For the latest reboot of the legendary Godzilla film series, Erik Aadahl (pictured right) and Ethan Van der Ryn (pictured left with Sanken mic) of e2 sound design were tasked with creating the new roar of the beast along with a bizarre array of otherworldly sounds. The duo, who together have garnered seven Oscar nominations and two wins, chose the Sanken CO-100K microphone to help capture the unique sounds for the film.

"The Sanken microphone is a window into a whole invisible world of frequencies that are beyond our human capacity of hearing," explained Erik Aadahl. "The mic captures an incredible world of sound that we can then bring into our software, slow it down, pulling all of those high frequencies into the audible realm."

"Godzilla’s original roar from the 1954 Toho film was created using a double bass and a leather glove with pine tar rosin to create friction," explained Aadahl. "Using the Sanken 100K mic, we recorded the friction of a glove going across the strings to reproduce that iconic Godzilla roar, probably the most famous sound effect in cinema history. The Sanken was one pretty incredible tool for being able to create sounds that one could never hear."

With a 20Hz – 100kHz range, the Sanken CO-100K omni-directional condenser microphone is the world’s first 100kHz microphone designed specifically for professional recording, not test purposes. The information contained above the standard frequency range can be captured and reproduced using sample rate and pitch techniques familiar to industry professionals. Numerous everyday sounds were transformed by e2. "Dry ice was a big player for us," explains Aadahl. We used a big block of dry ice, resonating against a six foot cylinder of metal ventilation tubing."

Van der Ryn adds, "Key to our philosophy is recording new sounds to design with. Using this palate of fresh ingredients, we strive to make a wholly unique and expressive sonic story-telling experience. The only way you can accomplish that is to truly keep your ears open."

Godzilla is a co-production of Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures and is scheduled to be released on 16 May in 2D and 3D, and in Dolby Atmos (where available).

www.e2sound.com

sankenstudio.com