Stay Up To Date With Us!
We will never spam you or share your email address.
Game Sound Design Strategies
GSD StrategiesCheck out the gamesounddesign.com strategies when you are feeling creatively uninspired. Each random strategy will present you with a new avenue to pursue. Give them a try!
Game Sound Design Glossary
GSD GlossaryOur game audio glossary has all the sound terms you have been wondering about. Game audio can be confusing enough without having to deal with a new technical language. We are constantly updating the database with new terms that relate to not only game audio but game developer terms as well.
Sound Design Articles
10 Best Game Sound Design Plugins
I am often asked what audio plugins I use when designing sounds. My answer frequently includes some new plugin that I have recently discovered and have started using in my day to day work. Though, I must admit that I am not a complete...
I am often asked what audio plugins I use when designing sounds. My answer frequently includes some new plugin that I have recently discovered and have started using in my day to day work. Though, I must admit that I am not a complete...
Do Your Sounds Need Revision?
One important aspect to creating exceptional sound design is iteration. Iteration means to revise sounds until they are perfect... or as close as you can get them to perfection. Iteration is a necessity because there are times when you must get a sound into your game quickly without much time to work it to it's best form. And let's face it, not all of your...
One important aspect to creating exceptional sound design is iteration. Iteration means to revise sounds until they are perfect... or as close as you can get them to perfection. Iteration is a necessity because there are times when you must get a sound into your game quickly without much time to work it to it's best form. And let's face it, not all of your...
Seven Easy Ways To Backup Your Data
What is one of the most important things a sound designer can do to protect their work? Backing up. Seems simple doesn't it? And it is, but often people forget to do it or simply don't know how to get in the habit of backing up regularly...
What is one of the most important things a sound designer can do to protect their work? Backing up. Seems simple doesn't it? And it is, but often people forget to do it or simply don't know how to get in the habit of backing up regularly...
Making Interactive Music For Games
What Is Interactive Music? The fundamental idea behind interactive music (also known as adaptive or dynamic music) is to have music respond or adapt to user input. In the context of a video game, it would adapt to game play. For example, the background music that plays when our character is fighting should not...
What Is Interactive Music? The fundamental idea behind interactive music (also known as adaptive or dynamic music) is to have music respond or adapt to user input. In the context of a video game, it would adapt to game play. For example, the background music that plays when our character is fighting should not...
Dynamic Music Creation Use Wwise
Normally, the goal of adding a song to a game is to accompany an action sequence in a hypothetical game. In its interactive declination, the intensity of the song would adapt to the intensity of the action. For example, imagine a war game during a combat sequence. If a player is hiding far away from the combat, the intensity would be low.
Normally, the goal of adding a song to a game is to accompany an action sequence in a hypothetical game. In its interactive declination, the intensity of the song would adapt to the intensity of the action. For example, imagine a war game during a combat sequence. If a player is hiding far away from the combat, the intensity would be low.
10 Tips That Will Make You A Better Sound Designer
1. Always carry a digital recorder with you. You never know when sound inspiration will strike. So you must be ready to record that unique door close or train pass. Portable recorders are so inexpensive and small these days...
1. Always carry a digital recorder with you. You never know when sound inspiration will strike. So you must be ready to record that unique door close or train pass. Portable recorders are so inexpensive and small these days...
Myths And Missed Opportunities In Games
It was clear the first moment I set foot in the game audio industry: There's a riot goin' on! Roll up to any game developer conference and you are immediately faced with a feeling of West Side Story scale rifts - mirroring the Jets and Sharks - in the duality of GANG and the IASIG. Where one is usually found...
It was clear the first moment I set foot in the game audio industry: There's a riot goin' on! Roll up to any game developer conference and you are immediately faced with a feeling of West Side Story scale rifts - mirroring the Jets and Sharks - in the duality of GANG and the IASIG. Where one is usually found...
Overcome Writer's Block
Inspiration is a very mercurial event. One cannot control the moments of inspiration that occur or when those moments will happen. Some believe that with more work comes more inspiration...
Inspiration is a very mercurial event. One cannot control the moments of inspiration that occur or when those moments will happen. Some believe that with more work comes more inspiration...
Dear FMOD
It's been three days since I last opened FMOD Designer, which is exactly the amount of time it took me to open my 250,000 lines of dialog in a new Wwise project - but I digress. I'm in the throes of some hardcore implementation and I'm trying to remember the reason I double-clicked on this shortcut in the first place. Could it be...
It's been three days since I last opened FMOD Designer, which is exactly the amount of time it took me to open my 250,000 lines of dialog in a new Wwise project - but I digress. I'm in the throes of some hardcore implementation and I'm trying to remember the reason I double-clicked on this shortcut in the first place. Could it be...
Sharing Your Skills In Game Audio
You have to love the game industry: unannounced projects shrouded in secrecy, byzantine work practices common place, and standardization almost unheard of. I have to tell you though, never in your life will you find a greater group of people with whom to hitch your wagon to...
You have to love the game industry: unannounced projects shrouded in secrecy, byzantine work practices common place, and standardization almost unheard of. I have to tell you though, never in your life will you find a greater group of people with whom to hitch your wagon to...
Silence In Sound Design
Silence is a very powerful sound. Sound? Silence is not a sound... right? Well I think that silence should be considered a "sound", a "sound effect", and "music". But that's crazy isn't it...how can the lack of sound be...
Silence is a very powerful sound. Sound? Silence is not a sound... right? Well I think that silence should be considered a "sound", a "sound effect", and "music". But that's crazy isn't it...how can the lack of sound be...
How To Effectively Direct Voice Actors
Voice direction is definitely not a task for the under-prepared. It requires a lot of patience, empathy, and as much experience as possible to get it right. Some of the best voice directors out there, be it for film, television, or games...
Voice direction is definitely not a task for the under-prepared. It requires a lot of patience, empathy, and as much experience as possible to get it right. Some of the best voice directors out there, be it for film, television, or games...
Video Game Localization
Video game localization is the process whereby a game's primary language is translated into other languages in order to accommodate foreign speaking gamers. Many video game publishers require their titles to be localized for a host of major markets. Localization is a very big deal to publishers and the...
Video game localization is the process whereby a game's primary language is translated into other languages in order to accommodate foreign speaking gamers. Many video game publishers require their titles to be localized for a host of major markets. Localization is a very big deal to publishers and the...
A Process For Implementing Sound Design
Sound design for video games is quite a different animal than sound design for other media. Film, television, and other linear formats require the sound design to unfold at a very deliberate and controlled pace. After all, the outcome of linear formats is always known. The sound designer can therefore create...
Sound design for video games is quite a different animal than sound design for other media. Film, television, and other linear formats require the sound design to unfold at a very deliberate and controlled pace. After all, the outcome of linear formats is always known. The sound designer can therefore create...
What Makes Great Sound Design?
Why is it that when reading reviews on video game websites and reading posts in forums and newsgroups, some games score really high marks for sound? Is it because the sound designers were given years to perfect their sounds? Is it that the music cues really draw the gamer into another world? Maybe it's because...
Why is it that when reading reviews on video game websites and reading posts in forums and newsgroups, some games score really high marks for sound? Is it because the sound designers were given years to perfect their sounds? Is it that the music cues really draw the gamer into another world? Maybe it's because...
darkSector Post Mortem
Dark Sector is a third person action shooter that thrusts you into Hayden Tenno's mysterious world. You are a covert black-ops agent sent to eradicate a plague that is infecting the once glorious city of Lasria. It quickly becomes apparent that there are some dark secrets about Lasria that probably should have been left alone...
Dark Sector is a third person action shooter that thrusts you into Hayden Tenno's mysterious world. You are a covert black-ops agent sent to eradicate a plague that is infecting the once glorious city of Lasria. It quickly becomes apparent that there are some dark secrets about Lasria that probably should have been left alone...
Defining Characters
We as game sound designers can learn a lot from film. Quite often we are asked to design sounds based around very specific characters. This task often carries a lot of importance, and if done right will help to immerse the player in the world we are trying to create...
We as game sound designers can learn a lot from film. Quite often we are asked to design sounds based around very specific characters. This task often carries a lot of importance, and if done right will help to immerse the player in the world we are trying to create...
Breaking Into The Video Game Industry
Becoming properly educated in the basic principles of sound design and audio production is a definite asset to your career and to your first opportunity with a new employer. While not absolutely necessary, an education with a recognized sound design, audio recording, film school, or related arts school is a definite asset. Why?
Becoming properly educated in the basic principles of sound design and audio production is a definite asset to your career and to your first opportunity with a new employer. While not absolutely necessary, an education with a recognized sound design, audio recording, film school, or related arts school is a definite asset. Why?