Unit 5: Sound Production

Here is a recap of what we covered in our first session, the presentation is linked below. This first session is linked to Learning Outcomes 1.1 and 1.2 from the brief.

Sound production in games.pptx

week 3: studio workshop

Sound studio basics | File Management

This week the class will be split into two groups; each of you will get the chance to be on both sides of the recording studio process.

We will be looking at setting up a basic recording session - software setup and microphone setup. We will learn how to use the hardware correctly and how to properly set up the recording software to capture audio.

Make sure you;

Take clear notes (use phone note apps, notebooks etc.)
Take pictures/videos

You will be expected to write up/reflect on your experiences on your google site afterwards.

week 5 sound libraries

Exploring existing libraries of sound effects.

In this session you will need to explore some existing sound libraries and begin to compile a selection of sound effects for your work. I have provided links to the BBC sound archive for you to use but there are many more online for you to explore yourselves!

Materials:

Article about BBC's library: You can now download over 33,000 sound effects from the BBC archive (djmag.com)
The library: BBC Sound Effects (bbcrewind.co.uk)

You must:

Document any findings on your site, add links, collect sounds and save them to your drive.

Weeks 6&7: Pro Tools.

In these sessions we will set up accounts for pro tools and have a go with some of the basic functions of the software. These sessions relate to the software workshop task for Learning Outcome 1.1.

Project setup

After launching pro tools you need to do the following:

Select New Project
Name it properly (no 'untitled' please!)
Select the 'Location' and choose downloads for now.

Importing Audio

You will need to have some audio clips dowloaded first.

Select File > Import Audio
In the pop up window, browse to where your files are saved
Select it and choose the 'add' or 'convert' option.
Choose new track when prompted.

Some Shortcuts

New track: ctrl+Shift+N
Swapping between mix and edit windows: ctrl +=
Zoom in/out: R+T
Play/Stop: Space Bar

Some Navigation and Identification Tips

Main Windows 1: Edit

The main screens are the Edit and Mix windows. Edit allows you to manipulate the audio with various tools such as the Multi-tool - giving the option of highlighting segments, selecting and moving tracks, trimming them, and adding fades.

Main Windows 2: Mix

The mix window is a representation of a traditional mixing desk channel layout. You can adjust the volume with the fader control, adjust the stereo position of the sound with the 'pan' control and add effects to your sounds via the 'insert' section at the top.

Effects and Processing

You will find a wide variety of effects in the Inserts area of the Mix window. It is recommended you experiment with the pre-sets and find some you like. Try experimenting with Reverb, Delay, EQ and Compression on your sounds.

Weeks 9&10: Planning.

Identify Sounds and Create and Asset List.

This clip has some useful demonstrations of recording foley. You could find inspiration for your own plans from the unique approaches they take!

Weeks 11&12: Studio Recording Sessions.

Work together to capture your audio assets!

For these two sessions you are expected to direct your own recording and assist one another in the process. Refer back to your notes from the earlier studio workshops, as well as the example video from weeks 9 and 10.

You should have a plan and asset list ready at this stage so you can get the task complete with minimum fuss. You should also have your own items for foley creation.

Here is one more vid on foley to give you some further inspiration!

Week 13: Mixing and Arranging.

Some tips to help you edit, manage and organise your final sounds!

More Pro Tools Tips

Other functions of edit window:

Multi Tool - when positioning your mouse in certain places on an audio file you can access the different tool functions: top = Selector, Bottom = Grabber, front/back end = Trim. (Trim can be changed to Time Stretch by clicking and holding on the icon.)
Record and Play functions can be looped. Right click the icons and select 'Loop'. Use this in combination with the Selector tool to create a playback loop of sections you are editing.
Marker: By pressing Enter on the numeric kepad of your keyboard you can add markers to your session. This will allow you to quickly navigate between important parts of your tracks. You can open a list of markers by pressing the keyboard shortcut 'ctrl + 5' on numeric keypad.

*See also that the tracks are lined up like steps in the above image. This is to help with easy navigation and playback.

Time Stretch Tool.

Marker Window

Compression

Compressors control what is known as the 'dynamic range' of a sound. They make the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder - imagine squashing the peaks and troughs of a sound wave closer together!

I suggest experimenting with the presets if you intend to use it for your work.

*Using the controls and exploring it's functions is the road to getting a distinction though...!

Here is a demonstration Pro Tools session with some of the things discussed above - you can download and experiment with this.

Premiere Tips

For the final part of the project you need to add your chosen video clip (found in the task 2 section on this site) and your completed sounds from Pro Tools into Premiere.

After setting up a project (using proper file management) you can either drop files in from file explorer (1) or use the media browser to navigate to your files (2).

Week 14: Evaluations.

Guidelines for evaluating your work.

Your evaluation should be split into two parts according to what is on the project brief:

Complete an analysis of your final pieces of audio. Below are some points to consider:

Did you manage to capture all the sounds you needed?
Were they accurate? Explain your answer.
Were there any obstacles or problems you had to manage?
Was there anything that went well?

Evaluate your performance during the process. Below are some points to consider:

Did your research prepare you for the project?
Did you plan effectively? Explain your answer.
How did you feel about your practical work performance?
Were you able to use the software and hardware effectively?
Would you make any changes in a future project based on what you have learned here?

You can present this in the form of a short written piece, voice recording, vlog, infographic or any other creative method of presentation you wish to use.

Final submission guidelines.

What I expect to see on your google sites when its all done!

A section discussing audio terms, software and hardware.
Notes on the recording studio and pro tools workshops.

Include images, screenshots, link to folder of experimental sounds.

Contextual research into games with audio that is relevant/influential to your work.

Be sure to highlight how these examples can relate to your own ideas!

References for any sources used (websites, books, YouTube vids etc.)
A plan for your project.

What sounds are in your clip, time stamps, note on how you might recreate them.
Asset list - what items and resources you will need.

Evidence of experiments to confirm your plans.

E.g. some sounds from the sessions we did experimenting in pro tools with the various effects.
Also some of the sounds and notes from the studio experiment sessions.

Diary of your production.

screenshots and notes from your recording and mixing of your final sounds. Highlight the tools you used, explain choices.

Evaluation. See Week 14 for how to complete.
Link to a folder with all your sounds organised and named properly at minimum.
If you can, link a clip of your game with the sound attached (indicative of higher grades).

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