The Complete Guide to Game Audio~tqw~ darksiderg pdf

  T H E C O M P L E T E G U I D E T O G A M E A U D I O For Composers, Musicians,

Sound Designers, and Game Developers

Aaron Marks

  C M P B O O K S

  Lawrence, Kansas 66046 C M P B o o k s C M P M e d i a L L C 1 6 0 1 We s t 2 3 r d S t r e e t , S u i t e 2 0 0 L a w r e n c e , K a n s a s 6 6 0 4 6

U S A

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. In all instances where CMP is aware of a trademark claim, the product name appears in initial capital let- ters, in all capital letters, or in accordance with the vendor’s capitalization preference. Readers should contact the appropriate companies for more complete information on trademarks and trade- mark registrations. All trademarks and registered trademarks in this book are the property of their respective holders.

  Copyright © 2001 by CMP Media LLC, except where noted otherwise. Published by CMP Books, CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publi- cation may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher; with the exception that the program listings may be entered, stored, and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publication.

  The programs in this book are presented for instructional value. The programs have been carefully tested, but are not guaranteed for any particular purpose. The publisher does not offer any warran- ties and does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information herein and is not responsible for any errors or omissions. The publisher assumes no liability for damages result- ing from the use of the information in this book or for any infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties that would result from the use of this information.

  Editor: Michelle O’Neal Layout Design & Production: Michelle O’Neal Cover Art Design: Michael Striler Cover Layout Design: Damien Castaneda D i s t r i b u t e d i n t h e U . S . a n d C a n a d a b y : P u b l i s h e r s G r o u p We s t 1 7 0 0 F o u r t h S t r e e t B e r k e l e y, C A 9 4 7 1 0 1 - 8 0 0 - 7 8 8 - 3 1 2 3

  “Aspiring sound designers and composers regularly ask me what it takes to break into this indus- try. Now I can say read The Complete Guide to Game Audio!” — Darryl S. Duncan, President & CEO, GameBeat, Inc. “An exhaustive and indispensable resource for game audio from initial concept to cashing the royalty checks.” — Jennifer Olsen, Senior Editor, Game Developer magazine “A fountainhead of valuable insight, this book thoroughly demystifies the art of game music and sound like no other.” — Jon Holland, game composer and sound designer “Finally, a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in game audio!” — Mark Temple, game producer and President, Enemy Technology “Aaron is truly a game audio expert and a great teacher. This book will help anyone aspiring to succeed in the biz.” — Jack Buser, Computer and Game Initiative Engineer, Dolby Laboratories “This impressive guide is a great resource for anyone just starting out in the business, as well as professionals already working in the industry.” — Keith Arem, game composer, sound designer and President, PCB Productions “If you’re considering game audio creation as a profession, or just curious about how it’s done...

  BUY THIS BOOK NOW!” — Tommy Tallarico, game composer and President, Tommy Tallarico Studios “Aaron Marks’ experience and insight into the inner workings of the game audio world make this book an invaluable resource.” — Greg O’Conner Read, founder and editor, Music4Games.net “A ‘must have’ book for anyone considering a career in game audio.” — Will Davis, game composer, sound designer, and President, Audio-Development Ltd., United Kingdom “This will surely become the bible of any up and coming sound designer or composer wanting to work on video games.” — Joey Kuras, sound designer, Tommy Tallarico Studios “Kudos to Marks for his candid look into the industry, and the processes behind technique and creativity behind new digital media.” — Tim Rideout, musician/composer, Canada “Somebody gag this guy! He’s giving away all our secrets!” This Page Intentionally Left Blank

  

Dedicated with love and affection to

my wife, Cynthia, and daughter, Kristina;

the two greatest girls in the world.

Without their generosity and understanding,

this book could not have been written. This Page Intentionally Left Blank

  ABLE OF ONTENTS T C Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv T h e I n d u s t r y N o w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x v i A b o u t t h e A u t h o r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x i x Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi H A P T E R C 1 :

An Introduction to Game Audio . . . 1

  1 . 1 I n s e r t Q u a r t e r H e r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 . 2 T h e B l e e p s a n d B l o o p s o f Y e s t e r y e a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 . 3 W h e r e S o u n d i s N o w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 . 4 W h e r e S o u n d i s G o i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 . 5 C h a n c e s o f F i n d i n g W o r k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 . 6 T h e R e w a r d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

  1 . 6 . 1 F a m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 . 6 . 2 F o r t u n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 . 7 L e t ’ s G o G e t ‘ e m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 C H A P T E R 2 :

Essential Skill Sets and Tools . . . . 13

  2 . 1 I m p o r t a n t S k i l l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 2 . 1 . 1 A t t i t u d e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 2 . 1 . 2 B u s i n e s s S e n s e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 2 . 1 . 3 M a r k e t i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 2 . 1 . 4 M u s i c S k i l l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5

  viii — ABLE OF ONTENTS

  T C

  2 . 1 . 6 S o u n d D e s i g n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2 . 1 . 7 V o i c e - O v e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2 . 1 . 8 I n d u s t r y K n o w l e d g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2

2 . 2 T o o l s o f t h e T r a d e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3

2 . 2 . 1 C o m p u t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 2 . 2 . 2 I n t e r f a c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 2 . 2 . 3 S o f t w a r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 2 . 2 . 4 S e q u e n c e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 2 . 2 . 5 M u l t i - t r a c k S y s t e m s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 2 . 2 . 6 S o u n d E d i t o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 2 . 2 . 7 M a s t e r i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 2 . 2 . 8 P l u g - i n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 2 . 2 . 9 L o o p S o f t w a r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 2 . 2 . 1 0 S o u n d M o d u l e s / K e y b o a r d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 2 . 2 . 1 1 O t h e r I n s t r u m e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 2 . 2 . 1 2 R e m o t e R e c o r d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 2 . 2 . 1 3 S o u n d E f f e c t s L i b r a r i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 2 . 2 . 1 4 D e v e l o p m e n t S y s t e m s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7

  

2 . 3 P r e p a r i n g y o u r S t u d i o f o r S u r r o u n d S o u n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7

2 . 3 . 1 E q u i p m e n t a n d P l a c e m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 2 . 3 . 2 S t u d i o S e t - u p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 2 . 3 . 3 S u r r o u n d T i p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 2 . 3 . 4 D o l b y S u p p o r t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3

  H A P T E R C 3 :

Getting Organized and Ready for Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

  

3 . 1 U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e B u s i n e s s o f G a m e C o m p o s i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5

3 . 1 . 1 E x p e c t a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 3 . 1 . 2 R e a s o n a b l e C o s t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 3 . 1 . 3 F l a v o r o f t h e M o n t h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7

  

3 . 2 C o m p o s i n g v s . S o u n d D e s i g n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 8

3 . 3 I n - h o u s e A u d i o v s . I n d e p e n d e n t C o n t r a c t o r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 8

3 . 3 . 1 I n - h o u s e C o m p o s i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 3 . 3 . 2 I n d e p e n d e n t C o n t r a c t o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4

  

3 . 4 A u d i o D e m o R e e l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 6

3 . 4 . 1 P u t t i n g Y o u r D e m o T o g e t h e r ; T h e F i r s t S t e p . . . . . . . . . 5 7 3 . 4 . 2 D e m o C o n t e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 3 . 4 . 3 H o w L o n g i s Y o u r s ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 3 . 4 . 4 D e m o C h i c — T y p e s o f D e m o s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 8 3 . 4 . 5 T h e P r e s e n t a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9 3 . 4 . 6 W h a t F o r m a t i s B e s t ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0 3 . 4 . 7 D e l i v e r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 3 . 4 . 8 F o l l o w - u p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2

  ix ABLE OF ONTENTS —

  T C

  

3 . 5 D e t e r m i n i n g Y o u r C o s t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4

3 . 5 . 1 T y p e s o f F e e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 3 . 5 . 2 R a t e C a l c u l a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 9

3 . 6 O r g a n i z a t i o n i s K e y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1

  H A P T E R C 4 :

Finding and Getting the Jobs . . . . 75

  

4 . 1 M a r k e t i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5

4 . 1 . 1 T e l l E v e r y o n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5 4 . 1 . 2 L o o k P r o f e s s i o n a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8 4 . 1 . 3 I n d u s t r y P r e s e n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 4 . 1 . 4 B a s i c M a r k e t i n g T o o l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2 4 . 1 . 5 O t h e r R e s o u r c e s f o r M a r k e t i n g S u c c e s s . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7

  

4 . 2 W h e r e t o L o o k f o r C l i e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7

4 . 2 . 1 I n t e r n e t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8 4 . 2 . 2 I n d u s t r y M a g a z i n e s a n d B o o k s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8 4 . 2 . 3 T e l e p h o n e B o o k s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9 4 . 2 . 4 S t o r e S h e l v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0 4 . 2 . 5 G a m e D e v e l o p e r H e a d h u n t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0 4 . 2 . 6 N e t w o r k i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0

4 . 3 F i n d i n g Y o u r N i c h e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1

4 . 3 . 1 S t a y E d u c a t e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 4 . 3 . 2 S t a r t S m a l l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 4 . 3 . 3 S t a r t L o c a l l y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4 4 . 3 . 4 G e t t i n g t h e B r e a k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 5

  

4 . 4 N e t w o r k i n g B a s i c s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 5

4 . 4 . 1 I n d u s t r y F u n c t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6 4 . 4 . 2 M a k e Y o u r s e l f A v a i l a b l e . M a k e Y o u r s e l f K n o w n . . . . . . . 9 6

  H A P T E R C 5 :

The Bidding Process . . . . . . . . . . 99

  

5 . 1 H o w M u c h D o Y o u C h a r g e ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9

5 . 2 L e t ’ s P l a y 2 0 Q u e s t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 0

5 . 2 . 1 D e t a i l s , D e t a i l s , D e t a i l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 0

5 . 3 A s k i n g t h e R i g h t Q u e s t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 1

  

5 . 4 P r e - P r o d u c t i o n M a d e S i m p l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 6

5 . 5 C o n t r a c t P a y m e n t O p t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 8

5 . 6 S p e c u l a t i v e D e m o s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 9

5 . 6 . 1 C o v e r i n g Y o u r E x p e n s e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 0

  5 . 6 . 2 W o r d s o f C a u t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1

5 . 7 T h e B i d S u b m i s s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1

5 . 7 . 1 T h e B i d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2

5 . 8 T h e r e i s S t i l l M o r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 5

  x — ABLE OF ONTENTS

  T C

  H A P T E R C 6 :

Making the Deals . . . . . . . . . . 117

  

6 . 1 U n d e r s t a n d i n g I n d u s t r y C o n t r a c t s a n d T e r m i n o l o g y . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8

6 . 1 . 1 N o n - D i s c l o s u r e A g r e e m e n t s ( N D A s ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 9 6 . 1 . 2 W o r k f o r H i r e A g r e e m e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1 6 . 1 . 3 C o p y r i g h t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 6 . 1 . 4 L i c e n s e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 6 . 1 . 5 P l a t f o r m s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 4 6 . 1 . 6 S K U s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 4 6 . 1 . 7 A n c i l l a r y R i g h t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 4 6 . 1 . 8 B o n u s e s a n d R o y a l t i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 5 6 . 1 . 9 P r o p e r t y R i g h t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 6 6 . 1 . 1 0 T a l e n t R e l e a s e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 6

6 . 2 N e g o t i a b l e C o n t r a c t P o i n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 7

  

6 . 3 N a v i g a t i n g N e g o t i a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 4

6 . 3 . 1 A R e a l W o r l d N e g o t i a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 4 6 . 3 . 2 N e g o t i a t i o n P o i n t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 8

6 . 4 C h a n g e O r d e r s a n d R e w o r k s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 1

  

6 . 5 S a m p l e A g r e e m e n t s a n d C o n t r a c t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 2

6 . 5 . 1 S a m p l e N o n - D i s c l o s u r e A g r e e m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 3 6 . 5 . 2 S a m p l e T a l e n t R e l e a s e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 6 6 . 5 . 3 S a m p l e C o n t r a c t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 7

  

6 . 6 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 3

H A P T E R

  C 7 :

Setting the Stage . . . . . . . . . . . 165

  

7 . 1 C o m p a n y L i a i s o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 5

7 . 1 . 1 E x e c u t i v e P r o d u c e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 7 7 . 1 . 2 P r o d u c e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 8 7 . 1 . 3 C r e a t i v e D i r e c t o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 9

  

7 . 2 M e e t i n g s w i t h t h e G a m e D e v e l o p m e n t T e a m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 9

7 . 2 . 1 D e t a i l s t o D i s c u s s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 9

7 . 3 P r e - c o m p o s i t i o n a l C o n s i d e r a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 2

7 . 3 . 1 S o u n d Q u a l i t y v s . F i l e S i z e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 5

  7 . 3 . 2 S e t t i n g U p S h o p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 9

7 . 4 ‘ G o t c h a s ’ a n d O t h e r T h i n g s t o W a t c h O u t F o r . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 2

7 . 4 . 1 P l a c e h o l d e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 3 7 . 4 . 2 A D e v e l o p e r ’ s L i s t e n i n g P r e f e r e n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 3 7 . 4 . 3 E n d l e s s R e w o r k s a n d C h a n g e O r d e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 4 7 . 4 . 4 C o m m u n i c a t i o n B r e a k d o w n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 5

  

7 . 5 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 6

  xi ABLE OF ONTENTS —

  T C

  H A P T E R C 8 :

Creating Music for Games . . . . . 187

  

8 . 1 G a m e M u s i c V a r i e t i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 8

8 . 1 . 1 I n t r o , C l o s i n g , a n d C r e d i t S e q u e n c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 8 8 . 1 . 2 C i n e m a t i c S e q u e n c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 9 8 . 1 . 3 M e n u S c r e e n M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 9 8 . 1 . 4 G a m e P l a y M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 0 8 . 1 . 5 P l o t A d v a n c e m e n t M u s i c , C u t S c e n e s , a n d T i e - I n s . . . . . 1 9 0 8 . 1 . 6 “ W i n ” a n d “ L o s e ” F i n a l e C u e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 1 8 . 1 . 7 I n t e r a c t i v e M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 1 8 . 1 . 8 L o o p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2 8 . 1 . 9 A m b i e n t T r a c k s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 3

  

8 . 2 E x e r c i s e s t o C r e a t e F i t t i n g G a m e M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 3

8 . 2 . 1 W a t c h a n d L i s t e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 8 . 2 . 2 C r e a t e i n D i f f e r e n t S t y l e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 6 8 . 2 . 3 T r y S o m e t h i n g N e w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 7 8 . 2 . 4 P r a c t i c e M a k e s P e r f e c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 8

8 . 3 S o m e T e c h n i c a l C o n s i d e r a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 9

8 . 3 . 1 W h i c h P l a t f o r m I s t h e G a m e B e i n g D e v e l o p e d F o r ? . . . . 1 9 9 8 . 3 . 2 W h a t i s t h e P l a y b a c k a n d D e l i v e r y F o r m a t ? . . . . . . . . 1 9 9 8 . 3 . 3 I s a P r e s e t S o u n d B a n k A v a i l a b l e ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 1 8 . 3 . 4 W h a t M e m o r y P a r a m e t e r s W i l l Y o u H a v e t o W o r k W i t h i n ? 2 0 1 8 . 3 . 5 T e c h n i c a l W r a p - u p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2

8 . 4 M u s i c a l D e t a i l s t o R e c o n s i d e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2

  

8 . 5 C o m p o s i t i o n a l M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 5

8 . 5 . 1 D e t e r m i n e Y o u r B e s t P e r s o n a l M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 6 8 . 5 . 2 C h o o s i n g t h e B e s t P a l e t t e o f S o u n d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 6 8 . 5 . 3 S t a y W i t h i n t h e T h e m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 6 8 . 5 . 4 I m m e r s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 7 8 . 5 . 5 C o m p o s e W h i l e R e c o r d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 8 8 . 5 . 6 U s i n g L o o p s a s a T o o l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 9 8 . 5 . 7 E x p e r i m e n t a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 9

  

8 . 6 R e c o r d i n g M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 0

8 . 6 . 1 T r a d i t i o n a l R e c o r d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 0 8 . 6 . 2 P r o g r e s s i v e R e c o r d i n g M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1 8 . 6 . 3 O t h e r M u s i c M a k i n g M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 4 8 . 6 . 4 S t r e a m l i n e t o t h e F i n a l F o r m a t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 4

8 . 7 E d i t i n g M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 5

8 . 7 . 1 A u d i o E d i t i n g S o f t w a r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 5

8 . 8 C o n v e r s i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 9

  xii — ABLE OF ONTENTS

  T C

  H A P T E R C 9 :

Creating Sound Effects for Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

  

9 . 1 T h e C r e a t i v e A s p e c t s o f S o u n d D e s i g n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 1

9 . 2 T y p e s o f S o u n d D e s i g n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2

9 . 2 . 1 F o l e y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2 9 . 2 . 2 S o u n d L i b r a r i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 7 9 . 2 . 3 O r i g i n a l D e v e l o p m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 8

9 . 3 E d i t i n g M e t h o d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 9

9 . 3 . 1 U s i n g A u d i o E d i t i n g S o f t w a r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 0 9 . 3 . 2 U s i n g M u l t i - T r a c k S o f t w a r e f o r S o u n d D e s i g n . . . . . . . 2 3 8 9 . 3 . 3 S e q u e n c i n g S o f t w a r e a n d S a m p l e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 1

9 . 4 S o u n d D e s i g n i n t h e P r o d u c t i o n C y c l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 4

  

9 . 5 S p e c i f i c S o u n d D e s i g n Q u e s t i o n s t o A n s w e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 5

9 . 6 D e t e r m i n i n g N e c e s s a r y S o u n d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 7

9 . 6 . 1 S o u n d E f f e c t s L i s t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 8 9 . 6 . 2 A l p h a G a m e V e r s i o n s a n d O t h e r V i s u a l s . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 2 9 . 6 . 3 B e t a T e s t i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 3

9 . 7 C r e a t i n g O r i g i n a l S o u n d E f f e c t s T h a t F i t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 4

9 . 7 . 1 G e t t i n g O r g a n i z e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 4 9 . 7 . 2 C r e a t i n g a S o u n d P a l e t t e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 5 9 . 7 . 3 E f f e c t i v e C r e a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 5 9 . 7 . 4 C r e a t i v e F o r c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 7

  

9 . 8 P r e s e n t i n g t h e F i n a l W o r k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 9

9 . 9 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 0

H A P T E R

  C 1 0 :

Blending the Total Soundscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

  1 0 . 1 M a i n t a i n i n g C o n s i s t e n c y i n P r o d u c t i o n w i t h A u d i o E l e m e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 3 1 0 . 1 . 1 C o n s i s t e n c y i n M u s i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 4 1 0 . 1 . 2 C o n s i s t e n c y i n S o u n d E f f e c t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 6 1 0 . 1 . 3 C o n s i s t e n c y i n V o i c e - O v e r s a n d S p e e c h . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 7

1 0 . 2 Q u a l i t y C o n t r o l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 9

1 0 . 2 . 1 C h e c k M i x e s o n S e v e r a l S y s t e m s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 9 1 0 . 2 . 2 C h e c k Y o u r S o u n d s i n t h e A c t u a l G a m e . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 9 1 0 . 2 . 3 T e a m w o r k w i t h t h e D e v e l o p e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 1

1 0 . 3 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 2

  xiii ABLE OF ONTENTS —

  T C

  H A P T E R C 1 1 :

  Game Platforms and Their Audio Development Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

1 1 . 1 S o n y P l a y S t a t i o n 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 4

1 1 . 2 N i n t e n d o G a m e C u b e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 6

1 1 . 3 M i c r o s o f t X b o x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 7

1 1 . 4 C D - R O M G a m e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 1

1 1 . 5 W e b - b a s e d G a m e s — J a v a a n d F l a s h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 3

1 1 . 6 G a m e B o y A d v a n c e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 4

1 1 . 7 C o i n - O p G a m e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 6

1 1 . 8 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 8

  H A P T E R C 1 2 :

For the Developer . . . . . . . . . 289

  

1 2 . 1 U n d e r s t a n d i n g S o u n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 0

1 2 . 1 . 1 T h e P s y c h o l o g y o f S o u n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 0 1 2 . 1 . 2 S o u n d s c a p e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 1 1 2 . 1 . 3 S i z e V e r s u s Q u a l i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 2

  

1 2 . 2 W o r k i n g w i t h C o n t r a c t o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 4

1 2 . 2 . 1 R e c o n n a i s s a n c e a n d H o m e w o r k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 5 1 2 . 2 . 2 Q u e s t i o n s C o m p o s e r s a n d S o u n d D e s i g n e r s W i l l A s k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 7

  

1 2 . 3 G e t t i n g t o W o r k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 9

1 2 . 3 . 1 W o r k i n g w i t h S o u n d D e s i g n e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 9 1 2 . 3 . 2 W o r k i n g w i t h C o m p o s e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 0

1 2 . 4 T h e N e x t S t e p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 3

  

1 2 . 5 P r o d u c t i o n N i g h t m a r e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 4

1 2 . 6 C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 6

C H A P T E R 1 3 :

  Game Over? Not Hardly . . . . . 307 P P E N D I X A A

The Grammy’s and Other Game Audio Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

  

A . 1 W h o ’ s E l i g i b l e ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 0

A . 2 N A R A S D e t a i l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 0

A . 3 A p p l y i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 1

A . 4 O t h e r G a m e M u s i c A w a r d P o s s i b i l i t i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 1

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

What’s on the CD-ROM? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

  xiv —

  T

  C

  ONTENTS

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Foreword

  For the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege to be involved in one of the most fascinating and dynamic professions around. Composing, creating, and producing sound for video games is a chal- lenging entertainment career — every bit as exciting as working in the film or television industry. The games industry is a diverse and changing world, and this book can be your passport to a reward- ing and fruitful career.

  People often ask me how I got started in the games industry. Being a game composer or sound designer isn’t the most well-known profession, so how does someone actually get started? Well, the first rule of thumb is… you gotta love games!

  Defender, Tempest, Berserk, Asteroids, Choplifter, Battle Zone, Phoenix, Sinistar, Dragon’s Lair, Spy Hunter — these were the glorious programs that shaped my early life growing up. Sure my edu- cation revolved around math, social studies, English, and all the usual school requirements, but video games influenced me in ways that no class ever did. Video games opened my eyes to new worlds, new ideas, and especially new sounds.

  As a child, I remember seeing “Tron” in the theatre, and thinking how amazing it would be to live in a universe of video games. My wish was soon answered when my father brought home an Apple II computer for the family. I quickly realized that this new machine was much better equipped as a home game machine than a mere family word processor.

  As I got older, I became involved in synthesizers and bands, and discovered I could combine my love of computers with my love of music. Throughout high school, much to my parent’s dismay, I would drag our family computer to my local band gigs and sequence live on stage. After high school, I went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Audio Engineering and Electronic Music Synthesis — which perfectly integrated my passion for computers with music and recording. I was offered my first record deal my freshman year of school, and I signed a recording contract with my band Conta- gion on Capitol Records during my senior year of college.

  Even on tour, I couldn’t escape my passion for games. One of my fondest memories from our 1992 North American tour was playing Street Fighter in the back of the tour bus between cities.

  xvi — F o r e w o r d

  One concert, we even hooked our Nintendo to the other band’s video projection wall and played a match during their concert performance.