for film, television and gaming. Through interviews and experiments we delve into everything from foley to plugins. Check us out at www.tonebenderspodcast.com
Latest episodes

Jun 29, 2024 • 46min
267 - Sound Design For Horses
When working on a project that features horses on screen, the sound design can be broken up into 3 main categories: Their hooves, Saddle/Bridle, and their Vocalizations and Breathing. None of these are easy to design the sound for. Luckily we have some of the most talented people working in audio post-production chiming in, to tell us how they approach horses in their work. Paula Fairfield, George Haddad, Wylie Statemen, Gary Hecker, Mandell Winter, Robert Stambler, Don Sylvester and Sandra Fox all pony up their hard earned knowledge.
Sandra Fox Does a quick Horse Hoof Foley Demonstration (2:24)
Wylie Stateman, Don Sylvester and Mandell Winter talk about doing sound for horses in westerns (4:20)
Gary Hecker discusses his work for both horse foley and as a voice actor specializing in horse vocalizations (12:15)
Robbie Stambler and Paula Fairfield breakdown a specific horse scene from The Rings Of Power (26:30)
George Haddad explains his horse sound design workflow on the many western series he has been Sound Supervisor on (31:20)
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/277-sound-design-for-horses/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

Jun 22, 2024 • 21min
266 - Audio Post For Comedy Specials With Vinny Alfano
Have you ever been watching a stand-up comedy special and felt like you were in the room the day it was recorded? A lot of that energy relies on the sound of the crowd as they laugh and react to what the performer is doing on stage. Vinny Alfano has worked on the audio post-production on stand-up specials from Mike Birbiglia, Sarah Silverman, Iliza Shlesinger, Louis C.K, David A. Arnold and more. He talks us through how to translate that energy from the live performance to the screen by making crowd reactions immersive, and the performer crisp and clear.
Also.... Attention Sound Designers and Mic Lovers! The Field Recording Slack is currently running a MACHINE themed crowdsource library. Whether you're just getting started or already sleep with a mic under your pillow, your sounds are needed! There are some serious prizes up for grabs from Pole Position, Aftertouch Audio, Penguin Grenade, Tonsturm, Sonorous Objects, Articulated Sounds, Thomas Rex Beverly, Shaping Waves, Axl Sound, Western Tiger, JSE, Surround Sound Lab and more. Mark Mangini and Ezra Dweck will choose the winning sounds after the June 30th deadline. For details on how to take part go to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cwXn-h6YBOaKaA9QSOofII_hkQLgX9OlYUKj-xDvFtc/edit There have already been 130 machines recorded and submitted, so lets get your sounds in too—You Don’t miss this one!
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/266-audio-post-for-comedy-specials-with-vinny-alfano/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

Jun 14, 2024 • 30min
265 - Invincible
This show hits hard! Invincible may be an animated series, but it is definitely not for young kids. There are real consequences here, characters die, battles leave marks. The sound design has to be big and impactful to match the powers of the super heroes going toe to toe on screen. Punches are huge, explosions really go BOOM. Blood rains down. Supervising Sound Editor Brad Meyer, Re-Recording Mixer Jeff Shiffman and Sound Effects Editor Katie Jackson tell us the secrets behind the sound design of the punches, the endless blood, inter-dimensional portals and lots more.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/265-invincible/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

Jun 7, 2024 • 42min
264 - The Curse
How do you use sound to amplify feelings of awkwardness and discomfort? In The Curse the sound design is tasked with making the viewers skin crawl in a very unusual way. The series is not horror, but there are times you feel you have to look away. Long silences (that are never actually silent!) lead to unexpected emotions in both the characters on screen and those watching at home. The show's main characters, played Emma Stone, Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder, lie to themselves and each other while their lives spiral as a result. It is quite a ride. Re-recording mixers Tim Hoogenakker and Larry Benjamin are joined by Production Sound mixer Phillip Bladh to explain how they captured and sculpted the sound to be an emotion driving force for the series.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/264-the-curse/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

May 31, 2024 • 29min
263 - Masters Of The Air
How much Fun would it be to have the opportunity to record one of the few working B17 "Flying Fortress" planes that are still operational? The sound team from AppleTV's "Masters Of The Air" got to do just that. They were able put 60 microphones all over the B17, to record every part of it that made a noise. Then they took those sounds back to the sound editorial team and turned the recordings into to the amazing sound design of the intense air battles featured in the series. Supervising sound editor Jack Whittaker and re-recording mixers Michael Minkler & Duncan McRae tell us all about the challenges this series presented and the ways they met them.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/263-masters-of-the-air/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

May 25, 2024 • 1h 4min
262 - Mad Max: Fury Road with Oliver Machin (Re-Podcast)
Today marks the opening weekend for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a prequel for the character first introduced in MadMax: Fury Road. So it seemed like a perfect time to reach into our archives and go back to May of 2015, when we did an episode with Oliver Machin about his work on Fury Road. Hear his amazing story of how the sounds of the vehicles used in the film, were recorded in the African desert days before they were destroyed in principle photography. It is one of my all time favourite Tonebenders episodes. As a bonus, Mark Mangini makes a short appearance discussing how important these recordings were to the final soundscape of the film. Make sure to go to our website to this episode's homepage (link below) to see dozens of fascinating pictures of Oliver recording the vehicles.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/262-mad-max-fury-road-with-oliver-machin-re-podcast/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Hosts This Episode: Timothy Muirhead & René Coronado

May 24, 2024 • 47min
261 - The Fall Guy Sound Editorial Team
How do you tackle sound design for a massive car chase scene, that has a fist fight happening on top of the vehicles? For director David Leitch's new film, The Fall Guy, the sound editorial team had their hands (ears?) full to make the movie sound as good as it looked. In this conversation they go down the road, on how to make a car crash sound impactful, what tools they use for cleaning up tricky dialog and how they deliver the reverb treatments for their sound design to the mixing stage. After that (37:40) Lewis Thompson joins to talk about the upcoming AIrCon virtual audio conference happening from June 10th-14th, 2024. For more info go to www.airwiggles.com
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/261-the-fall-guy-sound-editorial-team/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

May 17, 2024 • 28min
260 - Sound Design For Westerns: Bass Reeves
For many people that work in sound design, their dream job would be to work on a western. There are the guns, the horses, the creaky floors, and most of all the dusty wide open spaces. They all provide a great playground to create compelling sound, to support the stories of lawmen and the outlaws they seek to bring to justice. So we got the sound team behind the new western series Lawman: Bass Reeves, to take us through how they made this series sound so great. Dialog & Music Re-Recording MIxer Lindsey Alvarez, Effects & Foley Re-Recording Mixer Brad Zoern and Supervising Sound Editor George Haddad, tell us why they love working in this genre.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/260-sound-design-for-westerns-bass-reeves/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

May 10, 2024 • 30min
259 - Música
In the new film Música (on Prime) we go into the musical mind of Rudy Mancuso. We learn how everyday sounds are re-contextualized into rhythms and music in his brain while he goes about his day. Because the POV of the film changes from what is real to what Rudy is hearing internally, the sound design and mix are extremely important to sell what is happening to the viewer. Re-Recording Mixers Christopher Aud (also Sound Supervisor) and Aaron Glascock take us through how the action "was recorded on set as if it was an orchestra" using up to 100 microphones, placed perfectly to capture each sound clearly. Then Sound Editorial and Mix had to go through everything that makes up the complex rhythms being played on camera by doors, knives, basketballs, and whatever else is handy.
Show Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/259-musica/
Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com
Tonebenders Host This Episode: Timothy Muirhead

May 3, 2024 • 49min
258 - Randy Thom On Getting The Most Out Of Spotting Sessions (Re - Podcast)
Sound design hero, Randy Thom, discusses the importance and benefits of spotting sessions in sound design for new film projects. He shares expert advice on approaching these sessions with the right attitude, asking the right questions, and setting objectives to shape the soundtrack. The podcast delves into the collaborative process, addressing insecurities, enhancing filmmaking through early sound collaboration, exploring Dolby Atmos technology, and early sound creation for animated films.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.