Emmy-winning Sound Designer Isaac Derfel Enhances Blue Bloods with Krotos Sound Design Tools
New York, NY, April 29, 2025 — Isaac Derfel, an Emmy-winning and two-time Emmy-nominated sound designer known for his work on the long-running TV series Blue Bloods, utilizes Krotos tools such as Weaponiser and the AI-powered Krotos Studio to augment his creative process and explore new sounds, adding depth and realism to his television and film projects.
Derfel’s expertise is showcased in his work on CBS’s hit show Blue Bloods, where he has been instrumental in crafting the series' sound design for over eight seasons. As the sole re-recording mixer for the show, Derfel manages a rigorous weekly schedule, including dialogue pre-mixing on Fridays, full final mixes on Mondays, and reviews with the sound supervisor, music editor and show producers on Tuesdays. Utilizing Krotos's Weaponiser and Krotos Studio, he quickly layers and manipulates sound effects to enhance the emotion and realism throughout each episode, dedicating the rest of the week to cutting effects and backgrounds.
"Weaponiser allows me to import and randomize sounds to create complex, layered effects quickly. For instance, I use it to trigger sounds like door openings and phone rings live while watching the scene, keeping me more engaged with the story," says Derfel. He elaborates on the creative potential of Weaponiser, particularly its ability to streamline repetitive tasks. "I bounced out all the phone sounds from different offices, imported them into Weaponiser, and used its features to randomize and trigger the correct phone sounds as needed. This was a fun and efficient way to handle recurring elements," he explains. "Similarly, for doors, I can load multiple layers of door sounds, trigger them live, and achieve a much richer sound."
Derfel views sound design as a critical element of storytelling. He credits Krotos with enhancing his creative process, allowing him to reinvent sounds that keep his work fresh and engaging. "Krotos isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about inspiring creativity. Each tool opens up new possibilities, making familiar scenes feel new and exciting," says Derfel. He continues by explaining, “Sometimes, when I need something fresh besides my typical sound libraries, I turn to Krotos Studio and check out their latest libraries. This helps spark new ideas.”
Krotos Studio's intuitive interface allows Derfel to experiment with different sound combinations and effects." The built-in sound patches in Krotos Studio enable me to adjust elements like pitch and impact, giving me complete control over the final sound," he says. "This flexibility is invaluable when working on complex projects with tight deadlines."
For Derfel, the true power of Krotos’ tools lies in their versatility and ease of use. "The ability to layer and output multiple channels in Weaponiser is crucial for creating rich, full sounds," he explains. "I often use four different door elements layered together to help convey the emotion of a scene, whether it's a tense moment or a casual interaction."
For more information on Krotos Studio and Weaponiser, please visit the Krotos Website.
About Krotos
With a mission to change the way people work with sound, Krotos is the innovative technology company behind the award-winning Krotos Studio, Dehumaniser, Reformer Pro, Weaponiser, Igniter, and Concept 2. Krotos’ software allows content creators to perform and customize sound easily, saving hours of editing time and allowing them to focus on creativity while injecting more fun into the process. Krotos' award-winning software has wowed Hollywood and the video game industry and has been used in blockbusters like Game of Thrones, Avengers, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Terminator, Star Trek, Frozen and Stranger Things.
Hunter Williams
