This is an interview with our guest poster for November - Ariel Gross, Audio Director of game development studio Volition Inc, which produces such PC and console titles as the Saint's Row and Red Faction series. Check out Ariel's introduction post, and his blog 'I Feel Like a Fraud and So Can You!' Can you tell us a little about how you got into audio, and your audio career … [Read more...]
Sonic Salute’s Analog Cameras
Mikkel Nielsen, founder of Sonic Salute, recently released a new library called "Analog Cameras." In his own words: What started out as a somewhat smaller camera sound effects recording project, quickly evolved into an obsessive need to find new cameras with different sounding shutters and winders. Every fleemarket, and camera entusiasts gathering, were thoroughly scanned for … [Read more...]
Guest Poster Introduction: Ariel Gross
Editors note: This series of articles by Ariel were initially planned to be for the 'Featured Sound Designer', but due to recent changes to Designing Sound they will simply be posted each Wednesday over the month of November. And now, please allow Ariel Gross, Studio Audio Director at Volition to introduce himself in his own words. The year is 1991. Ariel Gross is 12 years … [Read more...]
Video Games and Loudness Standards: Interview with Sony’s Garry Taylor
The issues of loudness and dynamic range are common across all audio/visual media, but recently this conversation has been gaining traction within the game audio community. Following his presentation 'Fighting the Loudness War' at the Develop conference in early July, I contacted Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Audio Director Garry Taylor to discuss the subject … [Read more...]
Exclusive Interview: Bryan Jerden on Trailer Sound Design
For quite a few years, sound design for trailers has become increasingly creative and interesting. For blockbusters in Hollywood, an imaginative trailer campaign seems to be more and more important and sound is quite often utilized in inspired and inspiring ways. One of the top sound designers of Hollywood trailers is Bryan Jerden who has worked on prominent movie trailers … [Read more...]
“The Dark Knight Rises” – On the Sound Stage with Christopher Nolan
For someone who considers themselves the ultimate Batman fanatic (I freely admit, I’m a bit of nerd when it comes to this), just the opportunity to meet Christopher Nolan would have been enough. To visit the sound stage, where “The Dark Knight Rises” sound-mixing took place would have been enough. Even just getting to see the movie a few weeks ahead of everyone else definitely … [Read more...]
Cranking Down the Volume to Create Buzzsaw 2
[written by Jim Stout] Blastwave FX is known for its signature sound and style. Feedback from their customers usually includes comments like “unique”, “high quality” and “clean” -“super clean”, in fact. However, one product prides itself on being anything but clean – Buzzsaw. The innovative distortion library was created in 2007 and released in early 2008. Since then, it has … [Read more...]