Sound effects

[eric22222]

So... how do you guys make sound effects for your games? The best I've managed to do is actually writing sheet music for sounds (works better than it sounds). How do you guys do it?

[sam]

I don't usually do sound effects but when I do I use a sound recorder, record me making some noise and then do all kinds off stuff to the sound (ie.add echo, play 10x faster...ect) to make it sound 'video-gamish'.

[bluemonkmn]

I do some of what sam described, but I also used a few sounds from my Roland XP-60 synthesizer.  For music I use a combination of the synthesizer and Cakewalk Express Gold (using sound fonts on a Sound Blaster card).  I envy durnurd now that he has the software I gave him for his birthday, though .  Voyetra Midi Orchestrator seems like it can create some pretty nice music too.  Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to make and sound or music for a couple years now.

[durnurd]

I use a program called Goldwave for most of my sound-effect needs.  It's got a lot of nice effects and all that jazz, but (one of) the really nice thing(s) is that it has an "Expression Evaluator" where you just type in an expression like ((sin(440*t*2*pi)+sin(480*t*2*pi))/8.93) and it will create a wav from that (That last expression was the sound of a telephone ring).  You can get some pretty interesting and cool sounds just from that.  Then you add some effects to make them sound even better.

Of course, the problem with that is that the sounds don't sound very organic.  For that you really do need a microphone out in the real world.  You just have to experiment dropping things onto/into other things, smacking things, smacking things against other things, breaking things (use wisely), and generally being mean to household (inanimate) objects.

For example, If hold a CD vertically above your keyboard and drop it just right so it gets stuck in the keys standing up, it makes a great "Thwack" sound.  Then take a long stick (any long stick will do), and swing it through the air to get a swish sound.  Now combine the two, and you get a convincing Arrow hitting a target (or tree) sound effect.

Or here's another one.  Record yourself pretending to eat something like a peanutbutter sandwich.  Something that makes your toung make noise as you go through it.  Apply a flange to it and lower the pitch, and you've got a Rancor !

[bat]

i'm totally a freeware person and there's some ok music making programs(might have to search tucows.com or something):

sampled (sound distortion)
Anvil Studio (midi music maker)

[Jam0864]

i use rubberduck if you want to try it out i dont remember the site but its one of the first if you search in google  :(thats how i found it)

[Vincent]

Just wondering, do you guys know a good library of free sound effects for video game making?  I'm searching on google, but there's not much from what I can see...  Any clues?

Thanks guys

[bat]

oh whoa!  SUCH an old thread...maybe these will aid you in your search for sound effects...?

http://www.freesound.org/
http://www.findsounds.com/

[Vincent]

Yeah, it was an old thread but this one can't really expire I think?   

Thanks a lot bat!

[bat]

Yeah, no problem.  Kinda funny, because I haven't been on this site for...has it been years? whoa.  For some odd reason, i had clicked to "watch" this topic, years ago, and it had been waiting all that time for somebody to post something 

[Vincent]

Well, I'm glad you did!  I'm currently browsing through the first site you gave me, it's great!

Welcome back to the forums! 

[bat]

I haven't even tried the newer versions of sgdk2...hmm....maybe fate has brought me back!  Sgdk1 was awesome, so i can't even imagine how cool a working verision of 2 might be!  Btw, if you search for film/video/movie sound effects there are a LOT of free ones floating around as well.  A search like "free video sound effects" got me to this cool site... http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/   Anyway, good luck !

[Vincent]

Thanks!

I hope you take some time to give a look at SGDK2, I have a great time using it!

If it can convince you to give SGDK2 a try, I can send you a demo (compiled version) of the game I'm working on right now! 

Tell me if you want it, I'll send you a email at your gmail address (if it's still valid).

Ciao

[bat]

yeah, that'd be great!  It's still the "arkmabat (at) gmail.com"

[Vincent]

Okay, I'm sending it right now.

Tell me if you don't receive it in a couple of minutes.  Sometimes Gmail blocks attachments with programs in it for virus protection...  I renamed the file, I hope that Gmail will let it pass.

See ya!