Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
unfortunately, even with all this sophisticated technology, you'll i nd that you'll be encountering this
situation and having to deal with it more often than you might think . . .
Beyond the simple editing tasks that we've discussed here, processing audio with plug-ins is also a huge
part of a sound designer's job. Again the categories of processing are absolutely vast, so here's our top
4 or 5 ef ects you'll be encountering.
Equalization, or EQ, controls the i ltering of the frequency spectrum or harmonics of a sound in
order to produce desired results. This is very commonly used when preparing any kind of audio
assets for i lm or TV or recordings, in live sound mixing and of course, in games.
Credit:
Jeremy Engel.
Equalization
Filtering or equalization (EQ for short) af ects the
entire frequency spectrum of a sound. You already
know that you can hear from 20Hz to 20KHz in
the prime of your life. But you may not be aware
that every note from an instrument or any sound
you hear actually contains a complex array of
frequencies or pitches occurring simultaneously.
Each of these individual frequencies is called a
harmonic
; the combination of all harmonics in a
particular relationship creates the sonic dif erences
between a human voice, a guitar, an explosion,
and the squeal of brakes. Each of these sounds
has a dei nable frequency range, starting with
the fundamental (the lowest harmonic—there
may be more than one of these in more noise-like
sounds) and proceeding up through what is called
a harmonic series. Harmonics are often perceived in
terms of the color and the quality of the sound.
Diagram of Compression/Limiting: When a signal passes over a
particular threshold level, its dynamic range is reduced. This signal
can then be increased in overall volume afterwards, resulting in a
much louder sound. Compression will still allow the input signal to
increase in level, while limiting will keep the sound held to the level
of the threshold regardless of input volume. Compression/Limiting
is an extremely common ef ect to use both in asset preparation and
mixing/mastering.
Credit:
Jeremy Engel and Scott Looney.
