Swipe audio is small but noticeable: the wrong transient can feel laggy, and the wrong tail can clutter a UI. Use the library for quick downloads, or generate custom swipes by specifying gesture speed, material, and how present the whoosh should be. The tips below help you get swipes that match the screen action and sit cleanly beside taps, clicks, and narration.
Match gesture speed to transient shape
Fast flicks need a sharper attack and shorter decay so the sound hits right on the motion start. Slower drags benefit from a softer onset and a slightly longer friction texture so they do not feel like a click.
- For quick UI paging: ask for a crisp transient and very short tail.
- For long drags: request continuous friction with controlled brightness.
- If it feels late: reduce tail length before boosting volume.
Pick material and texture (glass, plastic, synth)
Material choice sells the interface style. Glass reads modern and clean, plastic reads card or badge movement, and synth swipes work for stylized UI without real-world foley.
- Glass: bright top end, minimal grit, low room tone.
- Plastic card: midrange bite with subtle scrape texture.
- Synth: wide stereo sweep, no ambience, no harsh sizzle.
Control space: dry vs roomy swipes
Most UI swipes should be dry so they do not fight voiceover. A tiny sense of space can help in cinematic mockups, but avoid long reflections that make the interaction feel distant.
- For tutorials: request dry, close, no reverb, low noise floor.
- For motion graphics: allow a short airy tail, not a long wash.
- If it masks speech: narrow stereo width and shorten decay.
Avoid common swipe SFX mistakes
Overly loud whooshes, clicky artifacts, and inconsistent loudness across multiple swipes are the fastest ways to make UI feel cheap. Use regeneration to fix artifacts instead of forcing heavy EQ.
- Avoid big low-end whooshes unless the scene is intentionally cinematic.
- Avoid sharp clicks at the start; ask for smooth onset or de-clicked transient.
- Avoid random volume jumps; prompt for consistent loudness across a sequence.
