Sound design can be guided by felt, tactile, and emotional qualities alongside technical parameters

Objekt articulates two parallel modes of thinking about sound: the technical mode (waveform shape, signal processing stages, before/after spectral analysis) and the felt mode (texture, mood, hardness, softness, emotional color). Both are valid and productive. Terms like ‘crunchy’, ‘glued’, ‘honest’, ‘open’, ‘starry’ are not vague — they point to specific processing choices and combinations that create those impressions. Using felt descriptors alongside technical ones helps maintain creative direction when technical problem-solving risks losing the overall aesthetic goal.

Examples

‘Crunchy and glued together’ pointed to bit-crushing and bus compression. ‘Honest, open, pinpoint clarity’ described moving away from heavy overall processing. These are actionable aesthetic targets.

Assessment

Identify two sound design choices (specific processing or synthesis steps) that produce the quality ‘crunchy’. Then identify two that produce the quality ‘open and honest’. How do these felt descriptors guide technical decisions?