‘Blue Bloods’ Mixer Discusses Sound Design Workflow

New York, N.Y. (April 29, 2025)—As the sole re-recording mixer for the hit CBS show Blue Bloods, Emmy-winner Isaac Derfel has found a way to make his sound design workflow more efficient. 

Derfel, now on his eighth season with the show, manages a rigorous weekly schedule, including dialog premixing on Fridays, full final mixes on Mondays and reviews with the sound supervisor, music editor and show producers on Tuesdays. Utilizing Krotos 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,” he explains. “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.”

The software streamlines repetitive tasks, he adds. “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. Similarly, for doors, I can load multiple layers of door sounds, trigger them live, and achieve a much richer sound.”

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.”

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.”

Derfel 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,” he says. “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.”