To better connect you with the talent behind the music, we're proudly spotlighting artists, composers, and producers on the Megatrax roster and their work. We caught up with Nashville-based composer/producer Allen Carrescia to discuss the recording and creation of new sports SFX collections, Megasonics 20: Indoor Sports & Megasonics 21: Outdoor Sports.

Hi Allen! How was this project conceived?

The goal was to create a library of sports sound effects and to sound as realistic as possible.

Could you talk us through the recording process?

The sounds were mainly recorded on location/in the wild. A handful were created outside the normal setting of the sport but still outdoors, or in the studio. My brother Reid Carrescia recorded some separately on his own and also some together with me, playing the actual sports. 

For the sounds that required teams, I found myself at practices, meets, and games. That required a lot of getting to the right person in charge of facilities and such, attending a couple games or meets, and working around noise obstacles.

For some, like for the jet ski, I was sitting back to back with a driver facing toward the motor and waves, using my body to block wind to keep it away from the mic. I think we got up to 50 mph on that shoot. I just hunkered down and held on with one hand.

For others, like paddle ball, I brought a bag of sand into my studio and spread it out in a big container, and close mic'd the ball hitting it and rolling/skipping along it. Since it's such a small impact (versus a sport like volleyball), it was tough to get that one outdoors and keep out ambient noise. 

How do you envision these recordings being used in media?

Well, the sounds are pretty realistic...because we got them really playing the sports ha! Some are close mic'd enough where, if emphasis is needed to highlight impacts or hits or movement, they are ready for the job. In general, the sounds will work well as foreground or background effects. There are the occasional stereo tracks, as with ping pong, but most are mono. The editor or sound mixer can easily use panning and reverbs to further image any sound, or even apply stereorizers/wideners, EQ, and compression for further impact if desired.

What were your influences in the creation of these recordings? Or your influences in sound recording generally?

Well, my main influences are more on the music side. 70's rock n roll albums? Toneful records on esoteric consoles and tape? That's nearly an addiction for me.

But with sound recording, I was always impressed with the Golden Age of Hollywood, older films dating back to the 30s, when they used some interesting methods to even record the sounds, let alone the work put into making them. 

However, in the modern world, the goal is to record three-dimensional audio as full spectrum as possible. Then take them back to the edit window and clean them up without lessening the fidelity or dimension. It's a fine balance at that point that requires the right tools and good monitoring.

How did you get your start in sound recording / creating music?

I'm mainly a musician/composer, music producer, and audio engineer day to day but also do quite a bit of work in film production with my brother. So we had to get the right sounds for our film work over the past decade or so. 

Tell us a bit about your work in film/TV/advertising. What are some placements you're most proud of?

My first bigger placement was a PNC bank commercial. The track was very emo and acoustic-based and I never intended it to be for an ad, it was something I did for the sake of art with a classical guitar my Grandpa bought at a flea market. However, I think I'm most proud of my work on the upcoming feature film my brother and I wrote and produced.

Tell us about your upcoming projects!

I'm currently the composer for a podcast called Astonishing Legends which has bi-weekly episodes throughout the year. I'm also busy doing library /production tracks and mixing some albums. Reid and I are currently in talks for the distribution of our first feature film, and I'm working on my own record to release and follow up with shows here in Nashville, TN. And...finishing a custom mixing console and building a new studio at my place here!

Listen to Megasonics 20: Indoor Sports & Megasonics 21: Outdoor Sports.

Keep up with Allen on Instagram @allencarrescia and allencarrescia.com.

For licensing, please contact your account representative or email info@megatrax.com for more information.