Sonic Design - Final Project

Name : Ivy Chung Ai Shin

Student ID : 0358429

Program : Bachelor Of Computer Science (Hons)

Week 12 - Week 14 

Final Project : Game Audio

In this project , we will be required to create our own sounds based on our own observation on the gameplay video. We are given 5 gameplay video to pick 1 from. 

Chosen Gameplay : 

From all of the 5 gameplay videos , the gameplay that I chose is the Red Goddess Inner World. I just thought I had more idea on how I can create the sounds for this game. 

Game Reference : 

I went to look for reference video to understand better grasp the game audio that I need and I can create. From the video , the game's background music was quite loud and that the effects are way softer. The game also did not really emphasized alot of other small audio details which I may possibly try to put in myself to enhance gameplay experience. 

Red Goddess Inner World

I proceed to plan the game audio that is needed following the gameplay. I planned them in a table form categorized into different categories , making it easier to track and prevent overseeing. I also created an audio board which allows to track the timestamp for each audio. 

Audio List : 

Audio Storyboard : 

Following the categories , I started off by recording the main characters which includes running , jumping , and landing. Then , I went on to record for the others and imported into Adobe Audition following how I planned to record the sound in the document shown above. 

Image 1.0 - Noise Reduction Process

With that , the first thing I would do for all the audios that I have recorded is to capture the noise and perform noise reduction onto the audio. However , for the environment audio , I would adjust the noise reduction to safely ensure not to remove necessary sound.

Image 1.1 - Parametric Equalizer on "Jump"

For the jumping of the character , after recording the "whoop" sound from the badminton racket. I had deleted some audio back and forth and added parametrics equalizer to make it sound cleaner. I then also added dynamics , compression to reduce the sound. Lastly , I added reverse onto the recording to make it sound as if it is going upwards instead downwards.

Image 1.2 - Arrange "jumping / landing" audio

I also added the landing sound. I had to remove most of the noise in this audio as it was filmed outside and also remove parts that recorded the background noise to take only the important part of the audio. I had just added parametric equalizer to increase the lower tone to create a louder hit impact effect. I then adjusted both the jumping and landing sound to match the character's movement. 

Image 1.3 - Parametric Equalizer on "fire explode" audio

As for the fire shoot , from the recording of the blanket , I had also deleted parts of the recording that are unnecessary and added parametric equalizer by reducing the middle tone and reduce overall crisp in the sound. 

Image 1.4 - Parametric Equalizer on "fire sparkling"

Image 1.5 - Pitch Shifter on "fire sparkling"

Moving on to editing the sparkle effect to be applied on the magic fire, I had recorded by throwing small beads into glass cup . I proceed to add parametric equalizer to reduce the bass and increase crisp as well as the high tone to make it sound somewhat "grassier". I also insert reverb to just add slight echo-ish and dynamics to make the sound consistent. Lastly , I added pitch shifter to increase the sound to a higher pitch. 

Image 1.6 - Parametric Equalizer on "fire shooting"

As the fire shoots out , I wanted to create a shooting sound effect on the fire. Therefore , I had blow into a cup to create the sound effect. With that , I had adjust it using parametric equalizer after denoising to increase clarity and reduce muddiness. I also added reverb to make it sound slightly delayed.

Image 1.7 - Parametric Equalizer on "ting" sound

I had recorded a "ting" sound by when the character passes a throne like object. Similarly , I had implemented parametric equalizer to reduce bass and increase higher tone. I then experimented and tried adding reverse which led me to achieve a switching-like sound that I wanted as the character passes the throne and it switches colour. 

Image 1.8 - Stretch & Pitch on "crystal glow" audio 

Image 1.9 - Analog Delay on "crystal glow" audio

As for the crystal glowing effect  , I had recorded using the coconut shell instrument. However , as the duration only last a short while. I had figure to use stretch and pitch as well as lower the pitch to make it sound in a lower tone and also longer as it stretches , thus creating a glowing-like sound. I had also added analog delay by increasing the spread to add some echo and spread the sound more. To make the sound consistent throughout , dynamics were also implemented. 

Image 2.0 - Volume Balancing on "crystal glow" audio

I then adjusted the sound following the gameplay and adjust the volume and panning such that the glowing sound comes in slowly and adjusting from the right to the left as the character moves.

Image 2.1 - Tone Generator to enhance "crystal glow"

In addition , I proceeded to generate a tone using the generator provided from Adobe Audition to add another layer of glowing effect for the crystal. I wanted to enhance the glowing sound thus I generated a high tone by increasing the base frequency and set a sine waveform. 

Image 2.2 - Mastering on the "glittering" effect

Continuing on , I proceed to edit another glittering effect by swirling beads in a glass bottle that applies when the character steps into the crystal. I had applied parametric equalizer that also similarly reduces the bass and increase the higher-tone. Additionally , I had also added pitch shifter to increase pitch. Thirdly , I added special effects such as mastering and adjusted the last part of the effect by increasing the frequency on the last part of the audio. I also added hard limiter to stop the audio clipping. 

However , after feedback from Mr Razif , he had suggested to make it sound more thicker by implementing chorus and reverb. Following the advice , I added chorus to make the sound thicker and more. Reverb also helped to make the glitter more echo and delayed. 

Image 2.3 - Parametric Equalizer on "ground rumbling" audio

Image 2.4 - Distortion on "ground rumbling" audio

Image 2.5 - Reverb on "ground rumbling" audio

As for the rocks rumbling from the ground , I had recorded by banging my wooden door loudly. From there , I had also increase the middle frequency to make it sound more prominent and loud. I decided to add some distortion into the audio that will result it in sounding more distorted and realistic. Then , some reverb is also added that will add some echo and delayed effect. Lastly , a dynamic is included to make the dynamic range more consistent.

Image 2.6 - Pitch Shifter on rocks crumbling audio

Additionally , I had also recorded the rocks crumbling sound by crumbling pieces of paper. I edited it by using parametric equalizer to emphasize higher frequencies that contribute to the crisp sound. I slightly boost around 2 kHz to 5 kHz to enhance the crispness of the paper crumbling, which can simulate the sound of rocks breaking. I also adjusted the muddiness of the sound by slightly boosting the low-mid frequencies. Using pitch shifter to lower the pitch to a lower tone. I also added subtle Reverb to give a sense of space and make the crumbling sound more natural. With that , the sound is layered with the ground rumbling to top off the rocks arising from the ground.

Image 2.7 - Parametric Equalizer on rocks falling audio

 

Image 2.8 - Distortion on rocks falling audio

Then , as for the rocks fall , I had recorded another set of rocks falling by crumbling papers as well. I first added parametric equalizer by increasing the loudness and the bass to make it sound heavier and lower the higher tone. Similarly , I added some special effects such as distortion to introduce a gritty texture, simulating the roughness of rocks. From there , I layered and adjusted it along with the fire blasting into the wall of rocks. 

Image 2.9 - "Sharp Blade" Audio 

Image 3.0 - "Trap Projection" Audio

Continuing on to the trap , since it was a sharp trap , I had then recorded a sharp blade like sound by scrapping a metal straw on a metal cup. I then layered it along with the scrapping a metal hard-disk (my hard disk is fine) on a table creating a projecting sound. I applied parametric equalizer on the audio to increase the tone on the higher end and also increase the pitch by little to make it sound sharper.

Image 3.1 - "Running On Grass" Audio

Image 3.2 - Parametric Equalizer on "running on grass" audio

As for the character's running , initially I had recorded it outdoor which I found it to find it hard to adjust as it captures a lot of background noise. Hence , I found another alternative by using plastic bag instead. After denoising and removing unnecessary parts , I applied parametric equalizer by reducing the lower tone and increase clarity to make it sound more somewhat "grassier" and crispier. I also added compressor dynamics that will help control the frequency range and result in more consistent footsteps. 

Image 3.3 - Online Instrument (Glockenspiel & Harp)

After taking advice from Mr Razif , he had provided some advice on how I can improve my sound design overall. He suggested adding more chime layering on the objects to enhance the sound effect especially when collecting the coins and gems. I had figured to apply some instruments to create melodies when collecting the coins and the gems. Therefore , I went on to virtual online piano instrument and switched it to harp to play the melody for the coins. I recorded the melody and imported back into adobe audition. From there , I implemented pitch shifter to increase the pitch to a higher tone and make it more sound gamified. Additionally , I added some reverb to add some echo that will add a sparkling effect.

On the other hand , I played another melody on the collecting gems using glockenspiel. Similarly , I have added pitch shifter to increase the pitch and also reverb that will add a sparkling effect at the end.

Image 3.4 - Pink Noise Generator for Forest Ambience

In creating the forest environment , I had figured to some noise that mimics the noise of the forest. I had went on to generate noise using the adobe audition. I created using pink noise that is often a good starting point as it has more emphasis on lower frequencies, similar to natural sounds. 

Image 3.5 - Stretch & Pitch on "birds chirping" audio

Image 3.6 - Parametric Equalizer on "birds chirping" audio

Image 3.7 - Chorus on "birds chirping" audio

Following the plan , I wanted to mimic the sound of the birds chirping. Hence , I had recorded the sound as I blow a whistle. I then applied stretch and pitch into the audio to lengthen the audio and make it feel natural. Furthermore , I added parametric equalizer by decreasing the lower tone and increasing the higher tone. Lastly , I implemented chorus using the "wavery sing-along" prefix to give the sound a more dynamic and vibrant quality. 

Image 3.8 - "Toad Croacking" Noise

I wanted to add more animal noise into the environment. I tried to imitate the toad croacking noise by recording using a zipper. From there , I applied pitch shifter to lower the pitch and also remove parts unnecessary parts from the audio. I also added slight chorus by adding 2 voices to make it sound to create a subtle doubling effect. A subtle reverb was added to make the toad sounds within the forest environment.  

For the cave ambience , I generated a glowing tone for the cave ambience using the tone generator and increase the base frequency to about 5000Hz and employing the inverse sine waveform. 

Image 3.9 - Adaptive Noise Reduction on "Leaves Rustling" audio

Image 4.0 - Volume Adjustment on "Leaves Rustling" audio

Last but not least, I recorded the sound of leaves rustling and applied adaptive noise reduction. This was necessary because both the noise reduction and denoise settings tended to cut off the delicate sound of the leaves. To preserve the natural quality and subtlety of the rustling, I carefully adjusted the noise reduction parameters to strike a balance between removing unwanted noise and retaining the integrity of the leaves' sound.

After cleaning up the audio, I adjusted the volume levels to simulate the natural variability of leaves rustling in the wind. By varying the volume, I could replicate the effect of different gusts and breezes, making the sound more dynamic and realistic. This subtle fluctuation in volume helps create an immersive auditory experience, giving the listener the sense of being surrounded by a natural environment where the wind gently stirs the leaves.

After a few hearings , I realise that the fire sound effects is too loud. Therefore , I created a bus track to hold all of the fire related audio and applied dynamics to control and reduce the sound range. 

Final Audio: 

Final Game Audio Document : 

Improvement / Feedback 

Categories	Improvements/Feedback	Extra Ideas	Checkmarks
Coins	Make it more chimney and longer due	Drop multiple coins on the floor	done
		Play High Note Melody With Pan-Flute	done
Sparkling	More spread out and thicker	Add more layering  Edit using chorus + echo/delay	done
Sharp Projectile	Edit to make it come in from a distance	Edit using panning and volume control	done
Dialogue Pop-up	Make it sound more recognizable	Flip a book	done

Reflection : 

Throughout this experience , crafting an engaging and immersive auditory experience involves more than just placing sounds together—it requires a thoughtful and artistic approach to layering, timing, and processing. For example , the deliberate arrangement of the "ting" sound, the bags of coins, and the multiple layers of coins dropping illustrates a profound understanding of how sound can tell a story and evoke emotions. The importance of how the sound of crisp and distinct, serves as an auditory signal that makes a big change in the final outcome. It’s fascinating how such a simple sound can create anticipation  for the subsequent layers.

I have also learnt the importance of paying attention to detail demonstrates an acute awareness of how sound behaves in the real world. This to result in a more dynamic and immersive experience.The meticulous adjustments of volume and panning are where the artistry truly shines. By carefully balancing the volume and spatial placement, the sounds are not just heard but felt.  This spatial awareness enriches the overall experience and to make the audio feel more natural and immersive.

In the final analysis, this project showcases a blend of technical skill and creative vision. The thoughtful layering, precise timing, and artful application of effects culminate in a compelling auditory experience. It’s not just about making sounds work together; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with the listener on an emotional level. This process exemplifies how sound design can be both an art and a science, where attention to detail and creativity come together to craft a truly immersive experience.

I am also thankful for Mr. Razif consistently giving advice and feedback that have been invaluable throughout this project. His insights have not only helped refine my approach but also inspired new ways of thinking about sound design. His guidance has been instrumental in shaping the final outcome, ensuring that the audio elements work harmoniously and effectively. Mr. Razif’s support has truly elevated the quality of the work and has been a crucial part of this learning journey.

All in all , I have learnt so much along the way and is proud of the final result , however , I do wish I would have done better on some parts to make further improvements.