For this month's topic of "Psychoacoustics" I thought I'd stretch the definition a bit and finally write an article I have wanted to for a while now, and discuss the sound design of World of Warcraft. Specifically the unscientific observations of someone (me) who has regularly experienced these sounds for fully 1/3 of their life. What I would like to discuss are my own … [Read more...]
The Making Of Thunderstorm 3 SFX Library Part 2
Guest Contribution by Frank Bry Check out part 1 of The Making of Thunderstorm 3 SFX here. In this second and final article I will discuss microphone patterns, recording device pre amp settings, editing and the final mastering phase of this collection. Before I dive into all the technical mumbo jumbo I want to express that when I'm setting up and actually recording thunder … [Read more...]
100% Synthesized SFX for Stylized Realism in Games
Guest Contribution by Alex May If you were born in the 70’s or 80’s and played video games, you’ll no doubt have fond memories of the early days of game audio when consoles were incapable of playing back more than basic pulse waves or noise. All sounds had to be forged from these primitives, and game SFX were rarely even slightly reminiscent of anything actually real. Now, … [Read more...]
The Making Of Thunderstorm 3 SFX Library Part 1
Guest Contribution by Frank Bry In this article I will reveal my secrets and techniques to recording decent thunder and lightning. Many, many years and sleepless nights have gone into perfecting the art of recording the thunderstorm and I will finally share. But first, I want to share a little history and tell you how I developed these secrets and techniques. It was not so … [Read more...]
Countdown To The Apocalypse Sound Design Contest
Blastwave FX are at it again with another contest which they announced last week. This one is about making a zombie soundscape: [youtube]http://youtu.be/i6YSRJMNEf4[/youtube] RULES: Create a sound design clip of a soundscape or scene of something you think you would hear during the zombie apocalypse. The sound design clip must be no longer than 60 seconds. No … [Read more...]
Audible Worlds’ “Crowds” Library Deadline Approaching
There is a cool crowdsource library getting organized over at Audible Worlds. Site runner Mike Niederquell's explanation says it best: The goal of this library is to capture 3-5 minutes of crowds or walla from your local region. It's best if the conversations in the recordings are unintelligible, which is why we are using the term "walla" to describe this project. We realize … [Read more...]
The Mix in The Last of Us
Over at G.A.N.G.'s site is a new interview by Kenny Young who chats with Naughty Dog's Phillip Kovats and Jonathan Lanier about the mix of Last of Us. Its a fantastic read that I recommend for anyone in or interested in game audio. The mix won a GANG award for a reason! Link. … [Read more...]