GAME AUDIO ESSENTIALS Alpan Aytekin Game Developers Turkey 22.04.2012
GAMEAUDIOESSENTIALS
Alpan AytekinGame Developers Turkey
22.04.2012
GAME AUDIO ESSENTIALS
Alpan Aytekin ☞ www.alpanaytekin.com [email protected]✉
BS ITU Electronics & Communication Engineering, 2004MA ITU Centre for Advanced Studies in Music, Sound Engineering & Design, 2010Global Game Jam 2009, 2010, 2011Süpercan, Sobee, 2011Townster, Gamester, 2010Sprint, Lamagama, 2011Çanak Okey, 2011Süpercan 2, Sobee, 2012Domination, An Ali Batı Game, 2012
Other Game Audio People in Turkey (AFAIK)
Uğurcan Orçun, Taleworlds
Güney Özhan , Freelance
Ozan Yurdakul, Bilgi University, Tri Osc
Başar Ünder & Korhan Aydın, Dound Sesign
Nizameddin Tuğral, Freelance
GAME AUDIO ESSENTIALS
Links and resources to follow
Game Audio Podcast
Top Score Podcast
Gamasutra Audio Articles
Game Audio Network Guild
GAME AUDIO ESSENTIALS
Books
The Complete Guide to Game AudioAaron Marks
Audio for Games: Planning, Process, and Production
Alexander Brandon
GAME AUDIO ESSENTIALS
History in Game Audio
Analog streaming in arcade machines
Chip synthesis
Prerecorded CD-ROM streaming
Prerecorded sample streaming
Interactive audio
Generative/Procedural audio
Importance of Game Audio
Parental impression on Audio
Console in the living room, mom in the kitchen
Expanding the Players Musical Perspective
Music is the most effective form of art for reaching the
individual emotionally
Music and Sounds are there after gameplay
Form of New Media
Film Scoring vs. Game Scoring
Two way interactionCausality of Gameplay
More Film Composers getting into games
MOVIE
GAME
This Game Needs Audio
Audio: Sound that is carried in electrical signals.
No Turkish definition
Sounds Effects
Music
or sometimes the same?
Things to Know
Placeholder
Loops
Cues
Platform Dependency
Resource Management
Spectral Output Range
Audio Middleware
Project Workflow
Game SizeCasual / AAA > Knowing Limitations
Game Size - System Output
Human Hearing Range : 20Hz – 20000Hz
Wavelength 17m - 2cm
Mobile Phones, Laptop Computers have limited
performance in low frequency output
LAPTOPSPEAKERS!
Project Workflow
Game SizeCasual / AAA > Knowing Limitations
Team SizeProgrammer / Art Director / Producer/ Composer / Sound Designer / Audio Implementer
Composer & Sound Designer are not in the inner circleTest CycleFile Naming HierarchyGame State values, CommunicationEntrance of the Audio Guy in to the project
1 minute of music is NOT composed in 1 minute Composing to a picture
COMPOSE!
Resource Management
MusicSelecting a musical style
Musical Knowledge
World/Ethnic Music
Oceanic, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Subsaharan,
East Europe, Caribbean, South America, North America
Western Music 11th Century – 20th Century
Early Christian, Renaissance , Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, Atonal, Minimalist
20th Century music
Sonata Form
Main Theme
Transition
Subordinate Theme
Exposition
Recapitulation
Development
Main Theme
Transition
Subordinate Theme
Coda
Leitmotif
Leitmotif is a musical term referring to a recurring
theme, associated with a particular person, place, or
idea.
Modification in terms of rhythm, harmony, orchestration
or accompaniment.
Notably associated with the operas of Richard Wagner
Ref: http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/infographic/interactive-music-map/index.html
Dance Music
MusicSelecting a musical style
Atmosphere
Do we always want to hear music?
Using music as NUKESSoundscapes
Looping Structures
Ear Fatigue
Sonority
Wallpaper Music
Mickey Mousification
FlowMihaly Csikszentmihalyi
ATMOSPHERE
MUSIC CUE
SILENCE
Interactive Audio
Modular Approach / Procedural ApproachProcedural (Generative) > synthesis, DSP limitationsModular Approach
Event driven cueing (no turning back)Horizontal sequencing (can switch back)
Horizontal Sequencing
Interactive Audio
Modular Approach / Procedural ApproachProcedural (Generative) > synthesis, DSP limitationsModular Approach
Event driven cueing (no turning back)Horizontal sequencing (can switch back)Vertical Orchestration
Problem of crowding
Vertical Orchestration
Interactive Audio
Modular Approach / Procedural ApproachProcedural (Generative) > synthesis, DSP limitationsModular Approach
Event driven cueing (no turning back)Horizontal sequencing (can switch back)Vertical Orchestration
Problem of crowdingFlourish CuesReactive Music
Audio Middleware
FMOD, Wwise, Unreal Sound EngineInstant functionsUtility for the programmerEffectwise
Avoiding Hammering Effect - VariationParameter Based Sound DesignSpace DesignProcedural Audio
MusicwiseBuilding an interactive audio system
Ref: Huiberts 2009, AES 35th International Conference: Audio for Games
Sound Effects
Hammering Effect
Ear Fatigue
Fletcher-Munson Curves (Equal Loudness Curves)
Sound Effects
Hammering Effect
Ear Fatigue
Fletcher-Munson Curves (Equal Loudness Curves)
Hass Effect
t35 ms
Hass Effect
Sound Effects
Hammering Effect
Ear Fatigue
Fletcher-Munson Curves (Equal Loudness Curves)
Hass Effect
Realistic / Surreal Sound
Sound Interaction in Space
Reverb
Sound Effects
Hammering Effect
Ear Fatigue
Fletcher-Munson Curves (Equal Loudness Curves)
Hass Effect
Realistic / Surreal Sound
Sound Interaction in Space
Reverb
WYSINWYH: What you see is not what you hear
What you see is not what you hear
Ref: Audio Design and Implementation – Two Sides of the Same Coin Martin Stig Andersen GDC 2012
Sampling & Formats
Analog to Digital Conversion
Human Hearing Range
Nyquist Theory
44100 Hz, 48000Hz, 22000Hz, 11000Hz
Mono, Stereo
Lossless: WAV, AIFF, FLAC
Compressed: MP3, ACC, OGG
IOS> Music: AIFF IMA4 Sound Effects: CAFF
ReferencesMcAlpine, Kenneth B., Matthew Bett, and James Scanlan. 2009. “Approaches to Creating Real-Time Adaptive Music in Interactive Entertainment: A Musical Perspective”. In The Proceedings of The AES 35th International Conference: Audio For Games. London,UK, February 11–13 2009.
Bridgett, Rob. 2002. “Interactive Music”. http://web.archive.org/web/20021203015700/http://www.sound-design.org.uk/interactive.htm (accessed 23 February 2010).
Huiberts, Sander, Richard Van Tol, and Kees Went. 2009. “Game Audio Lab – an Architectural Framework for Nonlinear Audio in Games”. In The Proceedings of The AES 35th International Conference: Audio For Games. London, UK, 2009 February 11–13.
Morton, Scott. 2010. “Game Audio Podcast #3 - Discussion: Interactive & Dynamic Music”. In Game Audio Podcast. http://www.gameaudiopodcast.com (accessed 20 March 2010).
Kastbauer and Woldhek. 2011. “Game Audio Podcast #4 - Discussion: Procedural Game Audio”.In Game Audio Podcast. http://www.gameaudiopodcast.com (accessed 27 March 2012).
Stevens, Richard. 2008. “Hellgate London - Music 'Interactive' or 'Reactive”. In Sound-Music-Interactive-Games. http://sound-music-interactive-games.blogspot.com/2008/06/hellgate-london-music-interactive-or.html (accessed 4 April 2010).
Caplin, William E., Classical Form a Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, Oxford University Press, 1998
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitmotif (accessed 28 March 2012).
Kastbauer, Damien. “Audio Implementation Greats #8: Procedural Audio Now”.http://designingsound.org/2010/09/audio-implementation-greats-8-procedural-audio-now/ (accessed 28 March 2012).
Jillian Aversa, Thomas Hohl, Lennie Moore, Joe Thwaites, Kenny Wood. Composer Challenge GDC 2011, Game Developers Conference 2011
Martins, Marcelo. Rethinking the audio loop in games. http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarceloMartins/20120402/167786/
Baron, Sean. “Cognitive Flow: The Psychology of Great Game Design”. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_flow_the_psychology_of_.php (accessed 16 April 2012).