Sound for games
Hello everyone,
I am still new to the scene but got my game getting along REALLY well (will post more info soon) and one thing that we are getting at is the Sound part of it.
The voices of the game we will be doing ourselves as well as maybe doing some of the sound effects but one of the hardest things to do without having a band is the in-game background music etc.
My question.
Is it a good idea to get free to use music and where is the best places to find it?
Is there sound effect packs for free to use out there?
What is the average cost to get a band or studio to make some music for your game?
I am still new to the scene but got my game getting along REALLY well (will post more info soon) and one thing that we are getting at is the Sound part of it.
The voices of the game we will be doing ourselves as well as maybe doing some of the sound effects but one of the hardest things to do without having a band is the in-game background music etc.
My question.
Is it a good idea to get free to use music and where is the best places to find it?
Is there sound effect packs for free to use out there?
What is the average cost to get a band or studio to make some music for your game?
Comments
Is it a good idea? Depends - you can only do so much with the music, it won't be composed with your game in mind, so making it 'fit' could be problematic. That said, I think Braid used library music to good effect.
Freesound.org is a good free online sound effects resource, though the offerings will likely need editing to suit your needs. Other free sound effects libraries are out there - Google is your friend!
Nowadays you don't need to hire a band/orchestra or studio to record them in - software and virtual instruments allow composers and sound engineers (like myself) to create music. Costs will vary depending on what you need done, but there are various ways of payment - either a once off commission/licensing fee or royalties/points.
As one of the Sound guys/girls on this forum, I'd suggest asking for some basic sfx and music help if you're at the prototyping stage (run a sound design competition on the forum! It's good practise and fun for all the family!) - or use library stuff, just to flesh out the game and to get a feel for what you might be wanting. Once you're closer to seeing the final/bigger picture, then perhaps get a dedicated sound person/crew on board with the project.
I have a quick question for you: What are you recording your voices with? (Microphone/Program)
We can also give you technical info on what gear would be best for your situation since its not easy choosing the right equipment for the right job.
You need just to ask us and we will tell you :)
+1 what @MCA said about Music:
There is really good library music out there and tons of sites that offer long good sounding tracks of all genres and possible styles which you just need to find - and they are reaaaaly cheap!
Obviously there is a good chance that one day you will come across that piece in a different game/medium and regret not having spent a bit of money on commisioned music.
As to Sound FX:
You can get really generic sounding FX off the web and although this will dramatically dip your production quality, because no one wants to hear the Wilhelm scream for the Kazillionth time (Especially in Indie Horror Games), it can get you quite far with relatively little work.
As @MCA said:
Post your prototypes on the forum and who knows; maybe one of us sound guys will help you out ;) And maybe get yourself a free program like Reaper or Audacity and see if you can do some basic tweaking - sometimes taking a Sound effect and just polishing it to 'fit' in the game (Volume/EQ) can make it stick out less in the game.
I hope you have something to go on now!
We want to look at making music like this.
Hobbity:
https://soundcloud.com/aglinder/composition-folkcountry-fair
Dahrahmah:
https://soundcloud.com/aglinder/composition-dramatic-orchestral
That sounds close to what we wish to make. Would it be possible to give me a few links of where I can get the software and resources to make music similar to that?
Also does anyone know of a site where I can get free/cheap sound effects such as body hits, kaching sound effect, clicking a menu, etc
Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs, include Cubase/Logic/Pro Tools/Ableton… and many others. You can get by making music with one of the "lite" versions, which are cheaper, but have fewer features and some restrictions, such as limited tracks, but can upgrade later.
http://music.tutsplus.com/articles/what-is-the-best-daw-for-beginners--audio-11773
DAW's come with a selection of virtual instruments and plugins of their own, which usually can also be bought separately, e.g. Halion Sonic comes with Cubase, and can be bought for use in other DAWs.
http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/virtual-instruments-buying-guide/
Something to bear in mind is that not all DAWs use the same plugin format.
http://support.pluginboutique.com/knowledgebase/articles/51119-interface-types-explained-vst-rtas-au-etc
It's also easier if you get a keyboard controller - saves a lot of time, rather than fiddling with a mouse.
http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/midi-controller-buying-guide/
Re: sound effects - it's usually best to just record your own, but there are plenty of free libraries online. Google!
http://www.makegamessa.com/discussion/1698/getting-started-sound-music-advice-thread#latest
The site has changed a lot and I feel that it lacks promoting local developers compared to the old websites. Would be nice to have a portfolio area of all our local game devs that reached a certain criteria of success.