I’m Cormac Dowdall, a sound designer, composer, and mix engineer.

Born in Boston, MA, and raised in Ireland. My love for sound grew out of listening to some old punk records that came from the attic, and at the age of 18 my friends and I started a band. From there, wanting to follow the DIY ethos of the bands I loved - we knuckled down in my family’s garden shed and began recording our songs. I mixed them (terribly, at first) but began to realise I wanted to do more with audio production.

In 2019 I completed a BA in History from Trinity College Dublin. Between starting and finishing the degree I realised I wanted to study sound. In 2020 I completed an MA in Experimental Sound Practice at University College Cork. Graduating into a COVID-lockdown gave me the opportunity to take another course - a Certificate in Audio Post-Production and Sound Design for Audiovisual Industries at Pulse College. Here I gained the first two ProTools certificates and mixed in 5.1 surround.

Starting in 2018 I began taking work as a sound recordist and audio mixer on short docs for the local youth theatre (Kildare Youth Theatre). From there I became more experienced in audio and sound design for stage too. The youth theatre acted as a networking hub for other artistically-minded young people and allowed us to create without boundaries.

After my time in the MA in Experimental Sound Practice, I found I liked to create sounds that mixed found sound (field recordings), with synthesis and digital processing. Mixing the natural with the artificial became something I deeply focused on . I also enjoy using Max/MSP to creatively process sound and video.

Most recently, I’ve designed sound for stage productions here in Vancouver. (PLUNGE Project, The Falling Company, Oct 2023, Wizard of Oz, CTORA, Nov 2023). I’ve also designed in festival settings (Misdirect @ Scene + Heard 2023, And Agamemnon Dead @ for/with/by 2021), mixed sound on short films (Double Clicking, dir. Vicky Moonan, 2022), documentaries (Burning of the Custom House, Gracepark Productions, 2021), and corporate videos (Sennheiser branded doc, Spicy Dog Media, 2023), and produced and performed music in my own time. Get in touch if you’d like a copy of my resume which has some more info on my credits and experience.

Since March 2023 I’ve been based in Vancouver, BC, and I’m enjoying continuing my career in sound while I’m here.