F.A.Q.
Our answers to your most common questions. If there is anything further we can answer, email us and we will get back to you ASAP!
Q: Can you give a quick rundown of your services?
A: Absolutely. Eiravaein Works creates audio products and offers sound design services:
- Original & commissioned audio libraries
- Field recording, Foley, sound design, and post-production for documentaries and animations
- Game audio
- Solo artist recording / album production
Q: What sort of kit do you use?
A: Without going into a ton a detail, our in-house and mobile work is conducted thoroughly and dependably in part on gear from Sound Devices, Focusrite, Zoom, Mogami, Røde, Shure, Rycote, Line Audio, Mackie, EMU, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Avid, Image-Line, Sony, Izotope, German Maestro, Audio Technica, and a myriad of handmade custom instruments, rigs, and mics. And also tea, lots of tea.
Q: Simply put, what is the philosophy behind your sound design?
A: Innovative perspectives on unique sound sources.
Q: Where are you currently based?
A: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. We've called it home here for years now. We like it; plenty of trees.
Q: What is your background?
A: Kyle might be a new guy in the public eye, but he has 10+ years audio design experience, education in cognitive semiotics, soundscape research, audio engineering, linguistic and cultural studies, as well as additional professional experience in project and data management. Stir together, innovate.
Q: What are your quality standards for your libraries?
A: We have a few: 96 kHz @ 24-bit resolution is first, though we have a special library designed specifically with only 48kHz (also @ 24-bit) and a few specific sounds in Ilmarinen that for matters of context were captured in 48kHz. Besides these two instances, all audio is captured and kept at 96 kHz/24bit (and above). However, though currently not technologically possible, we love Dan Lavry's whitepaper on 60 kHz.
Secondly, is our audio path. Wide, airy, and clear mic pres, as close to zero-distortion cabling as we can get, and flat-response monitoring. We want our design and capturing techniques to add the flavor to our libraries. We like our gear transparent.
Thirdly, is our processing path. We maintain a "maximum of only 2 degrees removed" policy when it comes to post-processing and finalizing our libraries. Once the file is pulled from our recorders in its original native .wav, it is only processed through a total of two possible systems before being finalized. This makes the preparation of our libraries much more focused and intense, but also helps us to provide a high level of consistency, specialization, and utter lucidity. By keeping our processing chain short, we maintain untainted high audio fidelity.
Q: What about BWFs and metadata?
A: All of our audio contain embedded metadata that can be read in Soundminer, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Sound Forge Pro, etc.
Q: So...stereo and mono tracks? Why not one or the other? Why not just all stereo?
A: Possibly one of the most debated questions in sound effects/design circles is whether to capture/record/collect your high-definition audio in mono or stereo formats. We choose both, and here is why. If you've ever had to implement audio into a project you know that bandwidth, stereo image, headroom, and project disk space can all get crowded very quickly. Audio needs to be as pristine as possible, as accurately located as possible, and as sonically versatile as possible, while leaving as small of a data footprint as possible. That is a tall order for any modality of any project. That understood, we provide both mono and stereo files in our libraries in order to fulfill those requirements.
Mono files as just as high of quality as stereo files. Mono/stereo differentiation has no effect on a sound file's quality. What the differentiation does permit is better management of space (both data and imaging) and a more versatile and appropriate library of sound to utilize. Stereo files are the only way to go for ambiances, wide and deep effects (e.g. gigantic explosions), and musical compositions. Mono files are ideal for Foley work, spot sounds, dialogue, detailed layering, fine localization, and audio which moves around dynamically in the stereo image. Mono recordings are in general, more versatile than stereo recordings. Often times, when a Foley effect is originally rendered in stereo but you need it in mono so you sum to mono or severe a channel and re-render, the resulting effect can have frequency anomalies, distortion, inconsistencies in volume, and other losses of quality. So, we offer both. That way you're able to build and design the audio in your projects to exactly what you want without any compromises in quality.
Q: I'd like to use one of your libraries on our studio's network and share it with multiple users. Do you offer multi-user licenses?
A: Each sound library that you purchase comes with a single-user license, intended for one (1) individual person. To use one of our libraries on a network or to share it with users/dedicated workstations other than the initial one which the license was given to, you will need a multi-user license. This requires an additional license purchase of the library or libraries for each individual person or dedicated workstation that will have access to the library.
We offer a sliding discount based on the quantity of licenses purchased:
Multi-User Pricing
| No. of Users | Discount provided |
| 2-5 | 10% |
| 6-10 | 20% |
| 11-25 | 30% |
| 25-49 | 40% |
| 50+ | 50% |
To purchase a multi-user license, please contact us and we will provide you with a specific invoice tailored to your licensing needs.
Q: I've made a purchase! How does your download process work?
A: After purchasing our of our products, and email will be sent to the address which you provided during checkout with a secure download link for your purchase. You will be able to use the link two (2) times to download your content in case you need to download from/to a remote location. The link will remain valid for a designated period of days after your purchase, after which you will need to contact us to receive a new link. To protect our digital content, all links are randomized to prevent digital copyright infringement.
Q: Do you offer refunds?
A: Downloaded libraries cannot be returned, therefore refunds will not be provided. Please choose your selection carefully.
Q: Legally speaking, what am I allowed to do with my downloaded sounds?
A: Always a good question. The answer is almost anything, but of course you may not copy any library files and distribute or resell them in any way. Go have a read through our disclosed legal notice, located here.