Sound as a sign
Leo Murray · 2019
Part of the problem of analysing and talking about sound, is the lack of appropriate or consistent vocabulary. A language with which to describe the purpose and function of sounds and sound practices might go some way to removing the shroud of unfamiliarity of the work of the sound practitioner. The Peircean model and its vocabulary is shown to be useful in analysing both the soundtrack as a whole, as well as the specific sounds and sound/image combinations. It provides the means to go beyond the technical operations to describe the functional aspects of sounds. Semiotics, usually based on the European linguistic tradition of Ferdinand de Saussure has often been often been applied to media studies and film studies but when applied to sound has rarely been convincing. Here an alternative semiotic model from the American Charles S. Peirce (1839–1914) is adopted which is more suitable to the task. The model semiotics, used as an overarching model into which other elements of sound theory can be incorporated, is shown to be versatile enough to provide a comprehensive and universal approach that can be applied equally to both the analysis and practice of sound design. Peirce’s semiotic model is examined in some detail, investigating the extent to which it is a suitable tool for sound analysis. Peirce’s model of the sign provides a number of elements that can be applied to the analysis of sound generally, and sound design in particular. Both the signs themselves and the process of creating them can be analysed using the Peircean concepts of icon, index and symbol; immediate and dynamical objects and interpretants; and the concept of abduction as a logical process.