Category: Sound

Legal Sound

There are 2 kinds of sound available to download:

• Copyrighted – Owned and registered to a person or company
• Copyright Free – Anyone can use it for anything, but the creator may want to know the following:
  • You may need to credit the creator
  • The creator may want to be contacted first before use
  • If you are making a profit, the creator may claim/want a percentage, so it is in your best interest to check first.

PRS/MCPS

An audio creator earns money known as “Royalties”. The user of the audio is required to pay a fee before using this audio, and both parties register with PRS/MCPS.

PRS means that the artists pay for “Performance” of work (Audience does not keep a copy), whereas MCPS means that the artists pay for “Mechanical” use of work (Here the Audience would keep a copy)

 

Where to find sounds:

COPYRIGHTED	COPYRIGHT FREE
www.studiocutz.com	www.royaltyfreetunes.co.uk
Contact the Artist? – Talent Release Contract	You make the Sounds?
Contact the PRC/MCPS?	www.royaltyfreesoundeffects.co.uk
Cover mount CD	www.royaltyfreemusic.com/sound-effects.html

 

Foley

To make your own sounds, you can employ the use pf Foley Artistry. This is the reproduction of everyday sounds for use in filmmaking that helps to create a sense of realism in the scene. This was orginally done by Jack Foley in Universal Stuios in 1927.

 

These sound effects can be split into 3 main categories:

• Feet
• Moves
• Specifics

 

Foley sounds can be created using virtually anything, and here are some examples:

Source: PowerPoint Presentation

Digital Technologies convert analog waveforms into digital (a set of 1s and 0s), then approximately converts them back to analog waveforms when they are played. This is done through an AD/DA converter.

 

AD/DA (Analog to Digital or Digital to Analog) converters are found in virtually every digital device now, from speakers, to laptops, to microphones. They are now vital to everyday life. Using binary (0=Off, 1=On) the computer can build a series of numbers which approximate the analog waveform. To record this we need the Amplitude (Bit Depth) and the Frequency (Sample Rate).

 

Bit Depth

More than 2 binary digits create a word. The more there are in the “word”, the more accurate the recording will be. For example, 24 bit would be 24 digits in a word. If the word is all 0’s, it is the lowest amplitude (no sound), and all 1’s would be the highest/loudest.

 

Sample Rate

Sample Rate, or Frequency, is measured per second. The computer takes a picture of the waveforms, recording there peaks and troughs, at a regular interval. This is known as the sample rate. An example of sample rate would be 48,000kHz, which would equate to 48,000 pictures taken per second.

 

Mono and Stereo

There are 2 kinds of audio files – mono and stereo. Mono has no perception of the surroundings, as it is only one audio track. This mean you will not get a left or right specific sound. Stereo files are made up of two mono files, one for the left ear and one for the right. This gives you surround audio which better immerses you in the music/environment.

Today we discussed sound and how effective its use is in games.

The Audio Environment

Music can be made to compliment a game very effectively, as the depth of field and many other aspects can create a “3D World”, helping to present an illusion that the player is sitting in the in the middle of the action. Listening with your eyes closed helps create the illusion of this “3D World”.

A few simple techniques are used to achieve this:

• Volume – Close or Distant
• Panning – To the left or right of the player
• Frequencies – The low and high sounds are used to separate instruments

 

Using these techniques you can create the illusion of a whole orchestra:

 

The Psychology of Music

These techniques also help the ambiance of the environment and the atmosphere. This helps set moods and emotions.

 

Sound as Information

• Speech
• Iconic – For example, the Mario theme tune
• Symbolic – An action, person or place etc.
• Metaphoric – Implies a thought into the audience

 

Film and Game Parallels

There are a large majority of similarities between music in the film and game industries. They can all be categorized into the following:

• The Human Voice
  • Story Teller
  • Character
  • Dialogue
• Sound Effects
  • Synchronous Sounds – sound that matches the actions on the screen
  • Asynchronous Sounds – background sounds which are added into the scene to create ambience
• Music
  • The emphasis of the scene

 

Uses of Sound in Games

Sound can be implemented to enhance what we both see and want the audience to feel. Music and sound is used in the following:

• FMV (Full Motion Video)
• Intro Scenes
• Closing Sequences
• Credit Sequence
• Plot Advancement
• Action Scenes

 

Interactive adaptive audio is used to further enhance how effective sound is in games. For everything the player does, a sound can usually be applied to enhance the environment further. The could anything from pressing a button or opening a door, to changing a weapon of picking up an item.