There are many branches of Sound Arts that one can specialise in after graduation, such as music production and sound design for films, acoustics, live sound, and game audio.
Game audio is a relatively new field and is quite different from other fields. As games have evolved from simple, 2D games to big, Hollywood quality storylines, graphics and complexity. Different tools have come up to make implementing sounds to games easier and also more complicated. Now, sound engineering institutes come here to help you to learn the working of these tools and make you an expert. You should visit the website of such institutes and look for the best courses in game-sound engineering.
Assets
Sounds for games are called assets. A Sound Designer will provide audio files to the game programmer who in turn implements it into the game using code. Few things to note that these audio files need to be very small in size (.ogg files are used) The sound designer must also make sure all the audio clips don’t have any silence before the sound effect plays. The Programmer commands each clip to play when certain conditions are triggered. If the sound effect isn’t heard immediately after it is triggered, there will be a delay and the SFX won’t be in sync with the visuals.
Composers will also make sure the music files they provide is small in size, and loopable. Music for games does not need to be very long because it will be looped. A few bars will do. However, in recent times, there are tools that help sound designers implement their SFX and music to games and get more involved in the process of game development.
FMOD Studio
FMOD Studio is a software that lets the user arrange and playback music or SFX according to different scenarios in the game. The UI is similar to a DAW but it is not a music-making software! It is called middleware. FMOD Studio can also connect to game engines that can be used to trigger sounds in your middleware.
Wwise
Wwise is another audio middleware used for games that is a little more advanced and offers more features, however, the UI is not as friendly as FMOD.
Game Engines
Game engines are software used to make games, such As Unreal Engine and Unity. These Game Engines also offer some features to make implementing sounds easier. Especially the Unreal Engine.
Most Game Sound Designers and Composers work as freelancers. However, with the new tools that have been developed, there is a scope for sound designers to be more directly involved in the game development process. Several Big Game Development Studios hire in-house Sound Designers who work on a variety of different middleware, including FMOD and Wwise, whereas some companies develop their own proprietary audio middleware to be used for their games. So, there are excellent opportunities in this field and one can make a fruitful career if the folk has advanced skills and knowledge. One can pursue sound engineering diploma courses to gain the skills and learn from professionals. Apply now to the top sound engineering and game development institute in India and have a bright career ahead.
