Addition of sound effects - a new trend?

[LSM]

I just finished listening to James Patterson's 12th book in the Women's Murder Club series. The second half of the book was littered with TV-like sound effects of car crashes, etc. What's up with all the noise? Is this something new in audiobooks? If so, I'm not a fan.

[issybird]

Oh, how dreadful. I don't mind musical bridges at the beginning and end of a book; I remember Our Man in Havana had musical bridges at the beginning and end of each chapter and I found that intrusive and annoying. But car crashes? That sounds like television noises, which drive me absolutely bonkers.

[Catlady]

Musical bridges are OK, even between chapters--though I don't really see the point--but sound effects? Just ... no.

[Paegan2246]

Haven't run across sound effects. No...I wouldn't be a fan. James Patterson seems to do almost anything to try to sell a book. No wait...does he even write his own books anymore?

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by LSM

I just finished listening to James Patterson's 12th book in the Women's Murder Club series. The second half of the book was littered with TV-like sound effects of car crashes, etc. What's up with all the noise? Is this something new in audiobooks? If so, I'm not a fan.

I don't know if this is a trend, but it is something that is definitely out there. Big Finish audios have full sound effects, but they are more audio plays, so that is understandable. Graphic Audio (there is a pretty good deal from them in last week's Humble Bundle, BTW) adds sound effects and music to productions that are a cross between an audio play and an audiobook - they also have a full cast, but narration that leaves the flow of the story more like an audiobook. I seem to recall that Galaxy Press does similarly. Even Naxos Audiobooks has music between each chapter in most of their productions.

Some people would argue that they are enhancing the story with these things (Graphic Audio's tagline has always been "a movie in your mind"). Others will find the add-ons distracting. Personally, I think it's okay as long as the mixing is right - don't let the sound effects get in the way of hearing the book. That happens to me some in Big Finish titles - too much noise to hear the actual words being spoken. But, as with most things, opinions will differ.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

I don't know if this is a trend, but it is something that is definitely out there. Big Finish audios have full sound effects, but they are more audio plays, so that is understandable. Graphic Audio (there is a pretty good deal from them in last week's Humble Bundle, BTW) adds sound effects and music to productions that are a cross between an audio play and an audiobook - they also have a full cast, but narration that leaves the flow of the story more like an audiobook. I seem to recall that Galaxy Press does similarly. Even Naxos Audiobooks has music between each chapter in most of their productions.

Some people would argue that they are enhancing the story with these things (Graphic Audio's tagline has always been "a movie in your mind"). Others will find the add-ons distracting. Personally, I think it's okay as long as the mixing is right - don't let the sound effects get in the way of hearing the book. That happens to me some in Big Finish titles - too much noise to hear the actual words being spoken. But, as with most things, opinions will differ.

The audiobook of the new Star Wars book/movie has lots of music and sound effects. It worked better in the movie. I have heard a number of audiobooks with music. It's ok. A lot depends on the book and how well it's done. For me, the sound effects are more of a distraction, better suited to a dramatization than an audiobook.

[Catlady]

I haven't come across any sound effects. Is it perhaps more of a small publisher and/or science-fiction thing?

My books almost always come from the major publishers. Music, yes, but nary a creaking door, gunshot, or explosion. Thank goodness.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I haven't come across any sound effects. Is it perhaps more of a small publisher and/or science-fiction thing?

I've never heard it in a science fiction book, and as far as I know "Patterson" doesn't write SF.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I haven't come across any sound effects. Is it perhaps more of a small publisher and/or science-fiction thing?

My books almost always come from the major publishers. Music, yes, but nary a creaking door, gunshot, or explosion. Thank goodness.

Graphic Audio isn't exactly small, but the don't publish on Audible. I think of them as more of a niche market (they specialize in truck stops). Galaxy Press is on Audible but I bet you don't read much L. Ron Hubbard, and that's 99% of their library. There might be 1 or 2 individual authors who feel sound effects add something but otherwise most companies won't bother.

[JSWolf]

A full drama would be awesome as long as the book is there in full.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

Graphic Audio isn't exactly small, but the don't publish on Audible. I think of them as more of a niche market (they specialize in truck stops). Galaxy Press is on Audible but I bet you don't read much L. Ron Hubbard, and that's 99% of their library. There might be 1 or 2 individual authors who feel sound effects add something but otherwise most companies won't bother.

No, I don't listen to anything that's not on Audible or Downpour, or available from the public library.

I could see sound clips as an interesting addition to some e-books. For example, if reading about Eisenhower's D-Day address or JFK's inaugural address, there could be an option to click on a link and hear the actual speeches. Or if reading a biography of a musician, a link to listen to a piece being discussed. Actually, this kind of thing might be fun in audiobooks as well, though I don't know how you'd set them up to make it possible to have the choice to listen to the extras or not. And it would probably be cost-prohibitive to use anything not in the public domain.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by Catlady

No, I don't listen to anything that's not on Audible or Downpour, or available from the public library.

I could see sound clips as an interesting addition to some e-books. For example, if reading about Eisenhower's D-Day address or JFK's inaugural address, there could be an option to click on a link and hear the actual speeches. Or if reading a biography of a musician, a link to listen to a piece being discussed. Actually, this kind of thing might be fun in audiobooks as well, though I don't know how you'd set them up to make it possible to have the choice to listen to the extras or not. And it would probably be cost-prohibitive to use anything not in the public domain.

I listened to "A History of Classical Music" from Naxos (naturally) a couple of years ago. It had the music intermingled with the narration, and I thought it worked okay. That's a bit of a niche, but it worked in that case.

[AkiraReader]

You guys never purchased a Star Wars audiobook? Almost all the ones I have include sound effects.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by AkiraReader

You guys never purchased a Star Wars audiobook? Almost all the ones I have include sound effects.

I see you didn't read my post.

[ApK]

I'm listening to David Balducci's "Zero Day."
It's narrated by a man and a woman, doing the male and female voices respectively. I don't mind that, in this case because Orlagh Cassidy does a great job with the female voices. Other books that have split the narration that way have not been as successful to my mind.

And the book does have musical bridges between chapters, which hasn't been particularly offensive. But then they go and throw in gunfire sound effects during gunfight scenes.
It's awful. totally unneeded, takes me right out of my immersion in the world. And ironically, what makes it worse for me is they that seems to be the ONLY sound effects they include. And the gunfights are not that frequent, so it's like a sudden intrusion of noise when I'm not expecting it.

I don't mind fully produced audio dramas as such, but an audio book should be a reading performance of a book, that's it.

It's like they tried too many gimmicky embellishments in this book.
Two narrators? OK, it works in this case. Music bridges? Hrmm...no need for it, but OK. GUNFIRE EFFECTS??? WTF??

No, I say Nay. Nay! I say!

ETA: I just realized the music is worse than I thought. It's not specifically at chapter breaks. It's whenever a situation gets "dramatic." What's next, a laugh track? Grrr.