Game Sound

Sound editors

  • Used for voice-overs

  • Sound effect creation/editing,

  • Ideal for audio mastering

  • Batch Processing for large projects

  • Individual sound file editing(ambience, sfx)

  • quick effect processing

  • *sound forge


Digital Audio Workstation(DAW)

  • Composing & Music Production

  • Mixing various sound elements

  • Mixing Cinematics & Cutscenes

  • Adaptive Audio


Game Audio File Specifications(Industry Standard)

  • .WAV file format gives Identical sound conversion between platforms(mp3s sometimes don’t read the beginning/end of loops properly which cause some errors)

  • 48kHz sample rate (playback sound quality) CDs/music album releases are at 44.1 16-bit

  • 24-bit bit depth

  • multiple 24 or 30 fps


Waves

  • A disturbance from an element that transports energy from a medium from one location to another

  • Spring Reverb(Imitation of space, useful for horror)

  • BPB Dirty Spring(small room reverb)

  • Longitudinal Waves(typically sound waves) - wave particles that move in a direction parallel to the wave

  • Mechanical Waves(sound waves) - require a medium to transmit its energy & cannot transmit through a vacuum


Sound

  • a mechanical & longitudinal wave variation in air pressure, caused by a physically vibrating object


Stingers

  • Useful for quick events(when something happens)

  • Musical stingers vs sound design stingers

  • match sound design elements to the musical key(tune the sound design)

Digital Recorder in Game Lab for recording

Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone - Instruments, voice-over, sound design.

  • Very sensitive to heat, moisture, humidity

Shotgun Mic - Super Directional & long distance Microphone

Ribbon Microphone - Warm Beautiful tone(classic old-school tonality) (potentially voice-overs) fragile*

Plate Microphone - Surface & Vibration Recordings & resonance sound design

Dynamic Microphone - Basic Trash & Sturdy


Stereo Field/Imaging

  • having instruments in different areas to have a fuller sound

  • panning

Nice Mix of Frequencies

  • Having a good mix if High highs and low lows

  • Midranges are a middle ground

  • Middle-Low range also known as Mud

Mixing

  • Everything shines in the mixing volumes

  • Some sounds may naturally be louder so they need to be balanced out

Dynamics

  • Making sure Louds aren’t too loud and quiets aren’t too quiet

  • Finding a good variety but also balanced sounds so each sound is respected

  • Suspense can be faked by manipulating time between louds and softs

Good Level of Production

  • Having good processing sounds

  • Making good use of EQ & Bass