ATA (*Ask Taylor Anything)
[The AMA has completed, with some final answers as replies in the comments. I was on my phone gimme a break. WHAT FUN! Thank you to everyone who asked a question, I genuinely loved it!]
Behold the mysterious bad boy of audio narrative play, the power BEHIND the power, revealed at LAST! He stands (sits) before you naked (yes!) and vulnerable to your interrogations.
Write your Q's in the comments and I'll post the A's up here. Keep refreshing I guess to see them? This is a good idea and will work!
FYI: I'll probably skip tech support questions and anything already answered in our charming and helpful Instruction Manual.
AND AWAY WE GO
SvenTS: If you were at the table what type of character would you want to bring to the story?
t: Many tempting options. Spirit obviously, a shapeshifter from Gauthmai (sp?) a Rhuvian "chalice" would all be super fun, but I gotta go...Hedge Mage, a dirtbag con artist Hedge Mage. A Self-made rascal livin on the edge of the law, yes please!
Kodi Gonzaga: Any advice for aspiring podcast sound editors? Or more specifically, people who want to start a podcast but have barely any experience with audio editing?
t: just start doing it! Experience is the greatest teacher, and sucking at it for a little bit is WAY better than not doing it at all.
Pyrogman245:Have you ever scared yourself with the spooky sound design in a WWW episode?
t: Nope. I am big and brave and strong!
Maggie: What is your favorite bit of audio you’ve done for the podcast so far & why?
t: the opening of Preludes and the Fox: Then and Now. I love the opening of Preludes because I feel like we nailed it, and when you're working on a project and you have an early success, or something "clicks" right away, it makes the whole thing feel open and big and possible in a way thats hard to describe, and whenever I hear that rustle of snow on sand and hear Brenbren say "snow" i remember what it was like to feel that for the first time on WBN. The Fox, because I tricked everyone into listening to like 5 minutes of ambient nature sound, BUT IT MAKES SENSE NARRATIVELY!
Mimi Scarlett: Did you have any experience of ttrpgs before you started producing? PS give Pepper the biggest hug for me please
t: Yes! I've played D&D since the mid 90's and have created and produced multiple award winning narrative play podcasts, like Rude Tales of Magic, Oh These Those Stars of Space, and Fun City!
Caroline Pillow: What are some of your inspirations for composing the music of this podcast? What inspired you to start making music? What programs do you use?
t: I love the great 20th century film composers and I listen to a LOT of John Williams, and Alan Silvestri (back to the future, greatest film score of all time), Thomas Newman, Korngold, etc. I also really love the Romantic composers, and lots of contemporary composers and artists as well: been listening to a lot of Colin Stetson, yMusic, and Eric Whitacre lately. I got inspired to start making my own music because I was using a lot of classical music (the romantics again) in designing Rude Tales of Magic, and it got to the point where I was pulling those compositions apart and restructuring them to fit the show, and I thought that it might be easier to just make it myself. Reader, it was VERY much not easier to make it myself. I use Pro Tools and a 6tb collection of virtual instruments and sample libraries
Gabe Norton: How do you manage to make the ambiance so forward without taking away from the players?
t: I make it sound good to me, then I remember everyone online yelling at me for making it too loud, so I take it down another 6-8db.
Zach Turner: What class did you take to learn to compose so well??
t: I took one, online session of basic music theory and piano 101, that taught me fundamental chord structure, and everything else has been thousands of hours of video tutorials and experience.
- Indra -: What was it like learning how to compose for this podcast? Why did you decide to take that step and go the extra mile like that, and any other music related deets you want to share?
t: Hard as hell. And expensive, cause I love gear. I am not smart, but what I CAN do is fully commit myself to a project. I am an all-or-nothing kind of person, a natural zealot. I only make full commitments to projects, which is often, frankly, a bad idea, but I can't help it. So when I saw an opportunity to ruin myself by overcommitting to a new thing I pushed the pedal to the metal.
Andrew Strother:Does Brennan sound like you, or do you sound like Brennan?
t: I was born first so technically he sounds like me.
Derek Biederstadt: What are the musical inspirations you take when composing the (quite excellent) score?
t: The biggest inspiration is the world of the show! Before we were even done with the children's adventure, I went out to LA and had a long production meeting with Brengan, just straight up interrogating him about every single detail of the story and the setting. Economic, technological, political shape of the empire. The historical traditions of magic. What are the cities like, what is the country like, how much wilderness is there, do the people value art, is there a robust creative industry in the world? All that stuff matters enormously! It would take too long to explain completely, but here's an example. I work most thematically in instrumentation. So witches, wizards, and spirits all have instruments or families of instruments that stand in for them in the score, and those connections are based on the philosophy and themetac underpinnings of the metaphysicis of the setting. When you listen to Suvi's first scene in Preludes you hear a lot of piano. Nobody else has a HINT of piano, why? Because a piano is a complicated machine! You need factories, standardized parts, craftsmen, mathematics! The wizards have that, so they get a piano and I confirmed with Brennan before a note was written that the industrial level of the civilization was enough to even produce a piano, otherwise, at some lower subconscious level it would feel out of place.
Micah: What kind of music do you like to listen to outside of creating your own?
t: anything evocative! I had a radical shift in my musical tastes in my early thirties, where suddenly I just didnt care what I was supposed to be listening to, and I became interested in very different things. I think this was a product of the internet, and the music/video streaming platforms rising up and becoming really useful. Also as I was beginning to produce podcasts, I found myself paying more attention to instrumental music, and scores, and then that led to classical. Now anytime I hear new music I can click into a place where I am open to whatever it wants to say, regardless of what "kind" it is or when it was released, or any other detail. It fucking RULES. Music is one of the closest things we have to real magic, but I didn't really appreciate it until I sort of backed into working with it.
tony boccia: What’s the strangest sound you had to find online for your job? It could be this podcast or any of your previous work
t: in Rude Tales of Magic there is a semi truck made out of living goblins called the Shishkabob Express. And in order to make the sound of a machine made out of thousands of little guys, I recorded my flailing naked body making slapping thwacking flesh sounds.
ella thompson: how much do you know about the story and the world that the players don’t? are you in the loop with brennan about things that are kept secret to everyone else, or are you in the dark about all of it with the rest of us?
t: even more than music, my favorite part of my job is working with DMs on story stuff. I am, correctly, never in the driver seat. The dm HAS to have material that matches their own instincts so it all works at the table, but I do get to act as a sounding board, and occasionally as an assistant writer pitching idea to them. Yes, I know way more than the players and the audience, and yes it fucking rules. It is more fun than anyone could possibly guess.
Jessica: Were you the one to pitch the idea of a fully like immersive DnD with all the audio effort or was it more of a group idea? Every time I listen I'm just fully transported and I wish there was a way to say that that didn't sound like a snooty art critic.
t: Jessica! You do not sound like snooty art critic! I am trying to transport you! If you were transported, then it worked! You and I are now connected by the invisible thread of art, and IT SLAPS. I am celebrating over here. I am shouting "Heck yes!" etc. Ain't no snoot to it. Dont let people tell you loving and thinking about art is bad. It is very good actually.
sean meagher: What is your process like for scoring and sound designing episodes? How do you decide what should have sound behind it and what kind, and how do you go about acquiring/creating the right sfx and music?
t: 1) process the raw audio so it sounds nice: noise reduction, crossgating, regular gating, de-ess, de-pop, compress, EQ. 2) Spotting, going through and labelling everything via 4 tracks of notes: Editing, SFX, Music, Ambience 3) Actually cutting. Taking out all the bathroom breaks and graphic sex scenes, inserting an "incredible" in front of everything Bendan says. 4) putting in the foley and ambiences 5) scoring. How do I decide? Well thats the million dollar question, isnt it? I go with my gut, and occasionally make a compromise with my dumbass brain. But for real my guiding philosophy is this: I have two masters, the pleasure of the listener, and the intentions of my colleagues. I just try to do right by those two things.
Cameron Holt: Where do you get most of your sound effects and virtual instruments used for scoring and dream-scaping the show? Any tips on resources for learning composition?
t: It's an equal mix of making my own and using pre-existing SFX libraries, with a big overlap where I combine the two. One of my greatest weapons is Michael Ghelfi, who you will hear credited in every episode. Michael runs a studio that makes music and ambiences for TTRPG games, and I've been using their ambiences for years, sometimes on their own and sometimes re-mixed or combined in a thousand different ways. Also use them for home games when I have time to run them! MGS has a great youtube account as well, and a patreon that I back at the highest tier.
As for getting started, I recc getting a cheap midi controller or keyboard with midi out, a DAW that can work with midi and VSTs, then getting the Spitfire LABS and the free Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra. Learn how to play all the basic triads on piano, and boom, now you know how simple chords are made and you have a world of amazing sounds at your command. Just play around until you make something you like, and you'll be in love forever. YouTube is your friend for learning further musical principles. Now just say goodbye to all your friends and family because you live in front of your computer now. Congrats!
Kirsten Griffith: What was your first meeting with each of the players like? (Thank you for your work, the sound is truly one of my favorite things about the show 🫶🏼)
t: I met Brennan a lifetime ago when we were both coming up through the UCB. I was fortunate enough to play in a game of his (3.5, set in his infamous homebrew setting of Aredain. I was a Favored Soul named Arcturus Kipling-Royce, and the game ended on a major cliffhanger for my character(!!!) when BrInnan moved to LA to become the CEO of Tidepods guy). I flew out to LA to be there for the recording of the back half of the CA and the first few eps of the main campaign and met the other WBN folks there. Lemme tell ya. Love at first sight. They are as charming and funny as warm as you think. No fakers. Real deal darlings. You can imagine my relief at the time, that I had not flown across the country to work with some dang ding dongs. And then we spent a week in a mountain house together and they made fun of me because Lou thought I took a bite out of the brie wedge.
Trey Lord: The roar from the first battle sounded like it was from a dinosaur or alien movie. How'd you find/make that?
t: I don't remember that specific one, but a lot of monster sounds, especially roars, are normal animal or human sounds that have been slowed down and altered in some way. Fun example: the flowers that eat meat in Grandma Wren's garden? Thats the sound of pug puppies all eating dinner together.
Party Pat: Do you draw inspiration from any existing shows or movies? Anything recent?
t: I'm always thinking about the movies that blew my mind as a kid: Spielberg, Lucas, Joe Dante, Zemeckis, (early) Tim Burton. And I also think about the Romantic composers a lot. They all shared an absolute earnestness in their overt intention to show you a good time. Emotional and narrative maximalism. But never robotic or hollow or exploitative. Also, Looney Tunes. Exact same stuff.
Bri: what's a project/scene that you'd really love to get the opportunity to score? i.e. if you wanted to branch out of podcast scoring, or specific grand battle/narrative confrontation scenes ?
t: I wanna do a John Carpenter synth score.
Max DeVille: From your work on Rude Tales of Magic to now Worlds Beyond Number, what is your proudest moment of growth/what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a producer?
t: Proudest moment was when Tim Platt of Rude Tales was able to quit his day job. He had an awful, soul crushing day job, and if you know Tim you know he's the warmest, kindest guys you'll ever meet, and eventually Rude Tales was successful enough to where he could leave it, and when he did that I thought "well if nothing else, we got Tim outta there." I started Fortunate Horse as a vehicle for saving talented funny people from being eaten by the entertainment exploitation machine, and now I can say that we've helped a lot of people keep their financial and creative agency by helping them build sustainable successful creative projects.
The biggest lesson I've learned is that I am mortal. I do not have infinite time, and my body cannot be pushed to infinite limits. It turns out there is such a thing a fatal amount of podcasting, and I have walked right up to that line. Never again.
kittriss: Do you have a favorite trick or shortcut to make immersive sound?
t: a little sidechain compressed reverb to put tails on things so they don't end abruptly and fade out as the listener's mind is processing the information or transition. GREAT trick for adding drama. Feels like your brain is being cradled by sound. We love it!
Jonathan Wolfe: What has been your most "Holy shit" moment about worlds beyond number so far? (could be anything, in game or just around the podcast)
t: Launch day. Dropping a million hours of audio at once and then having the patreon LEAP outta the gate like that. Impossible to describe all the stress and emotions. Meeting the cast for the first time, and immediately falling in love with them, imagine the LUCK of that, you know? Game-wise, there is a bit in an upcoming episode that is the most impressive act of improvised narrative play I have ever seen. Unfortunately I cannot tell you any details about it because the reason it is so impressive requires a birds eye view of the story that you will not have a for quite a while. Just know that this is a scene to which you will be returning to study in dropped-jaw wonder when you understand everything thats going on in it.
Dallas Taylor: How much time do you think you spend on an individual episode with editing/composition input/mixing and mastering?
t: Between 30 and 60 hours per episode depending on complexity, amount of original music, and length. 60 is rare, but so is 30.
Stephen Panella:If you were a witch- what would YOUR familiar be????
t: a tiny little Brennan Lee Mulligan that sat on my shoulder. or held onto my back like yoda or facing forward in a baby bjorn.
James Goss: How much does Brennan's insistence on doing his own sound effects as a GM interfere with/inform your own creative decisions?
t: It's fine! It's also IMPOSSIBLE to not do as a storyteller. When I was a performer on Oh These Those Stars of Space, or sometimes when I was doing narration on Fun City, I would also make the SFX with my mouth. Ya just gotta.
Ashley E. Benson: What is the decision process like for excluding certain moments? Is it more of a trimming for time or clarity situation? Has the cast ever asked for something to not be included?
t: Regarding time. Neither short nor long are intrinsic goods or evils. If we think the best version of an episode is 45 minutes, we will publish that. If we think it's 3 hours, we'll publish that. I am more concerned with the rhythm and movement within that time. More generally, with this cast, (cause every cast is different) I find myself editing for clarity (taking out vocal static or overlapping lines. Giving room so the listener knows the thing that was just said is important, etc) and pacing. Of the first 6 episodes of the main campaign there have been extremely few major cuts or restructuring. This cast is extremely experienced in top level narrative improvisation, so they just don't generate that much cuttable material.
Shtish: Which effect has been your favorite so far? Voice/surroundings/music, whichever strikes your fancy! Or, if you can't tell us yet, in which episode will we be able to hear it?
t: The King of Night. Fucking nailed it. You can hear the bass harmonics jumping registers which was totally a happy accident, but it makes for a really novel, unnerving sensation which is exactly what I was going for. I wanted to activate the terrified small animal part of your brain, the part that still gets a little scared when the night is darker than normal. And I think we got it.
TJ:Does future knowledge of what is going to happen in the story shape your editing and music choices in whatever episode you’re currently working on?
t: absolutely. I cant successfully foreshadow unless I know whats a comin aftshadow.
Ken Goins: Have you ever cut any content that you regret cutting later? Also, separate entirely and totally not related, will we ever be able to hear an (mostly) uncut version of the episodes?
t: Never. I have only regretted leaving too much in. Uncut eps? Why in the world would anyone wanna hear that? Maybe 50 years from now, someone will get the masters and do a Get Back style documentary about it.
Sebarus: Will we ever get to see you on the other side of production, either as player or GM?
t: I do have a game (Parsely) that I would LOVE to run for the gang, but our time together is precious and short and I want them to have all the opportunities to play with each other first.
Okay I gotta go! but I will return and answer more later probably! Maybe! Thanks everyone, this has been surprisingly fun. And thank you for all the kind words about the show. I want you to understand: we are trying to entertain the shit out of you so it's nice to know we're getting there.
*****EVEN MORE ANSWERS (day 2)*****
Seamus O'Connor:How do you deal with feeling out of your depth (if this happens to you too) when trying to score something that calls for stylistic/genre expectations outside your wheelhouse? For example, I have a background in metal and jazz guitar, so when I'm trying to score a scene that feels like it needs something more baroque/classical I feel like I'm just doing a bad fake
t: smoke, mirrors, lies, tricks, and deceptions. The listener/viewer cares way more about the vibe than the technical construction/execution of a complex cue. My advice would be to use a pad or texture patch with lots of movement built in as a base and then above that layer in some other instruments with just a hint of the more full version you're imagining. A quick trick to make simple cues sound richer, double a line in higher or lower octaves and assign them to instruments with different but complimentary timbres. Also, a lesson I am trying to learn myself: good is not the same thing as complicated.
Shana White: What method do you use when deciding the appropriate music for a certain scene? How do you know what sounds like the feelings we’re supposed to feel?
t: Watch a lot of movies, listen to a lot of music, go to the opera, dance at a party, watch what the pros do, watch what bad artists you don't even like do, find tools and sounds you like to play around with, and then just go with your gut.
TheLargeLebowski: How has the transition from sound designing a show like Rude Tales to a show like WBN been? Are you able to rely on the same stores of knowledge and skills, or has it been a lot of changing and re-orienting?
t: I love this question. It is very different, but only in fun, interesting ways. Rude Tales was much more comedy-forward, and so the "voice" of the show could make fully ironic commentary on the action, whereas I would rarely do that with WWW. Rude Tales was also much more episodic structurally, which means sometimes you can get a big dramatic climax in several episodes in a row. WWW on the other hand is far more serialized, and so it requires a much more patient hand with a longer-view towards themes and textures that are revealed over the course of an arc, or even years.
Charles Shields: Can you just give a shout out to Birmingham, AL? This place produces some damn fine folks.
t: there's my babygirl
And now here is a picture of my dog Pepper falling asleep on the armrest of my truck.
Comments (246)
"Music is one of the closest things we have to real magic" and just like that I have a new favourite quote
Given the Game Changer Green Room episode, I would also absolutely love to see this crew do Parsley
Pepper 🥺🥺
Cumby's! You must be out East.
why, the very eastest!
What in-game event, choice, or story turn has surprised you the most thus far?
Can you please give pepper a boop on the nose for us?
Really love all these answers, it’s sweet yet profound to hear what you’re thinking 🥰 thanks for opening up and putting your whole heart into this!!
Ef, yes! I LOVE Eric Whitacre!!
Most interesting interactions or ideas that came up during sessions iyo?
I’m gonna throw out a wild one, Taylor!! Would you listen to a song ‘Learn’d Traveller by Longstrider’ and tell me what you think? Also if that’s a no-go, what is one band that shaped your life?
As a longtime Rude Tales listener, hearing that the thing you’re proudest of is enabling Tim to quit his shitty day job is just the nicest.
Pepper is adorable! Also Give us the Steel×Suvi scene!
For anyone reading this after the AMA, I HIGHLY recommend the Rude Tales of Magic Patreon to hear the episodes of Parsley that Taylor GMed for that crew.
Co-sign!
When creating the theme for the Wild One scenes with Eursalon, did you take inspiration from the Naboo Parade scene at the end of the Phanton Menace? It gives me the same joy that that scene always gave me every time I hear it.
Nope! Aside from Battle of the Fates, I think he was really phoning it in for the Lucas prequels.
What sound design software/DAW are you using for Worlds Beyond Number? Would you recommend it to people just trying to get started editting their own podcasts?
Pro Tools and absolutely not.
What dictates the length of each episode. Is it predetermined through story beats? Or do you all have a general length you're aiming for?
Is there a possibility to getting the ambiance in a playlist? They are wonderful to e joy just by themselves.
How far away are we from hearing new narrative content on the patreon feed? Weeks? Months?
Weeks
Will you be a cast member in any of the future side story things that have been hinted at but not announced?
Nope!
If you were to be one of the eponymous "W"s of the podcast (wizard, witch, wild one), what W would you add to the mix?
Weta
A lot of people have noticed the Miyazaki vibes throughout the series, and the film Paprika in the Great Bear Parade. Are there other anime works that you draw inspiration from for WBN?
The choir and taiko parts of Akira. You will def hear those coming up ;)
Taylor, this is your Dad. Congrats on your success with WBN. I give $5 each month (really $5.40 with tax) even though I am on a fixed income. Where is my T-shirt? P.S. Your Dale's sauce is on the way.
Let’s be honest here, how much squealing from the players do you have to cut out in post? Love the score btw!!
I cut no squeals.
Not a question but! Wowie, those soundscapes are way above Calm App level, I wanna listen to them to fall asleep every night. The opening for the fox prelude, and the opening sounds for episode 5 are 🤌 Also! Will there ever be a cut compilation for things like Aabria and Erika's little sounds and screams n chaos noises?
Are you there in person while they record? Is it hard not to react and make background noise if so?
For all the eps youve heard I was there in person. The rest I was zooming into the studio on a little iPad that sits at the table where they record. Soon I’m going out to LA to be there in person for a few sessions again. Very happy about that.
Nothing to add other than Cumbies appreciation 🥹
Best brand of Brie?
Never had a bad one.
I love the sound of Suvi’s staff shattering its illusion. It’s very mucha part of how I perceive the character. What sounds did you use for other characters to accentuate them?
What sort of tools are you using for composition? (sidebar - loving the music so far, keep up the stellar work!)
If you had to pick a rude tales of magic person to guest star who would you pick and why?
Watching the players deal with a Branson NPC or a Tim character would be a joy.
Crumpets or English Muffins?
Tell us all about Pepper!! Why is Pepper the cutest? Please give Pepper some extra pats!
Would you like some (FREE) help producing BONE CONE for WBN gang? 👀😍
Was the music in the latest episode by any chance inspired by The Dear Hunter's "The Bitter Suite IV"?
No, it was inspired by Tom Waits’ “Tango Till They’re Sore” off Rain Dogs. But it’s crazy you mention Dear Hunter because I JUST started listening to them. Relly weird interesting band. A good sign they were on both our minds!
regarding the themes and motifs, are there specific scenes you remember in the children’s adventures that sparked your composition for each score, or were they all overarching character vibes?
Do you work on one episode at a time or do you have more of a pipeline? What are the broad steps of your process and how long does it take to produce an episode from start to finish, including the steps you might not be directly working on?
One ep at a time.
I’ve recently started Rude Tales of Magic. It’s HILARIOUS. Was that your first foray into podcasting or are there other shows I need on my radar?!
I tried to make a whole failed network many years ago but if you like Rude Tales you should absolutely listen to Oh These, Those Stars of Space.
How much do you find you have to cut from an average episode? What will get them off topic the fastest and/or keep them off topic the longest?
If and when WBN Does one shots, would you be playing in them? I've always enjoyed the weird chaos you bring as a player.
Hmmm, most people say I bring a beautiful, awe inspiring symmetry and balance, but go off I guess?
Taylor, this seems an appropriate question given what you've said prior, but given your lack of experience in composing prior to doing so for WBN, how would you describe your thought process in deciding you wanted to do so (be the composer for the show) and then following through to learn/practice the skills such work requires before the show kicked off? I feel like there are a lot of people who have desires to pursue creative work that lies outside of their current skillset who would be very interested in hearing your approach and how that may relate to their own pursuits. Thanks & keep up the great work!
The KEY to the whole thing was having another podcast I could use to give myself deadlines. I put myself in a situation where I HAD to learn and HAD to publish. Like learning to swim by throwing myself into the middle of a lake.
The audio is so good at adding texture to Brennan's world, did the two of you discuss worldbuilding and did it impact how you approached writing music for the show?
Yes. A lot. And we still do.
What's your favorite movie soundtrack?
Favorite soundtrack: Rushmore. Wes Anderson is a god tier maker of mix tapes, and Rushmore is still unsurpassed. Favorite score: Back to the Future. https://youtu.be/GIIEqgYWe4E
Hi, Taylor. I would mow your lawn weekly for more shows. Do you think you guys would consider increasing the output of shows to maybe once per week if there were more paid subscribers or a higher price tier? I love the show so much and have a hard time waiting 13.9 days till the next piece of art : ) —DJ
How much more do you know about the setting or where the story is headed compared to Aabria, Erika, and Lou?
How much of your time is spent removing the sound of Brennan crunching almonds during recording?
Have you ever dressed Pepper up? And when will we see these photos?
Is there anything you've had to cut that broke your heart for any reason? Or perhaps more broadly, what gets cut from the episodes, if anything?
What's it like composing the show? Rewarding? Challenging? Scary? Good?
What does the groups snack pile consist of?
Can you talk about your influences for the score in for the Great Bear's parade and Ame's childhood? I love the joy and peacefulness in both
For the Great Bear’s introduction, it was the incredible dream parade sequence from Paprika. And for Ame’s childhood, it was an old folks song called Push That Pigs Foot Further in the Fire, a version of which, rearranged and retitled as Ruby With the Eyes That Sparkle, was used in the fantastic soundtrack of Cold Mountain, another story about two women doing farm chores together. Incredible the connections you discover.
Best places to add D&D sounds (music, ambient sounds like tavern noise, fireplaces going, etc.)?
What are the main inspirations/soundtracks behind the scoring?
Two questions: 1. What is your approach/design principle to adding sfx to the show. I’ve loved the complexity of the background elements as well as the foreground stuff provided by the cast and the effects you put on their performances. 2. As a composer myself, I’m curious what sample libraries (or companies if you don’t want to give out the secret sauce) you are pulling from for the score? The production level for this has really been inspiring thanks for doing the Spirits work my guy!
For SFX, I just listen and watch the movie in my head. Whenever I’m surprised there ISNT a sound, I add one. As for libraries, I primarily use Spitfire, which to me sound the most “real” especially their specialty libraries outside the typical symphony sets. But I often step outside that brand and use weird stuff Ive discovered here and there. One of the most important sounds of the show is just a free Decent Sample library.
I know it takes some time and I am very grateful that you do, but could you give an ETA for the release of the Witch Class ? Have a great day and stay safe.
Can we get more Pepper pictures please, preferably on a weekly basis as a Patreon perk :)
How hard is it to teach yourself music composition? Any tips? I really want to get into it but it seems fun and difficult
How much moving does everyone do during play? I know my pcs look to move around during tense moments.
None. The microphones are heavy and stationary. If these people started walking around during a recording session I would have them forcefully committed.
Do you play any TTRPGs as a GM/PC yourself, and if so, can you talk about your world/characters?
Ohhh second to this one!
Can we expect different stories in different universes in the future, or will they all be in this universe?
Worlds Beyond Number. Worlds. Beyond. Number.
Hey are you the dog? If not talk about The GOOD Boy, please I wanna know how he is doing (or you, if that is you)
I don't have a question I just want to say hi to Pepper 🥹
What has been your favorite part of working with the WBN team?
Sleeping in one big bed every night with the cast.
Time is running out and the portal is closing. You can only save one. Suvi, Ame, Eursulon, the Fox. Who do you pull through before the other side collapses into endless nightmare?
I feel that Eursulon and I could be very happy together.
What's the general "process"/workflow of scoring an episode, from raw audio to final product, end up looking like? How many passes do you go over everything, what bits do you do before others, how long does it take to find/create _the perfect_ sound for something etc.? Also, How much gets cut out of an episode on average? ...Can we please get a bonus and/or blooper reel of some of the cut content (even if it consists mostly of Aabria, Lou, and Erika screaming). What's your _spiciest_ food related opinion?
Did you learn composition through YouTube or did you take some kind of online course? I've been wanting to look at learning composition myself so I wanted to see where you would reccommend starting.
I'm desperate to know: does Brennan (and you and Lou) understand the citrus scale now?
Do you intentionally sound so much like Brennan that I confused the two of you for several episodes, or is that just me?
Would you rather be a wizard, witch, wild one, hedge mage, or a baker who kind of knows how to sword fight?
Will you ever release the awesome music you have composed for the show? Even if just for patrons?
hi Taylor! what are your favorite moments from the campaign so far? like, that made you super emotional or something that made your skin crawl? and how did you go about matching those emotions to the effects you added? you're amazing and we love you 💜💜
Can you just give a shout out to Birmingham, AL? This place produces some damn fine folks.
Would you rather have to use audacity for all audio creation or have to eat a hive full of live bees?
How has the transition from sound designing a show like Rude Tales to a show like WBN been? Are you able to rely on the same stores of knowledge and skills, or has it been a lot of changing and re-orienting?
Not really a question but, I really enjoyed hearing you on the early fireside chats. I hope you'll be able to be on more of them in the future! (Also one of my biggest selling points trying to get people to start the pod is that it has the best production for any live play I've ever heard! Great job!!!)
In the fireside chats it's been revealed that you learned composition for WBN. Was there any prior experience that helped you learn this skill? Secondary question, what was the hardest part of learning composition? I love how the music and sound design enhances the already stellar performances of Brennan, Abria, Lou, and Erika!
Were you properly prepared for more than five questions per minute? Good luck!
very much not.
What is your favorite sound so far?
What method do you use when deciding the appropriate music for a certain scene? How do you know what sounds like the feelings we’re supposed to feel?
Does pepper enjoy Pathfinder or Exalted?
Are you secretly Brennan Lee Mulligan?
You have mentioned you learned composing for the show. Can you share a little bit about your journey into composing- where and how did you start learning? What is your composition process like?
To add to this, what music experience did you have prior? As someone who's tried jumping into composition (which I can do in my head) without piano/instrument experience, the biggest hurdle has been overcoming the grind of getting what's in my head into software without the prior experience/mastery over the basics of finding the right notes without pecking it one at at time.
Can you please gently boop Pepper on the nose for us? Saying "boop" out loud as you do so is required, also.
How do you deal with feeling out of your depth (if this happens to you too) when trying to score something that calls for stylistic/genre expectations outside your wheelhouse? For example, I have a background in metal and jazz guitar, so when I'm trying to score a scene that feels like it needs something more baroque/classical I feel like I'm just doing a bad fake
What is Pepper's favorite treat?
Your favorite sound from your childhood... and the weirdest sound effect you had to create so far. Bonus: favorite music instrument? Best regards to Pepper!
Double question: first, do you and Brennan discuss specifics of the story beforehand, or do you discover everything in real time? Second and more meta, I've been trying to reach you and the cast for a short interview for my PhD thesis on the history of TTRPGs, but I think it the message was lost somewhere. Would you be available to help out?
Did the cast bust up as much as I did when you used CCR's "Run Through the Jungle" instead of "Welcome to the Jungle" in that truly bonkers episode zero?
I am so glad someone caught that joke. thank you!
Have you made any custom sounds/scores for the show? Or do you pull from other resources?
How do you select pieces for a scene? What's your process?
Do they give you notes on sound cues and voice effects or have you been adding those as it feels right?
What is your process for composing for the show? How do you decide wich sound effects to add and which lines to reverberate?
Did you draw any inspiration from The Sandman audio book? You are incredibly talented!
What's some advice you could give to someone interested in composing music, albeit with limited musical background?
Do you get notes about the tone of music/style that is going into the podcast or are those choices up to you as the editor?
The editing and music on this show are some of the best I've heard in any podcast. Taking raw voice recordings and transforming them into the masterwork we're presented with every two weeks takes a staggering amount of skill and effort and I want to take a moment to recognize that. Also, since this is an AMA: how do you feel about people posting sincere compliments and inserting a non-question question at the end to technically comply with the format?
Love all your work! I'm curious, what's the general production timeline? How far in advance do the episodes get recorded/produced/etc, and how big is the gap between a WWW and a Fireside Episode?
What's your favorite ice cream? :)
You good?
How did you edit/create the effects for Brennan’s voice of The Visitor?
What are your favorite go-to sources (if any) for stock sound?
How much of doing the sound is composing vs going through audio libraries and mixing stuff together?
How do you create a certain emotion with sound in post?
Hi Taylor! Thanks so much for your work, I have been continually impressed and look forward to each of your cute little production tricks. Do you have any interest in adding video content to the stables at Fortunate Horse?
Would Legs Loveless enjoy the company of the Fox or consider him a threat to his own Cool Dog status?
What is Pepper's favorite snack?
Do you sit in on the sessions themselves, or do you only end up listening to them when you go to edit?
Why is Pepper the goodest girl / boy?
I love all the classical music you use in the sound editing! I thought the use of Neptune from The Planets was especially perfect. Are you a classical music fan?
What has been your favourite reaction of one of the WWW cast hearing your work on one of the episodes?
Will we ever get to see you on the other side of production, either as player or GM?
Have you ever cut any content that you regret cutting later? Also, separate entirely and totally not related, will we ever be able to hear an (mostly) uncut version of the episodes?
Does future knowledge of what is going to happen in the story shape your editing and music choices in whatever episode you’re currently working on?
Did you listen to other podcasts or tabletop content as research? If so, which ones and what were your biggest takeaways?
What did you do to learn how to compose?
Hey Taylor. What’s your background with TTRPG’s? And if you have, what was your last character!
Will there ever be recordings of the sessions? Or a live show?
How did this particular group come together?
Who's your favourite character and why is it the Fox?
Other than podcasting what is your favorite story-telling medium?
Do you occasionally call your doggo Dogtor Pepper?
My friends and I were working on starting a podcast of our own next year (not anything serious more just a project to stay in touch since we are geographically separated) I was wondering if there was a software you would recommend for recording? with us not being able to be in the same room.
Zencastr
What's your favorite aspect of working behind the scenes (editing, sound, etc)?
Please tell Pepper they are a good dog
I have 2 questions for a fellow Taylor. 1: what do you draw inspiration from? Many of the monster and spell sounds have an almost nostalgic feel to them. 2: what has been YOUR favorite episode or moment to do composition for so far?
Which effect has been your favorite so far? Voice/surroundings/music, whichever strikes your fancy! Or, if you can't tell us yet, in which episode will we be able to hear it? Thank you for your amazing work! I have to wait to get home before I listen to the adventure episodes because I simply NEED to have my good headphones and no commuting noise around me. I can't miss the sound design, it's sooooo good.
How hard was it to learn to compose for this project. The music is oholycowwowzers good and it just blows my mind you just learned how to make it.
What is your favourite episode of WBN so far?
Is there any soundtrack or sound production that particularly inspires you?
Hello Pepper!!!
When you are in the editing stage of making cuts of things like dead air and noisy ice are there elements of banter between the cast that also get removed for time? If so, is it a simple question of "is this in service/enrichment/adornment of the story/listening experience?" Are there other factors that help or force these decisions?
If you were to give life advice, what would it be and how did you happen upon such advice?
witch class release when? 👀🧙♀️
You get to go back and give 13 y/o Taylor one piece of advice. What do you tell him?
How stressful is your lonely work? And what are the ways you cope? (PS- You are brilliant at this, and we see you)
Will you ever guest/participate on mic as a player or GM?
What voice effect was surprisingly easy to create given the outcome if any?
Not a question just a statement. I'm going to start imagining Fox as looking like you're dog because they are so cute! You can not stop this
What is the decision process like for excluding certain moments? Is it more of a trimming for time or clarity situation? Has the cast ever asked for something to not be included?
What do *you* listen to?
Having stepped away from Rude Tales and These These for very valid health reasons, is Worlds Beyond Number your only podcast for the time being? Have you also stepped away from Fun City? Thanks for all the amazing hours of entertainment you've helped lovingly bring into the universe.
From your work on Rude Tales of Magic to now Worlds Beyond Number, what is your proudest moment of growth/what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a producer
How are you so effortlessly the coolest producer in the biz? If you could choose a warlock patron (assuming you don't already have one) who would it be and why?
When you go through the sound design, how do you go about choosing your foley? Do you just use sounds from random packs offline or do you do any foley forging and foraging yourself?
How much does Brennan's insistence on doing his own sound effects as a GM interfere with/inform your own creative decisions?
James read my mind. Would love an answer to this.
Why did you learn to compose for Worlds Beyond Number and why are you putting out banger after banger?
Whose music is inspiring you as you compose and make music for WBN?
If you were a witch- what would YOUR familiar be????
How much time do you think you spend on an individual episode with editing/composition input/mixing and mastering? Your work is truly inspiring
What is your favorite shark? I know it's not related, idc, I'm curious
Are you using mostly live instruments or MIDI for the score?
What’s an audio moment in the podcast so far that you nerd out about the most?
Do you listen during the recording, making notes for foley or music - or do you listen for the story fun and then do the production design?
What has been your most "Holy shit" moment about worlds beyond number so far? (could be anything, in game or just around the podcast)
A request for more Pepper content just because. My question is what has stumped and surprised you about learning to compose this amazing music. It blows my mind that this is new to you.
From your work on Rude Tales of Magic to now Worlds Beyond Number, what is your proudest moment of growth/what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a producer
How is it that you're such an amazing person and composer?! Follow-up! What are some of your main inspirations when composing the amazing scores for the show?!
Do you have a favorite trick or shortcut to make immersive sound?
Where the merch at? Also how does the room not explode with so much talent in it? It's zoom isn't it? Is there a limit on questions?
From your work on Rude Tales of Magic to now Worlds Beyond Number, what is your proudest moment of growth/what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a producer
What is the cutest thing your wonderful dog has done recently?
what's a project/scene that you'd really love to get the opportunity to score? i.e. if you wanted to branch out of podcast scoring, or specific grand battle/narrative confrontation scenes ?
What are some inspirations that you drew from while composing for the podcast?
what is ur favorite part of working on WBN?
What was it like when everyone thought you were Brennan Lee Mulligan doing a voice? Have you recovered from that experience? Are you okay?
Do you draw inspiration from any existing shows or movies? Anything recent?
I seen to remember hearing that this is your first sound designing job, (fantastic job btw) and I was curious what the moment was when you determined that this is what you wanted to do?
Who is your favorite 90s hip hop artist/group?
First heard u on the Rude Tales Of Magic podcast. Thought the sound design and music was incredible. My Q is what is the hardest part about producing a narrative podcast sense?
Hi Taylor! Do you have a favourite WBN NPC?
The roar from the first battle sounded like it was from a dinosaur or alien movie. How'd you find/make that?
How long did it take you when studying music production?? I only just started learning music and some friends and I wanna start producing songs and stuff. Love the stuff I've heard so far!
How did you get to know the cast members? Is it difficult being based in NY while the cast is in LA? Or does modern technology make that relatively painless?
What was your first meeting with each of the players like? (Thank you for your work, the sound is truly one of my favorite things about the show 🫶🏼)
I must know, what was the meet cute? How'd you'd get to know the gang?
What is your process like for scoring and sound designing episodes? How do you decide what should have sound behind it and what kind, and how do you go about acquiring/creating the right sfx and music?
The music and sound design match so well with the scenes! Do the players/DM have input on the music or sounds, or do you just knock it out of the park solo?
Were you the one to pitch the idea of a fully like immersive DnD with all the audio effort or was it more of a group idea? Every time I listen I'm just fully transported and I wish there was a way to say that that didn't sound like a snooty art critic
how much do you know about the story and the world that the players don’t? are you in the loop with brennan about things that are kept secret to everyone else, or are you in the dark about all of it with the rest of us?
incredible work by the way!
Where/how does one start learning sound design?
I've heard several people say "he sounds nice"... but are you?
Any chance that you join as a player for one or more sessions?
Will you be a guest player on the podcast? Any chance of you DMing a one shot?
What’s the strangest sound you had to find online for your job? It could be this podcast or any of your previous work
How is your dog so cute?
What kind of music do you like to listen to outside of creating your own?
Do you agree Pepper is the goodest boi/gurl?
Any chance the Soundtrack for the series will Be released at some point? Some friggin epic tracks going so far
That was answered at some point, the answer is yes, eventually, but there’s so many spinning plates right now that it’s on the back burner
What are the musical inspirations you take when composing the (quite excellent) score?
is the score for WBN going to be released at some point? i love the music and would love to vibe to it
That was answered at some point, the answer is yes, eventually, but there’s so many spinning plates right now that it’s on the back burner
will you post more photos of your dog???? please?
Does Brennan sound like you, or do you sound like Brennan?
How much input does the cast have in the sound design? Do they offer suggestions?
How did you get paired up with this group of psychopaths, what's the story? Chances are it's entirely mundane but it'd be interesting to know!
Who is your current favorite NPC that we’ve met so far?
what is a thing that you did with production that isn't out yet and that you are excited for us to see ?
How did you learn music composition???
Hi Taylor! Curious what your favorite TT game is if it isn’t dnd?
What was it like learning how to compose for this podcast? Why did you decide to take that step and go the extra mile like that, and any other music related deets you want to share?
Where do you guys usually record the sessions and audio?
What class did you take to learn to compose so well??
Hi Taylor, thank you so much for doing this!! What breed of excellence is Pepper? Are there any plans for WBN merch?
How do you manage to make the ambiance so forward without taking away from the players?
Yes, hi, question for Pepper: who’s a good boy?
Who’s a good dog?
Did you have any experience of ttrpgs before you started producing? PS give Pepper the biggest hug for me please
Bear parade ringtone when!?
What is your favorite bit of audio you’ve done for the podcast so far & why?
Have you ever scared yourself with the spooky sound design in a WWW episode?
Taylor, what’s your favorite snack?
Any advice for aspiring podcast sound editors? Or more specifically, people who want to start a podcast but have barely any experience with audio editing?
If you were at the table what type of character would you want to bring to the story?
Possum pal progress?