AudioMedia - July 2008 - (Page 19)

An Interview With Dave Ranyard Video-game creatives are moving forward from devising realistic audio environments, to authoring soundscapes that grab the emotions, as Sony’s Dave Ranyard, and panelist for Develop's Audio Track, suggests to KARl FOSTER. ealism has long been the Holy Grail that’s a mix of three different sounds, and change for video-game sound designers, and the parameters of filter settings and reverbs so today’s super-powerful consoles offer the that, say, one gunshot won’t sound the same as computing power to render virtual worlds in high- another. We may also use signature sample sets quality 5.1 surround. However, Dave Ranyard, so that, for example, the main player’s gun sounds Creative Services Manager for Sony Computer will be different to other characters’ gun sounds. Entertainment Europe (SCEE), sees the emergence Again, that reinforces you as the player and the of a new approach to 3D sound design. effect you’re having on the environment.” “Traditionally, you can do it algorithmically,” While the SCEE folk gather effects for a project, he says. “If you’re in a 3D environment, we have getting out and about with hard-disk recorders, or all that geometry information so you can place buying in SFX, ambiences, and more, there’s also sounds with fall-offs, roll-offs, and occlusion if the music to consider. Some of it is written by Dave there’re walls, kind of using physics to help equate and company, but the musical backing, as well as it to the real world. Having said that, what’s more dialogue, is usually outsourced to established acts. interesting is to go far beyond just emulating a “Kraftwerk provided music for the latest Wip3out world. I can go and stand in Oxford Street and release,” he says. “I think they’ve never been on a hear the real world. video game before, so that was really great for us. “What we’re interested in is using sound to Getting really interesting musicians on board is a emote the player. It might be that we twist reality. big part of it for us.” You can start off with a bed by placing things Naturally, this all costs money and Dave in the real world, then change levels and filter estimates the audio will account for 10 per settings based on what’s cent of a project’s budget, happening for the player.” although it could go as high The PlayStation 3 sits at as 20. Hence a tight workflow the heart of many an ardent is essential in avoiding costly gamer’s system, possibly mistakes. “We’d be involved at equipped with a high-def the conception stage because, screen and in-home surround at the very least, we help out system that might otherwise with music choices. A concept be used to watch movies. might be presented as a However, devising game video, sometimes like a ‘visual sound to take advantage of collage’ – essentially, a mood such kit requires a different piece giving an idea of what a perspective, says Dave: “In game’s about by using video some respects, you potentially clips from film. We might write have a bit more freedom reference music for that, and because with a movie, you we may also do some sounddon’t want too much going design. We may also help with on behind you and to the sound signatures for a key Audio Track panelist, Dave Ranyard. sides, because it disrupts character. Moving forward, the movie. Whereas in a game, if you suddenly we’ll do an overall audio plan and there may be have something happening behind you, that’s dialogue recording in that, but the final say will important because you can turn your character be with the creative directors. around and look at what it is. It’s adding value to “There may be a prototype and again, we’d the game experience.” be in there doing audio for that. On a number of With facilities in London, Cambridge, and occasions we’ve provided an audio ‘vision’ for the Liverpool, each equipped with Pro Tools, and project, and this can be a great opportunity to sell with Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live, plus Sony’s to the producer of the game why we’re proposing Sound Forge brought to bear, depending a certain budget.” on the demands of the project, Dave and his With dialogue and music in place, plus key team certainly have the tools to cope with the effects tagged to what could be thousands of complexities of interactive gaming audio. specific animations, it’s a two or three week job “We’ve special software used for developing to mix and polish, monitoring via Genelec 1029A interactive sounds,” he reveals. “In particular, we and 1030A cabs, plus a sub “the size of a washing use software called Scream by which you can machine,” jokes Dave. “Within the game engine, script sound. One of the issues you face doing we’ll have some extra software that kind of gives audio for games is that you don’t want repetition. us a mixing desk and the great thing, when you Every time you have a footstep or gunshot, it get to PS3, is that we can actually plug in a MIDIcould sound identical to the previous one, so we compliant mixing desk.” The PS3 also handles use scripting to resolve that. We might base the AI-type signal processing that modifies the audio parameters of the sound on how hard a button is depending on the state of play. Says Dave: “One of hit, what the player’s health is like, or the previous the things we try to do is ship every game with a sound triggered. Then we may play a sound sound engineer in the box.” ∫ R A U D I O M E D I A A jUUDl IyO 2 M 0 8 I A 0ED NOVEMBER 2005 http://www.mcdsp.com http://www.mcdsp.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - July 2008

AudioMedia - July 2008 Contents Recording Post Broadcast What's Up UK Geofocus: France For the Record Special Report: Develop Preview SE Electronics 4400 Sennheiser MKH800 Twin Tubetech Club Final Cut: Wanted Smart AV Tango Doctor Who Made in America DSP Roundup Product Sampler: Summer Hits Edirol R44 Video Guide AMSR Fame - Le Musical Waves MaxxBCL Yamaha AD8HR Special Supplement

AudioMedia - July 2008

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