I am very much interested in learning more about Sound Design and how to create my own sample libraries  
 
if you happen to be using SONAR for Sound Design and creating unique sample libraries
 
would you care to share some of your tips 
 
Kenny

All the time!

Sonar is a terrific Sound Design tool! Now I'm not using it to create libraries,  but rather sounds for live theatre, so my toolbox may differ from yours.

First you need source material - I have about 1TB of sound effects libraries that I've used for a very long time, so they tend to be my primary sources. I do have a number of Kontakt libraries that I've started to use, a bunch of percussion libraries from SoundIron and 8Dio, Heaviosity Evolve, and a bunch of others I can't think of at the moment. I also record a lot of my own sounds.

Second, you need Effects plug-ins - all the SoundToys plugs are useful, and Waves has several that work well for sound design (e.g. MondoMod). I'm a big fan of delays for sound design, and the PSP stuff is awesome. There are probably a couple others I use, but again can't think of them at the moment.
 
Third, you will want a synthesizer or two for sweeps, swooshes, etc. The included plugins will get you started, then you'll want to investigate things like Alchemy or Diva. If you have the NI collection Reaktor is amazingly deep too.

You'll eventually want to try your hand at granular synthesis, there is a free processor called PaulStretch which will keep you occupied for years.

Lastly, you may find that a good audio editor still comes in handy. You can do a lot (A LOT) with slip editing in Soanr, but every once in a while I find it easier to think in terms of the old days (think tape) and I use Sound Forge and Wavelab to do some stuff. (In truth, sometimes I still use my tape deck... but I need to get over that!)

Tips -
 
listen to a LOT of stuff you want to emulate. For me it is sound tracks, but it could be anything sound design oriented, games, electronic based music, etc. Just LISTEN!

There are a handful of books that you might find useful too. I just got Burt's book about creating the sounds for Starwars and it will really open your mind to using sounds in less than conventional ways. If you can find the interviews with the designers for "Twister" they are eye openers too.

All of which leads up to creating a library. I don't do that, except for personal use, so my best advice would be to pick a sample engine (Kontakt, Mach5, SFZ) and learn as much as you can about the engine. If you want to learn to create Kontakt libraries I'd suggest joining VI-Control, a forum that boasts a number of the top Kontakt developers. Not sure where to look for the others.

I also use Sonar a lot for sound design. Check out my upcoming column in the June 2014 issue of Guitar Player magazine.

another aspect is to record your own sounds with an H4 or similar, then edit to suit...

I'm doing a music concrete project/sound mapping/soundscape project for honours at the moment.  Sonar is a great tool for this sort of stuff.  It's by far the best program for editing audio and getting in there and splicing up samples.  I must admit though I am terribly lazy and my audio is all over different hard drives.  I will clean this up though one day.
 
Ben

I mostly use Sound Forge, but SONAR will work fine too as others have noted.
 
Alchemy is the easiest "effect" for SFX.
 
A hand held recorder is a great adjunct for your sound library -even a cheap one.  Hear something, capture it.
 
One of the things it is easy to do in SF is sllooowwww a sound down.  Everyday things or rhythmic parts both work.  A great way to take your field recording and turn it into a strange drone.  Backwards works, too, which is a click command in SONAR.
 
Convolution reverb is really great for treating sound.  There are "effects" impulse libraries that churn out interesting convolutions.  Then run it through again and again different impulses.
 
Basically, anything you can think of to mangle a sound.
 
@
 

I'm a sound designer for film and Tv. I swear by it.
 
My workflow starts with sourcing sounds with my Zoom H4n... So for horror that usually means smashing the crud out of a pumpkin, a cabbage or some other poor vegetable (for impact sounds and gore).....Or whatever the film needs but I usually start organically like this (this is the true art of sound design)
 
I'll then treat them in Sound Forge for pitch.
 
Then build a library and transfer into Kontakt.
 
Then I'll track it all to picture in Sonar.... I often use other great libraries like the Heavyocity stuff as well.

wst3
All the time!

Sonar is a terrific Sound Design tool! Now I'm not using it to create libraries,  but rather sounds for live theatre, so my toolbox may differ from yours.

First you need source material - I have about 1TB of sound effects libraries that I've used for a very long time, so they tend to be my primary sources. I do have a number of Kontakt libraries that I've started to use, a bunch of percussion libraries from SoundIron and 8Dio, Heaviosity Evolve, and a bunch of others I can't think of at the moment. I also record a lot of my own sounds.

Second, you need Effects plug-ins - all the SoundToys plugs are useful, and Waves has several that work well for sound design (e.g. MondoMod). I'm a big fan of delays for sound design, and the PSP stuff is awesome. There are probably a couple others I use, but again can't think of them at the moment.
 
Third, you will want a synthesizer or two for sweeps, swooshes, etc. The included plugins will get you started, then you'll want to investigate things like Alchemy or Diva. If you have the NI collection Reaktor is amazingly deep too.

You'll eventually want to try your hand at granular synthesis, there is a free processor called PaulStretch which will keep you occupied for years.

Lastly, you may find that a good audio editor still comes in handy. You can do a lot (A LOT) with slip editing in Soanr, but every once in a while I find it easier to think in terms of the old days (think tape) and I use Sound Forge and Wavelab to do some stuff. (In truth, sometimes I still use my tape deck... but I need to get over that!)

Tips -
 
listen to a LOT of stuff you want to emulate. For me it is sound tracks, but it could be anything sound design oriented, games, electronic based music, etc. Just LISTEN!

There are a handful of books that you might find useful too. I just got Burt's book about creating the sounds for Starwars and it will really open your mind to using sounds in less than conventional ways. If you can find the interviews with the designers for "Twister" they are eye openers too.

All of which leads up to creating a library. I don't do that, except for personal use, so my best advice would be to pick a sample engine (Kontakt, Mach5, SFZ) and learn as much as you can about the engine. If you want to learn to create Kontakt libraries I'd suggest joining VI-Control, a forum that boasts a number of the top Kontakt developers. Not sure where to look for the others.

wst3
this is very helpful information you have posted here   i need to reread this a bunch of times to grasp everything you have shared  ...
I'm pretty much looking to learn how to roll my own sounds for personal use ...
 
you mentioned a key word Listen …Yes,  listen is what has lead me up to this point ….
for example, I was listening to the Zodiac u tube demo the other day and I certainly liked most of what I had heard ….
more importantly I said to myself that I know that I can do that ….
 
the important thing is I'm starting to have a lot of those light bulb type of moments  where I can be led to approaching my participation in music with a fresh ear and an open mind to learning new things ...
I'm still teachable and I want to learn 
 
thank you 
 
Kenny
 
 

Anderton
I also use Sonar a lot for sound design. Check out my upcoming column in the June 2014 issue of Guitar Player magazine.

Hi Craig , 
thank you for the heads up .
I look forward to checking out your upcoming article in the June 2014 issuer of Guitar Player 
I have the fullest respect and admiration for you abilities as a sound designer and a person who really knows his way around SONAR … 
the other night I was listening to some of the things you did for the M Audio Pro Sessions 
before I had a computer I used a BOSS BR1180CD I had bought a disc of sounds that you were on 
I really dug that E bow guitar and the feedback guitar …those sounds are great  
 
Kenny

dlion16
another aspect is to record your own sounds with an H4 or similar, then edit to suit...

+1 great on a idea …
I have the Zoom Q3 and I carried that thing around to everywhere I went for a long time ...
it's time to put the Q 3 back in rotation
 
thank you
 
Kenny