He is an award-winning sound guy. Sound as in reliable; sound as in to do with audio. Cory Choy and his boutique sound studio Silver Sound Studio, located in the heart of New York City, have made a name for themselves, which is the envy of many others.
Silver Sound boasts an Emmy award-winning team of on-location sound recordists in New York and Los Angeles. Choy himself picked up the lovely golden lady for his work mixing the sound for a show Born To Explore.
His studio provides recording, design, edit, restoration and mix services and has worked with all sorts of people all over the globe including, but not limited to: ABC, NBC, Vice, Comedy Central, ESPN, Disney, Google, Microsoft, CNN, MTV, FOX, Netflix, Apple, Shudder and Spotify.
In a wide-ranging interview, the Emmy Award-winning sound artist, engineer and studio owner discusses the evolution of audio technology, creative freedom, and the intersection of art and social responsibility. Here are the key insights from his conversation with Indiantelevision.com group CEO and publisher Mishaal Wanvari.
On what sparked his interest in sound design.
It was an inevitability rather than a decision. Both my parents were musicians – my mother wrote plays and operas, while my father combined music with computer programming. One of my earliest memories is watching my mother’s opera being performed at the Kennedy Center. But it was my father who showed me how technology could amplify creativity. He connected a Midi output from the game Monkey Island through a Casio keyboard, making it sound like a full orchestra. He connected a midi through a keyboard with a massive and professional instrument sound bank– which was far superior to the stock soundcard midi instruments. That early demonstration showed me how technology could be used to bring people together… the midi experience taught me that looking for a unique solution and setups can bring great power and creates experiences far beyond what people expect.
On the evolution of sound editing tech during his career.
I started at the very end of physical tape editing, where you had to physically cut and splice tape together. There was no undo button – once you made a cut, you had to live with it. The transition to digital audio workstations was revolutionary. Suddenly, all your tape was right in front of you, you could cut anywhere, and if you made a mistake, you could simply undo it.
The economics were equally transformative. In 2006, a professional Pro Tools system cost around $10,000 – might as well have been a million to me at the time. But then Dell provided affordable, powerful hardware, and I discovered Reaper, which cost just $60. With a $2,500 Dell computer and Reaper, we were competing with studios using much more expensive equipment. Reaper vs. Avid – every single line of code in reaper is very well thought through with a small team, it is very efficient, and the entire program is designed to empower the user not restrict it. There is more freedom and there are more possibilities in Reaper than any other program I have ever used.
On his Emmy Award win and on his experience thereafter.
We won it in 2016 for the programme Born to Explore. One of our most impressive achievements was capturing crystal-clear dialogue from a host 200 feet away on a lake, using a highly directional Sanken CS-3E microphone. The water’s surface actually helped carry the sound. What made it special for us was that we won it in a category that is extremely competitive.
On his Aisha win at the Tribeca film festival.
It’s a fascinating story that began with an intern application. Fayshyo Aluko, a Nigerian poet with no sound experience, applied for an internship. When I asked why she wanted to work in sound, she simply said she wanted to explore sound design. I gave her a poem I’d written about a Palestinian girl, inspired by my own daughter’s questions about human rights.
What Fayshyo brought to it was extraordinary – she incorporated traditional Nigerian storytelling techniques, using an oil drum beat as a metaphor for both footsteps and heartbeats. Her first-ever sound design piece won at the Tribeca Festival. It went on to win a Signal Award and an Anthem Award for human rights work.
On the industry’s relationship with technology.
The accessibility of technology has been revolutionary. When I started, a gigabyte of storage was massive – Pro Tools required one gigabyte just to install. Compare that to Reaper, which was just two megabytes. The difference? Avid spent their programming efficiency on creating paywalls – $50 here, $100 there, some plugins over $5,000.
But now, with affordable computers and software, small studios can compete with anyone. Though the challenge isn’t doing the work – it’s finding it. If you’re not in the elite class, convincing someone from that class to work with you is the real challenge.
On what’s next for sound design and sound mixing.
We’re at an interesting inflection point with AI and machine learning. The technology is incredibly powerful, but we need to consider the ethical implications. For instance, voice cloning technology could be used for scams or misinformation. The wealth gap in computing power also means some will have access to these tools while others won’t.
The future of our industry will depend on how we balance these technological capabilities with ethical considerations. It’s not just about what we can do, but what we should do.
AI is both enabling and potentially corrupting. It’s incredible for tasks like analysing a voice and removing unwanted noise, but it also raises ethical concerns. We can now make someone sound like they’re saying something they never said, with their exact voice. While that’s exciting from a creative standpoint, it’s concerning from an ethical one.
I have mixed feelings about the cloud-based AI tools emerging in our industry. Tools like Eleven Labs are incredibly powerful, but they raise important questions about access and control. What happens if these services suddenly become restricted based on geography or politics? It’s similar to the wealth gap we’re seeing in computing power – those with access to unlimited energy and graphics cards will have more capabilities than others.
What’s fascinating is watching how different regions approach these challenges. Chinese engineers, for instance, are often outwitting their American counterparts with fewer resources. It’s not just about having the most powerful tools – it’s about how creatively you use what you have.
On the way forward for small studios in a competitive market.
The tools have never been more accessible, but the challenge is standing out in an increasingly crowded space. There are billions of talented people in the world, everyone has something unique to bring to the table, and the competition is fierce while resources are limited.
However, I believe independent studios have an advantage in being more nimble and able to take creative risks. The key is finding your unique voice and the audience that resonates with it. It won’t be the easiest path, but if you really want to be in this space, you absolutely can make it work.
And yes, the model has changed completely. At Silver Sound, we’ve evolved from a partnership to a more focused operation. The pandemic really took a chainsaw to the industry in 2020 – many partners and staff left, and we weren’t sure we’d survive. But then I met our current studio manager and latest engineer, both in their 20s, and it gave us new direction.
Now our mission is to help develop new talent while remaining economically sustainable. We want to create things that make both us and the world better, but in a way that supports everyone financially. It’s about finding that balance between artistic integrity and commercial viability.
The hardest part isn’t doing the work – it’s finding it. If someone gives me a project and appropriate funding, we can create something extraordinary. The challenge is breaking through that class ceiling where elite-level clients don’t trust smaller studios with significant projects.
That said, I believe boutique studios have advantages in today’s market. We can be more responsive, take creative risks, and maintain closer relationships with clients. The key is finding clients who value that personal touch and creative freedom over the prestige of a large studio name.
On his feature film.
Sound and music are integral to my film Esme, My Love – you really won’t understand the movie without them. We made it for $135,000 total, yet people think we spent £3 million. That was only possible because we had Silver Sound as a home base. It’s now being dubbed into Spanish and Portuguese, with Korean potentially next.
It’s still an independent gem – not widely known in the United States or globally – but I’m proud that it got distribution. You can find it on Amazon and Tubi. We spent six years working on it, ensuring it didn’t feel like something just slapped together.
On his approach keeping in mind the technical versus creative aspects of sound design.
Technical precision is only a means to an end – creative decision-making is everything. If you don’t have the technical ability to execute your creative vision, then you need to improve technically. The more technical ability you have, the better you understand what’s creatively possible. They feed off each other.
We offer two modes at Silver Sound: we can either help someone achieve their vision to its highest level possible, or we can work with them to create a vision from scratch. People come to us because they know our technical work is solid, but we provide a creative aspect that many other companies can’t match.
On how technology vendors have evolved in service.
I’m particularly grateful to Dell, and this isn’t just corporate speak. In New York City, their ProSupport service has been invaluable. When a computer breaks down in a professional studio, having a skilled repair technician on-site within 24 hours is extraordinary. Finding a reliable repair person independently could take a month.
However, I’m watching carefully how technology companies position themselves during these challenging times. We need companies that empower creators rather than restrict them. The best technology partners understand they’re enabling creativity, not just selling hardware.
On what excites him most about the industry’s future.
The democratisation of technology has opened up incredible possibilities. When I started, the barrier to entry was hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now, with a decent computer and some affordable software, talented creators can produce professional-quality work.
But what really excites me is seeing how younger generations approach these tools. They’re not bound by traditional workflows or assumptions. They’re combining technologies in ways we never imagined, creating new forms of storytelling. The challenge will be maintaining high creative standards while embracing these new possibilities.
On advice for aspiring sound designers.
Do what you love, but understand the economic realities. Unless you join a large company, it’s not an easy path financially. You can live a good life as a sound mixer and designer, but if you’re independent, you need to be a business person as well. If that’s not your strength, find a business partner who can handle that aspect while you focus on the creative work. The competition is fierce and resources are limited, but if you truly want to be in this space, you absolutely can make it work.
On his belief that media has social responsibility and his willingness to remind it of it.
Many companies are afraid to take moral stances for fear of alienating potential clients. This year, I’ve made a conscious business decision to openly oppose fascist movements in America. Yes, we might lose some potential clients, but I believe we’ll attract more of the kind of clients we want to work with. You can be moral and ethical, but if you can’t feed your family, it’s no good. However, I don’t want to survive in a way where my soul isn’t surviving.
