Eureka moments are often steeped in excitement and wonder. They are the great discoveries and innovations of the ages. Others are a slap on the forehead, a "why didn't I think of this sooner?" moment. This particular Eureka moment I'm about to share is of the latter variety and came about three paragraphs into an email I was writing. The monologue from my brain to myself went … [Read more...]
From Saint Petersburg to San Francisco: An Interview with Daria Novoliantceva
Daria Novoliantceva (Daria Novo) is a classical singer, composer, and sound designer at nerdtracks in San Francisco. Before coming to the US, she earned her master's degree in choral conducting at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in her home country of Russia where she composed and arranged over 80 choir pieces. She has also composed music for puppet theaters in Saint … [Read more...]
2018 GDC Meetup & Synth Museum Sign Ups
As previously mentioned, we're hosting a Pre-GDC gathering with the help of UVI. We'll be meeting to chat, play pool, and drink/eat at The Broken Rack in Emeryville on Sunday, March 18th starting at 2PM. We'll also be guiding groups over to the Vintage Synthesizer Museum, throughout the afternoon and evening. The Broken Rack (5768 Peladeau St, Emeryville, CA) is a little off … [Read more...]
Monthly Theme: Eureka
We all know these special moments of success. Be it when you figure out a new production technique, when you accidentally or consciously record/design that special sound, when a game audio system that you've conceptualized and worked on for weeks finally comes together in the way you imagined it or when you finally figure out a new piece of technology. Sometimes these "Aha! … [Read more...]
Humane Interface Design for Synthesis
This is a guest post by Randy Jones, founder of Madrona Labs a Seattle-based company making hardware and software for computer music. You can reach him @MadronaLabs. Human-centered design is so mainstream now that it is synonymous with good design. This is as true in the making of sound creation and processing tools as in any technology. The concepts of usability, … [Read more...]
Growth and Guidance: An Interview with Steven Green
This is a guest interview submission with Steven Green, a sound designer based in the Bay-Area. It was conducted by Los Angeles sound designer Colin Andrew Grant. Since graduating from Michigan Technical University in 2014, Steven Green has been kept busy with a steady stream of work. Despite the fact that he still considers himself a novice in the world of game … [Read more...]
Modular System Retrospective from a Sound Designer
This is a guest contribution by Seattle-based sound designer Chris Burgess. Chris has been working principally in game audio for the last several years to support his "healthy" addiction to synths. Recently he's worked on Guild Wars 2, Middle-earth: Shadow of War and République. I built my first modular system about seven months ago and dove in with an understanding … [Read more...]