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"Water became more than just a sound source. It turned into an instrument, a means of expression, a storytelling tool in the hands of the user"
We asked Sound Designer John Valasis to create water Foley sound effects for Krotos Studio. His goal was simple: to make pro-quality, performable presets. In this interview, we look at the tools, techniques, and choices that brought it all together. For an overview of the new content, click here
Water is one of the most expressive sound sources we have, so this project was a fantastic opportunity! I was able to blend technical precision with playful, hands-on experimentation.
When I read a brief, I first want to know its purpose. I ask why the final product will help users and how it fits with the brand's identity and style. Plus, as a composer and sound designer, I always aim to create something I’d want to use myself in a production.
Water is a vast category, so choosing sounds can be a challenge. I wanted to cover everything from rivers and streams to indoor sources.
To decide what sounds to record, I first try to understand how users will interact with them. Are we talking about a simple sample pack with raw WAVs? Is there a built-in engine or sampler? What is the real-life use case?
In this case, of course, I was building a collection for Krotos Studio. This means that the sounds had to be versatile, responsive, and realistic.
Krotos Studio is for both content creators and professional sound designers. That’s why the pack includes not just one-shots and longer recordings, but also round robins with a wide dynamic range across the layers.
I’ve recorded water sound effects for films before. I’ve also used water as source material for creating heavily-processed sound design elements for sample packs. But I’d never created something with so much detail and demand. Here, water became more than a sound source. It turned into an instrument, a means of expression, a storytelling tool in the hands of the user.
We recorded all indoor water Foley at Athens Film Sound. This is a purpose-built Foley and sound design studio that I co-founded in Athens. The studio focuses on cinematic storytelling through sound. It places emphasis on creating detailed textures, realism, and emotional nuance.
We have a custom 500-litre water tank designed specifically for water Foley sound effects. The space offers surfaces, props, and planned acoustic settings. This allows us to create many different sound experiences. All rooms in the studio connect through a Dante network. This setup allows for flexible routing and smooth integration across the facility.
We built Athens Film Sound with care and intention. It reflects the vision I share with my co-founder and close friend, Mikes Billis. Together, we created a space that serves the technical needs of sound professionals but also inspires creativity and a deep connection to storytelling through sound.
In traditional Foley, everything revolves around the story the director wants to tell. The image dictates every nuance of the performance. You know when a sound needs to be subtle or aggressive because the story tells you.
In contrast, when creating presets for a tool like Krotos Studio, the mindset shifts. You aren't performing to a fixed story. You’re building a versatile instrument that enables others to be the Foley artist. That changes everything.
You need more takes, more dynamic variation, more round robins, and more diversity.
"Speed is the biggest difference between Krotos Studio and working in a physical Foley space. With the right sounds and engine, you can get professional-level results directly from your computer."
Even for those who have access to a Foley studio, time is always a factor. Krotos Studio gives people the ability to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
For most of the recordings I created for this pack, I placed the microphones as close to the source as possible. The goal was to capture every tiny detail and avoid any unwanted reflections from nearby surfaces. But when your source is water, things can get a little wet!
Recording high-energy bubble shots was especially tricky. There were several moments when the water splashed out of the tank and came dangerously close to hitting the microphones.
I used windshields to protect the gear... a surprisingly effective barrier against water. I also kept a hairdryer nearby to dry the windshields between takes. This was important, to avoid any unwanted muffling or interference in the sound.
With improvisation and quick thinking, I could push the recordings without compromising the equipment.
"After experimenting for a while, I tried the Reformer AI engine instead. That decision made a big difference. The sound immediately felt more natural and dynamic"
I used a Zoom F6 recorder, capturing everything at 192 kHz / 24-bit resolution.
At first, I experimented with some of the shotgun microphones we use for film Foley. Eventually, though, I chose a stereo matched pair of Clippy EM272Z1 mics. These use the Primo EM272 capsule, as they have low self-noise and high sensitivity. This makes them ideal for subtle water recordings.
For the field recordings, I used an A/B stereo configuration, placing the microphones in a spaced pair setup. This allowed me to capture a wide, immersive sound field that emphasises space and movement. It was perfect for flowing water and ambience.
Close miking was essential in capturing focused and detailed water textures. It helped avoid room coloration and brought out the subtle tonal shifts in movement.
The small size of the EM272Z1 microphones was also a big advantage. I was able to position them in tight spaces where larger mics wouldn’t fit. One example was recording inside a sink drain trap. I could capture enclosed bubbling textures with total clarity.
I also positioned the mics slightly off-axis for more aggressive takes. This helped avoid proximity distortion. Shock mounts and soft materials were used to reduce handling noise throughout.
For editing and organising my recordings, I used Cubase Pro 13. It’s my main DAW for precise waveform editing, layering, and file management. I use iZotope RX 11 to clean up artifacts and background noise. It offers excellent spectral repair and denoising tools.
Once the sounds were optimised, I used Soundminer to embed metadata into the WAV files. This ensured everything was organised, searchable, and ready for smooth integration into Krotos Studio.
I wanted to take full advantage of the flexibility and playability of Krotos Studio. I treated each preset like a mini instrument with its own character.
I made extensive use of the XY pads to control dynamics and textures. I also created macro sliders to affect pitch or release, depending on what made sense for the sound.
My goal was to make each preset expressive and fun to play with, while staying true to the natural feel of the recordings.
Detailed, careful, and precise editing.
Often, while building the presets, I realised that some recordings needed to be re-edited to better support the behaviour I wanted.
Elements like attack and release can completely change how natural or responsive a sound feels. That’s why I structured my workflow so I could quickly return to Cubase or RX and revise anything that didn’t quite fit.
In some presets, such as Water Drips, I added a third granular layer to each core sound. This layer used the same sample, but at different pitches. This sample was also triggered in different regions of the XY pad. This created smooth transitions between soft and intense water drips, while also adding depth.
This layering technique was actually suggested by Molly Isaac, sound designer at Krotos, during the review process. It's a brilliant way to bring presets to life whilst keeping the interface intuitive.
The Water Motion preset gave me the most trouble!
I recorded water movement inside the tank and started by slicing everything into short one-shots. I loaded them into the basic sampler engines in Krotos Studio, but it didn’t feel right. The playability wasn’t there.
After experimenting for a while, I tried the Reformer AI engine instead. That decision made a big difference. The sound immediately felt more natural and dynamic.
I went back to the raw recordings and reloaded entire takes with different dynamic behaviours. That’s when I realised that, for this type of content, Reformer AI performs much better with long, fluid performances than with short, isolated hits.
That shift unlocked the full potential of the preset and gave it the sense of motion and realism it was missing.
1. Spend some time exploring the XY pads
Even small movements can reveal unexpected variations and dynamics. Many presets include one or two pads, each controlling different aspects of tone or intensity.
2. Pay attention to the macro sliders
They often control pitch or release, and they’re designed to give you meaningful expression without overcomplicating the workflow.
3. Make use of Quick FX
this is a great way to instantly add reverb or filtering, helping the sounds sit better in your mix or scene.
...and finally, don't treat presets as fixed assets, but as responsive instruments that adapt to your creative flow.
Depending on the visual context, even small adjustments can make a big difference. For example, in some presets, you will find a macro slider controlling release time.
A longer release creates a more ambient feeling, while a shorter one is perfect for fast cuts or sync points.
If you’re a content creator working under time pressure, even simple XY movements can bring scenes to life quickly. These presets were built to respond quickly and match the emotional tone of your visuals.
Definitely Steam Shots. It has great playability and real-world usefulness. The recordings behind it were fun and challenging too.
Steam Shots uses multiple release samples that trigger when you release the mouse. This gives the sound effect a super tactile feel.
To get the recordings, I went to a local café early in the morning while the staff were cleaning before opening. I asked them to stay quiet for 5 to 10 minutes while I recorded the steam from the coffee machine.
As I monitored with headphones, I looked up to find three people staring at me silently, clearly wondering what on earth I was doing!
Don’t hesitate to experiment. Play, test, edit, and then do it all over again. It’s not about getting it “right.” It’s about creating something you’d be excited to use yourself.
One way to check that is to drop your preset into a scene and see how it works in context. Does it enhance the mood? Does it move with the image? Does it tell a story?
Don’t just build presets. Build moments someone else will remember.
John Valasis is a composer, producer, and sound designer with over 20 years of experience in music production and sound design. His work spans multiple disciplines, from composing and producing music across various genres to crafting immersive sound design for film, gaming, and audio technology companies. He has collaborated with industry leaders such as Meta, BBC, HBO, Native Instruments, Ableton, and Roland.