Sabian’s Frequency Reduced Cymbals are designed to filter out abrasive, resonant tones. Rather than sound designing the literal sounds that these cymbals make, the story called for something more abstract: sound designing what it feels like to play them.

The spot begins with musicians setting up their equipment on stage. We hear the literal sounds of falling rain, equipment rolling across the floor, and the thud of a floor tom as the drummer absentmindedly prepares himself. Then, the show begins, and the band strikes their first note. Suddenly, the music and sounds cut away into silence, and the empty space gets filled with creative, tonal sound design. There are synthesized electronic noises, heavily filtered whooses, and processed bites of a cheering crowd. The spot ends with a brief, flashy drum fill, evoking the final seconds of an epic set.

CLIENT: Vers Creative
SOUND DESIGN/MIX: Defacto Sound