KIDS TOYS
Donál: I had wanted to make a library of kids toys for a while. They’re super satisfying noise-makers. I have two kids so I’m literally surrounded by toys, even as I write this right now! Cars, music boxes, musical instruments, soft toys, action figures, Lego, strange little mechanical toys, it’s a treasure trove that was crying out to be recorded.
We tried to record a broad range of different toys, resulting in what we think is the best library of kids toy sounds on the market. There were some that didn’t make it, and got tossed back in the toy cupboard, and some that we loved but couldn’t make it into the library because the sounds they make (sirens, etc) are themselves sound effects licensed from a library like ours.
To make the library as useful as possible we recorded the toys being used the way kids use them. Not just playing with them but shaking them, throwing them, moving them about aimlessly.
One of the surprisingly useful things about the sounds the toys make is that they don’t have to be used to sound like toys. They make all kinds of mechanical clicks, wheel spins etc. For example, a Beyblade launcher, it’s a little plastic thing with a cog mechanism, you run a long strip of plastic with teeth in it through a hole that then turns a disc which is what makes the Beyblade spin. Great for launching Beyblades but also great for emulating a hand crank in a complicated machine, or the sound of a dial being wound up to 11 on a control surface.
All in all, like all of our libraries, this was a labour of love, but this one in particular was a lot of fun to make.
Matt: I got involved a bit later in the process with this one, Donál was taking the helm with the project, but we felt there were a few gaps in what he recorded initially. After a brainstorming sesh we settled on what we needed.
I’m a huge nerd and big kid at heart and had a bunch of toys lying about. After a quick trip to the local charity shop I picked up the rest of the bits I wanted to record. Nanoblocks, Lego, Sticklebricks a Barbie Guitar (retrieved from a skip and gifted to me which I had circuit bent) A Gotenks Super Saiyan Action figure a friend had got me in Japan (Stays on my desk to remind me persevere when the going gets tough), A Vuvuzella horn from a new year's concert in the Philippines and the bath toys for my niece and nephew. Like many sound designers I’ve a tendency to hoard random bits and bobs which came in very handy for this one.
That bath toy had a bunch of cool spinners and cogs and one of the small ones in particular makes a wild sound. It's kind of like a zippy cartoon swipe or gunshot and is great fun pitching up or down. There were also some great suction cups on the back which I think are useful to have in the mix too.
It was a nice refresh to do a recording focused library after doing some more designed ones like Energy Swords and Anime Studio, but I’m really excited to manipulate, edit and run these sounds through some crazy plug-in chains. I think all those little clicky bricks and the various mechanisms will be really great for doing logo idents or creating interesting sci-fi and anime guns and vehicles for games, animation and films.
Ultimately our favorite thing about sound design is that it's all about imagination, play and having fun and I think this library really embodies that.
Check it out and unleash your inner child.
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We’re looking forward to hearing all the fun stuff you come up with using Kids Toys in your projects. The library offers a lot of variety and would be a great addition to your libraries.