Game over sound effects are effects associated with a character dying. They are typically short and have a sad feeling to them. Because 8-bit sound effects are generally made from accelerated, fast-paced intervals and patterns, you’ll notice in the video example that we use exactly this method. We’ll be using minor thirds and diminished 7th (generally associated with a sad mood) to generate the game over sound effect.
The way to make an 8-bit game over sound effect is to use a square wave of any synthesizer. Write notes in a pattern of minor thirds, or minor 7th, or a combination of both at a very fast speed (BPM =150+). Usually a descending pattern works best as that gives the feeling of a character falling or dying. See the video above for a more detailed explanation and examples.
What You'll Need
- A synth with a square wave. We’ll be using Cyclops by Sugar Bytes in this tutorial.
If you don’t have any of these tools, check out this page HERE where you can find many free synths to get started. Look for synths that have a noise oscillator like the Fathom Mono by Seaweed Audio and the Burt 2.0 by Noisebud.
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What other ways do you make 8-bit explosion sound effects?
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