As we have recorded the background sounds according to different kinds of dogs’ sizes and hearing traits, coupled with sound effects that they would hear or make, we presented them in the mixing as much as possible.
For the blind Labrador part, I went with binaural audio — so the sound feels like it’s happening all around your head, helping listeners feel a bit more “dog” in the process.
For dogs who have issues with watching, an orange speaker was added to its soundtrack to boost the sensation of acuity and sensitivity.
And other details about processing are listed below for reference.
The deaf dog version is processed based on the blind dog’s configuration (but not binaural anymore, because it can only hear things on one side as discussed). However, I’ve panned the previous soundtrack to the left channel, while adding a pure sine sweep—two octaves above—into the right, amplifying the sensation of distraction and disorientation. (I suspect those dogs can’t perceive orientation at all.)
At last, I want to explain why I was so determined to add various distortion plug-ins to these soundtracks. I was deeply moved and inspired by the film Sound of Metal (2019, Darius Marder), which powerfully portrays how individuals with hearing loss might perceive sound — metallic, distorted, even robotic — yet rendered in an unexpectedly simple and affecting way.
