-Uranus Attacks-
Sources and Sample Creation
Creating interesting and unique sounds for games can be approached in many different ways. My favorite method is to record sounds from my environment and then layer them with other recorded samples or sound samples found online in sample libraries. Using samples from online libraries allows me to start with a familiar sound, which helps create some audible context for the listener. Layering the library sample with a recorded sample from my environment helps to make the final result unique and interesting by adding different textures and transients. After processing both samples with a variety of tools like time stretching, chorus, and reverb; the two samples are processed together to create a new sample that is both recognizable in its context and sounds different from sound effects they may have heard in other games.
Throughout the creation process I was given some great feedback by my peers and project director, which helped me to further develop my assets. As a result, my assets evolved from a basic set of sounds with noticeable issues, into a more dynamic set of sounds that sounded professional and helped bring the game to life. Some of that feedback included suggestions like volume adjustment, making the sounds more representative of the visuals, and maintaining audio quality. This was extremely helpful for me as a designer and helped ensure that the client received a quality set of assets that met their creative vision.
Below are the final sound assets I created, along with a description of the sources I used and how I created them, for the game "Uranus Attacks".
For my first planet sound, I envisioned a desolate space that was cold. I recorded the air moving through an air vent in my kitchen. I used a low pass filter, chorus, and reverb to process the sample. I then layered a second recording of the same air vent and used the same processing techniques, using a high pass filter instead.
For my second planet, I wanted the sound to reflect a larger more ominous space than the first planet. I recorded the air moving through an air vent in my kitchen, eq’d and pitch shifted the sample, and then layered it with a recorded sample of my dish washers hum, which was processed with pitch shift, chorus, and reverb.
For my engine asset, I needed a sound that would have a repeating, mechanical feel. I recorded the sounds of my clothes washers spin cycle, then processed the sample with eq, heavy chorus, and pitch shifting. I then layered a second sound sample of an engine hum from an online audio library. I processed the engine hum with heavy chorus, flanger, varifi, and pitch shifting. I then created a duplicate layer of the engine and used a phaser on one layer.
For the vaporizer asset, I knew I would need something both electrical and short. I used layered samples of my kitchen hand blender, edited different parts of the samples to make one sample and then used time stretching, chorus, and vari speed to process the final sample.
For my teleport assets, I recorded the sound of my clothes washers motor and spin cycle, and then layered two different samples from the same source. I then used time stretching to get interesting transients and used varifi to ramp up the speed of the final sample. I then created a duplicate of the "teleport in" asset and processed it with varifi to slow down the sample.
For my first set of creature assets, I used three different samples of my dogs barking and growling and layered them with alternate takes of their barks and growls. I then used time stretching, chorus, frequency modulation, and pitch shifting to process the samples.
For my last set of creatures, I wanted to create a shrieking/squealing sound with pigs, but I don't live near a farm. So, I decided to use three different samples from an online sound library of pigs squealing and layered them with alternate samples of pigs squealing and snorting. I then used time stretching, chorus, frequency modulation, and pitch shifting to process the samples.
