Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games
Assignment 1
Task 1
Compare and contrast the following sounds clips.
You must consider, Theory of Sound, Psychology of Sound, Audio
Environment, Sources, Game music and Legal issues.
You can re-visit all of your exercises for P1
Both High budget productions, high quality sound (next gen
console):
The common use for the ps4
platform uses five channels for normal-range speakers
(20 Hz – 20,000 Hz)
(Right, centre, left, right surround, left surround) And one channel (20 Hz – 120 Hz allocated
audio) for the subwoofers low-frequency
effects. Mono and stereo modes are also supported
PlayStation uses Dolby
digital 5.1 and 7.1 sound formats, these are AAC and AC3 sound file formats
witch are both lossy compression.
These are limitations of
this platform, the sound has to be in this lossy compressed format and be
within the Hz range of the supported audio output. Also, because some sources
of in game music are analogue they then need to be converted into digital sound
through digital sound processing. This can conversion loses some of the quality
in the audio. Furthermore, if the audio wasn’t restrained by the file format
and conversion it would still be constraint by the amount of RAM in the machine
as it will use some of the ram to run the audio files, if these files are too
large and take too much memory this will bottle neck all other processes being
run.
Both of the composers of
these tracks would have to take something’s into consideration e.g. copyright.
The last of us track was completely an original development, written and played
by Gustavo on real instalments he didn’t even know how to play to get a unique
sound. Both composers got inspiration from other sources but they couldn’t rip
anything straight out of other tracks, instead they would mimic a certain sound
or feel whilst putting their own unique spin on it.
Some ways that composers
make money from games sound tracks is royalties, this is when the artist is
paid a percentage of the profits made form a game that has used their audio.
Another way is through contracts of outright payment where the game developers
buy the rights to the piece of music and make it exclusive to their game.
If they did take any music
etc. from an artist they would first have to get the artist permission and then
credit them in game for this.
The last of us:
Gustavo santaolalla was the composer of the track. He is
quite well known so if people heard that he was involved in the development of
this game it may help generate hype.
Guitar sounds light and fast like a nylon
strung and finger played classical acoustic or flamenco guitar. I think this
was recorded live in a studio onto a track. This would be easy with an electroacoustic
guitar plugged straight into a mac and recorded onto a sound editing software
such as garage band/audition, it was probably recorded in a lossless format like
smp to get the most information possible to get a high bit depth and resolution
to get a crisp clear sound. Also, with this being such a high budget and
professional project, the software they would be using would not require any
plugins as it is so powerful already. I assume they used multi-track recording
(a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple
sound sources to create a cohesive whole.)
After researching I found that the guitar used in the main
melody was a Ronroco. A traditional Peruvian melodic instrument, it gives kind
of bare sound, it’s quite minimalistic. Gustavo actually recorded separate
layers of this track in areas like the kitchen and the toilet, looking for the
fitting acoustics of the room to make the sound he was looking for. He didn’t
even know how to play all the instruments he used in this track but if he could
make a sound he liked with it, he played it anyway.
In the begging of this track, the slow tempo and quite high
pitch sustained notes give a sense of eeriness and creates suspense. These
notes would have a small wavelength as they are high pitched, they are also
quite loud so the peak would be high. I
associated this kind of sounds with spiders, maybe because of the long legs in
comparison to the dragged out notes. Furthermore I think this is because
personally I find spiders quite menacing and fearsome, I imagine other people
would project their fears onto this track.
Also, this piece of music sounds very
western. Initially it is very lonesome with the single melody playing. When the
tempo picks up and some accompanying layers of instruments come in, It reminds
me off iconic scenes of western films, like a lone ranger wondering through an
open plain, an epic action adventure unravelling.
The sound track to red dead redemption has a similar feel to
it and is set in cowboy western America.
As
the drums get louder and louder towards the end of the track and become over
powering, it feels as if we are heading to an epic climax, good and evil facing
off in a life or death battle.
This track sounds a lot like Gustavo’s other works in broke Back
Mountain although they have a very different tone in emotion.
Little Big Planet 3:
Barry Adamson composed dead
heat in 1993, so I haven’t found much out about how it was composed and
recorded. I assume it would have been a lower quality than tracks today due to
advancements in understanding and technology in the music industry. Barry
Adamson could have remixed his original track to sell to PlayStation, if this
were the case he would have edited the digital sound he already had recorded
instead of recording and producing more analogue audio.
The track is quite suspenseful with the pauses
in-between notes at the beginning, the loud horn like noises are very
intimidating. It reminds me of the noise from war of the worlds when the tripod
first erupts from the earth, maybe they were trying to remake the kind of epic
reveal.
Also it give a sense of illusiveness with the drawn out
sounds like someone or something is lingering. It makes me think something is
lurking the shadow and ready to pounce.
When it gets into it, it is very upbeat and lively with
drums symbols and horns as if something has awoke or a fight is about to break
out. It reminds me of action films like enter the dragon.
This track is very similar to the main theme of untouchables
by Ennio Morricone.
I think that little big planet is trying to give a feeling
of a 70’s action film as more of a joke than a serious relatable piece of
music. This is a simple game that doesn’t take its self too seriously and this
piece of music is quite ironic as you associate it with high octane action
where as little big planet clearly isn’t about that.
This assumption is supported by the people that voice the
game, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry etc. all celebrities of the
entertainment/comedic media world.
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