book

Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design

Name: Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design
Author: Jean-Luc Sinclair
ISBN: 9781351731126

by Jean-Luc Sinclair

April 2020

Beginner

312 pages

9h 16m

English

Focal Press

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Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
BRIEF CONTENTS
DETAILED CONTENTS
1 Introduction
1 The Genesis of Audio in Games2 From Sample Playback to Procedural Audio3 How to Use This BookWhat This Book IsWhat This Book Isn’t
2 The Role of Audio in Interactive and Immersive Environments
1 Inform, Entertain, Immerse1 Inform: How, Whata Geometry/Environment: Spatial Awarenessb Distancec Locationd User Feedback and Game Mechanics2 Entertaina Sound Designb Music and the Mix3 Defining Immersion2 Challenges of Game Audio1 Implementation2 Repetition and Fatigue Avoidance3 Interactive Elements and Prototyping4 Physics5 Environmental Sound Design and Modeling6 Mixing7 Asset Management and Organization
3 The Game Engine Paradigm
1 What Is a Game EngineThe Unity3D Project Structure1 Level Basics 101a 2D, 3D and Cartesian Coordinatesb World Geometryc Lightingd Character Controllerse Cameras2 Elements of a Levela Everything Is an Objectb Transformc Spritesd Meshese Modelsf Texturesg Shadersh Materialsi Terrainj Skyboxesk Particles Systemsl Collidersm Triggers/Trigger Zonesn Lightingo Audiop Prefabs2 Sub Systems1 Animation2 Input3 PhysicsRigidbodies and Collision DetectionPhysics MaterialsTriggersRaycasting4 Audio5 Linear Animation6 Additional Sub Systems
4 The Audio Engine and Spatial Audio
1 Listeners, Audio Clips and Audio Sources1 The Audio ListenerAudio ClipsAudio Sources2 Audio Source Parameters3 Attenuation Shapes and Distancea Spherical Spreadingb Sound Cones – Directional Audio Sourcesc Square/Cubed Volumetric Sound Sourcese 2D, 3D or 2.5D Audio?4 Features of Unity’s Audio Enginea Audio Filtersb Audio Effectsc Audio Mixers2 Audio Localization and Distance Cues1 Distance Cuesa Loudnessb Dry to Reflected Sound Ratioc Low Pass Filtering With Distanced Spatial Width2 Localization Cuesa Localization on the Horizontal Planeb Localization on the Vertical Plane3 Implementing 3D Audioa Object-based Audio and Binaural Renderingsb Working With HRTFsc Multichannel Audio and Ambisonics4 Optimizing Sound Design for Spatializationa Putting It all Togetherb Working With 2D and Multichannel Audioc Working With Ambisonicsd Working With Object-Based Audio

5 Sound Design – The Art of Effectively Communicating With Sound
1 The Art of Sound Design1 A Brief History of Sound Design2 Sound Design – Basic Considerationsa Effective Sound Designb Sound Design Guidelines3 Getting the Right Toolsa Equalizationb Dynamic Rangec Reverberationd Harmonic Processorse Metering Toolsf Utilities4 Microphonesa Microphone Choice: Dynamic vs. Condensersb Mic Placement5 Sound Design – Before You Starta Always Use High Quality Materialb Don’t Get Too Attachedc Build and Learnd Listen for the Expected and the Unexpectede Layersf Be Organizedg Communicateh Experiment, Experiment, Experiment2 Basic Techniques1 Layering/Mixing2 Pitch Shiftinga Playback Speed Modulationb Granular Synthesisc Fast Fourier Transform-Based Algorithms3 Distortiona Saturationb Overdrivec Distortiond Bit Crushing4 Compressiona Blending Through Bus Compressionb Transient Controlc Inflation5 Equalization/Filteringa Equalization for Sound Designb Resonance Simulation6 Harmonic Generators/Aural Exciters7 Granular Synthesis and Granulation of Sampled Soundsa Granular Synthesis Terminologyb Sound Design Applications of Granular Synthesis8 DSP Classicsa Ring Modulation/Amplitude Modulationb Comb Filtering/Resonators9 Reverberationa Indoors vs. Open Airb Reverb Parametersc Reverberation for Environmental Modelingd Reverberation as a Dramatic Tool10 Convolutiona Optimizationb Speaker and Electronic Circuit Emulationc Filtering/Very Small Space Emulationd Hybrid Tones11 Time-Based Modulation FXa Chorusb Flangerc Phasersd Tremolo12 Foley Recording
6 Practical Sound Design
1 Setting Up a Sound Design Session and Signal Flow1 Signal Flowa Inputb Insertsc Pre-Fader Sendd Volume Fadere Metering: Pre-Fader vs. Post Faderf Post-Fader Sendg Output2 Working With Videoa Know Your Frame Rate3 Clipping Is Easy – Mind the Signal PathUse the Dynamic Range4 Setting Up a Basic Session for Linear Mixes and Cut Scenesa Music, Dialog and Sound Effectsb Inserts vs. Effects Loops for Reverberationc Setting Up the Mix Sessiond Master Output and Sub Mastee Submixes and Effects Loopsf Further Enhancements2 Practical Sound Design and Prototyping1 Gunsa One Shot vs. Loopsb General Considerationsc Designing a Gunshot2 Prototyping Vehiclesa Specificationsb Selecting Your Materialc Processing and Preparing Your Materiald Building a Prototype3 Creature Soundsa Primary vs. Secondary Soundsb Emotional Spanc Working With Vocal Recordingsd Working With Animal Samplese Working With Non-Human or Animal Samples4 An Adaptive Crowd Engine Prototype in MaxMSP
7 Coding for Game Audio
1 Why Learn to Code?1 Syntax and Logic2 Algorithms3 Basic Object-Oriented Programming Conceptsa Procedural vs. Object-Orientedb Encapsulation and Inheritance2 An Intro to C#: Syntax and Basics1 Our First Script2 Variables, Constants, Data Types Operators, Arrays and Listsa Data Typesb Variablesc Arraysd Listse Access Modifiers3 Accessing a Function From Another Class3 Playing Audio in Unity1 Our First Audio Script2 Play() vs. PlayOneShot()3 Using Triggers4 Sample Randomization5 Detecting Keyboard Events6 Audio-Specific Issuesa Timing – Frame Rate vs. Absolute Timeb Linear vs. Logarithmic Amplitude
8 Implementing Audio: Common Scenarios
1 Before You Start: Preparing Your Assets2 Ambiences and Loops1 Creating Ambiences and Loopsa Seamless Loopsb Creating a Simple Loop – Looping Techniquesc Creating Variations2 Implementing Our Loops in a Unity Levela Challengesb Spatial Distributionc Working With the Time Property to Avoid Phasing Issues3 Random Emittersa A Simple Random Emitter Algorithmb Coroutines4 Ambiences, Putting It All Together5 Sample Concatenationa Creating Variations With Footsteps Samplesb Case 1: Swapping Audio Clipsc Case 2: Using PlayScheduled()6 Collisionsa Detecting Collisionb Velocity-based Sample Selection7 Raycasting and Smart Audio Sourcesa Implementing Occlusion With Raycastingb Avoiding the Pebble Effect8 Animation Events9 Audio Fades10 Distance Crossfades11 Working With Prefabsa Creating a Smart Intermittent Emitter Prefab With Occlusionb Instantiating a Prefab From Scriptingc Destroying an Object Instantiated From a Prefabd Instantiating Audio Emitters at Random Locations in 3D
9 Environmental Modeling
1 What Is Environmental Modeling?1 Reverberationa Pre-Computed vs. Real Time Computationb Absorption Coefficientsc Environmental Modeling With Reverberation in Unityd Unity’s Reverberation Parameters2 Best Practices for Environmental Modelinga Late vs. Early Reflectionsb Reflections Levelc Density and Diffusiond High Frequencies vs. Low Frequencies3 Reverb Zones, Effects Loops and Audio Reverb Filtersa Reverb Zonesb Adding Reverb as an Effect Loop Using the Mixerc Audio Reverb Filters2 Distance Modeling1 Filtering as a Product of Distancea Adding a Low Pass Filter That Will Modulate its Cutoff Frequency Based on Distanceb Width Perception as Product of Distancec Dry to Wet Ratio as a Product of Distanced Distance Simulation: Putting It All Together3 Additional Factors1 Occlusion, Obstruction, Exclusiona Occlusionb Obstructionc Exclusion2 Distance Crossfades3 Doppler Effect
10 Procedural Audio: Beyond Samples
1 Introduction, Benefits and Drawbacks1 What Is Procedural Audio?a Procedural Audio, Pros and Consb Approaches to Procedural Audio2 Practical Procedural Audio: A Wind Machine and a Sword Collision Model1 A Wind Machine in MaxMSP With Subtractive SynthesisMaking the Model Flexible2 A Sword Maker in MaxMSP With Linear Modal SynthesisSpectral AnalysisModeling the ImpulseModeling the ResonancesMaking the Model Flexible
11 Adaptive Mixing
1 What’s in a Mix? Inform and Entertain (Again)1 Mix Considerations2 Music, Dialogue and Sound Effects3 Planning and Pre-Productiona SubMixingb Routingc Dynamic Ranged Passive vs. Active Mix Events2 The Unity Audio Mixer1 Adding Groups to the Unity Mixer2 The Audio Group Inspector3 Working With Views and Colors in the Unity MixerCreating Views in Unity4 Adding Effects to Groups in Unity5 Inserts vs. Effect Loops6 Setting Up an Effect Loop for Reverberation in Unity Using Send and ReceiveNote on Adjusting Levels During Gameplay7 Ducking in UnitySetting Up a Ducking Compressor in Unity3 Snapshots, Automation and Game States1 Working With Snapshots2 Recalling Snapshots via Scripting3 Editing Mixer and Plugin Parameters via Scripting4 Exposing a Parameter: Controlling a Volume Slider4 Good PracticesMix Levels
12 Audio Data Reduction
1 Digital Audio: A Quick Review1 Pulse Code Modulation2 File Size Calculation2 Data Reduction Strategies1 Speech vs. Generic Audio2 Bit Rates3 Perceptual CodingThe Trade-Off4 Common File Formatsa MP3b Advanced Audio Codingc Ogg Vorbisd AC-3 Dolby Digitale Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation3 Data Reduction Good Practices4 Data Reduction Options in Unity1 File Options2 Load Type3 Compression Formats OptionsSample Rate Setting
Index

Content preview from Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design

INDEX

Note: page numbers in italic indicate a figure and page numbers in bold indicate a table on the corresponding page.

2D audio sources 51–52, 62, 68

2D levels 26–27, 30

2D sounds 178–179, 189

2.5D audio sources 51–52

2.5D games 26

3D audio, implementation of 58–67

3D audio sources 51–52

3D levels 26–27

3D sounds 179, 189

5.1 Dolby Digital 66

5.1 standard 62–65

7.1 surround systems 66

360-degree surround 65–67

AAC (advanced audio coding) format 281

absolute time 168–170

absorption coefficients 216

AC-3 Dolby Digital 282

access modifiers 158–159

Acorn, Allan 1, 2

active mix events 258–259

adaptive crowd engine prototype 143–146

adaptive mixing 251–275; considerations for 251–253; good practices 271–274; music, dialogue, and sound effects ...

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Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design

by Jean-Luc Sinclair

INDEX

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