Manual effects are those effects that are created without the advantage of machines or devices. Often, creators of manual effects attempt to capture the "essence" of sounds rather than the authenticity of them. For example, to get the sound effect of a door opening, a good sound recorder can record the opening of your front door. Another example would be to record the crowd at a bar to get a social setting sound effect. Manual effects have the advantage if being more "cue-friendly"; they can be timed better for use in shows and without delay. Much like performers, stage technicians should practice the timing of manual effects for a show as much as possible to ensure precision.
Samples are often used to capture authentic sound effects. Gun shots, rain, cars and police sirens are some of the effects sampled by digital special effects machines. While these machines provide samples that mirror real sounds, they can be cumbersome in live productions because of machine delays and variations in talent performances. Also, stage technicians and sound engineers may struggle with effects that need to be programmed in succession, especially without mixing boards. Hardware samplers such as the Kurzweil or Roland sampler allows multiple sounds to be played at once and are recommended for live theater performances.
Live sound effects are performed during live stage performances and must be performed on cue. For proper amplification, sound effects are created before a microphone. To replicate the sound of a bottle being opened, a child's pop gun can be used or a bottle with a tight cork. To achieve the sound of bushes crackling, running a broom straw through the hands can achieve this effect. Also, dropping salt on various items can create the effect of rain. Live sound effects, much like manual effects, do not capture authenticity but are ideal for productions, such as stage plays, that depend upon the timely execution of sound effects to move the story along.