A "car crash" can mean a crisp bumper tap, a slow metal fold, or a multi-hit pileup. Use prompts that specify the impact type, perspective, and what happens after the hit (glass, debris, scrape) so the attack and tail line up with your camera and environment.
Choose the crash event (hit vs scrape vs sequence)
Start by deciding what the viewer sees: a single impact, a continuous side scrape, or a chain of hits. This choice determines the transient shape—one big attack or sustained grinding—and how much motion you need in the sound.
- Single hit: "hard impact, sharp transient, short decay"
- Scrape: "continuous metal grind, steady texture, stereo movement"
- Sequence: "squeal lead-in, impact, debris scatter, settling tail"
Specify materials and secondary details
The most believable crashes include readable materials. Call out metal folding for weight, glass for brightness, and plastic for midrange snap; these details help the generator avoid a flat, one-note impact.
- Metal: "crunchy deformation, gritty resonance, low-end thud"
- Glass: "bright shard burst, tinkling scatter, quick decay"
- Plastics: "bumper snap, trim rattle, short rattly tail"
Set perspective and environment cues
Distance and space change everything: close perspective emphasizes transients and low-end; distant crashes soften highs and extend the tail. Mention the location so reflections feel right—open street, tunnel, or parking garage.
- Close: "tight, dry, minimal room reflection, focused center"
- Distant: "soft transient, wider stereo ambience, longer decay"
- Spaces: "tunnel slapback" or "parking-garage reflections"
Common prompting mistakes to avoid
Crash sounds can become cartoonish if they're too long, too bright, or stacked with unrelated booms. Keep prompts grounded and describe what should NOT be present so the result stays mix-ready.
- Avoid "explosion-like boom" unless the visuals justify it
- Avoid nonstop debris; leave room for the edit and dialogue
- Avoid huge reverb tails for interior-cabin or close-up shots
