Develop brings you sound advice from some of the games audio sector’s sharpest minds. Whatever your discipline, the following pages should be music to your ears
In the 12 month’s since Develop’s last Audio Special a great deal has changed in the games industry, all of which reshapes the landscape for those undertaking sound work. Triple-A on mobile has moved from being a whisper about the future to an everyday reality, meaning file size is now more important than ever. New tools have emerged in the audio sector that look set to reinvent tried and tested techniques. More talent and methods are crossing the bridge that connects with Hollywood. And in the not too distant future, the next-generation of consoles loom, jostling for the attention of your audio staff, and bringing them a wealth of new opportunities and challenges. With all that in mind, here we bring you a
collection of six specially written pieces from games audio’s finest, all of which offer advice and insight into particular disciplines within the sound and music specialty.
From pieces on generative audio’s ability to
squeeze console quality scores onto mobile platforms, to a detailed look at keeping voice production for vast MMOs and RPGs under control, our contributors have a wealth of knowledge to share. Elsewhere they’ve tackled the merits of sound libraries constructed with games in mind, and addressed how a simple extension to the VO recording process can also grant developers with quality facial animation data. The value of standardising working
practices in recording studios is also emphasised, while the role technology can serve in empowering composers undergoes detailed analysis. Whether you’re a games audio professional
yourself, or just work with colleagues or partner companies that specialise in sound, every one of the following six pages serves as essential reading.
24 – How to Manage a Monster Looking to do voice production for a full-scale MMO or RPG? Side offers advice
25 – The Generation Game Generative audio has evolved, and with tools like FMOD Studio, it’s shaping the future
27 – Expressions in Sound Wave and Cubic Motion look at combining the VO and facial animation processes
Contents
28 – All for one Can library sound truly promote creativity in sound design? Soundrangers argue the case
31 – Setting Standards PitStop Productions provides advice on standardising the flow of work in studios
32 – Wwise words The role of the composer is evolving with the help of tools like Wwise, suggest its users