Lesson 1: Try the cues

Sound design uses sound to suggest a place, create a mood and guide the audience’s attention.

Imagine an actor waiting alone in a room. Rain falls outside. A visitor arrives at the door.

Diegetic sound
Belongs to the world of the play: the characters can hear it. Rain and knocks are diegetic in this scene.
Non-diegetic sound
Is heard only by the audience. The drone can suggest unease that the character cannot hear.
Sound cue
Tells the operator when to start, change or stop a sound. Wait for each stage moment, then press GO.

Press GO at each of the four stage moments. Then change a sound and explain its effect.

Begin with a low device volume. Settings → Audio help has headphone advice.

This cue desk is practice. Its settings reset when you reload.

A visitor at the door

Loading local recordings… Start with your device volume low.

Sound choices

Atmosphere is the mood created on stage. Volume changes how loud a sound is. A fade changes it gradually.

Choose a fade time, then Fade in or Fade out. Knocks finish naturally. Stereo position moves sound between the listener’s left and right. This is a stereo simulation, not physical theatre speaker routing.

Deep rumble is low and textured; Unsettling atmosphere has a shifting texture. You can change character while it plays. Pitch changes perceived depth; brightness changes tone.

Practice choices stay on this page until you reload or reset. Leaving the lesson stops sound.

Rain: Duasun · Wooden door knock: FrostyFrost · Freesound, CC0. Sources and licences