How To Position Sounds In A Game Environment

Intro

Welcome! If you want to learn how to create sound effects, you are in the right place. Today, we will explore how to position sounds in a three-dimensional space. This is very important for making sounds feel like they belong in an environment. Let’s get started!

Stereo Field Sound Positioning

We start by looking at an example from a game called Destiny 2. The sound we want to position is a grenade explosion. To do this, we layer two different explosion sounds. One is punchy and close, while the other has a distant tail sound.

To position the sound better, we can use a tool called ReCenter. This tool helps control the width of the sound. By making it more narrow, we can pinpoint its position in the stereo field. If we want to move the sound to the left or right, we can adjust the pan knob.

Using ReCenter helps keep the sound centered while allowing adjustments. If you don’t have this tool, you can use the pan knob to move the sound left or right. But remember, you still need to control the width of the sound.

Environmental Sound Positioning

Now, let’s make the sound feel more distant. To do this, we need to adjust the volume. A sound that is farther away will not be as loud. We can use a gain plugin to lower the volume, making it sound more distant.

Next, we add reverb to position the sound in the environment. Convolution reverb works well because it simulates different spaces. For example, we can use a preset that mimics an exterior wall. This helps the sound reflect off surfaces, adding realism.

Sound Placement Techniques

There are different methods to achieve the same goal. One way is to adjust the high frequencies of the sound. Sounds that are further away have less high frequency. So, we can cut out these high frequencies to mimic distance.

We can also use a plugin called Proximity EQ. This plugin helps make sounds feel even further away. You can adjust how far or close the sound feels by using this tool.

Finally, after adjusting the sound, we can add reverb again. This step will help ensure the sound fits into the environment we have created.

Outro

In summary, we learned how to position sounds in a game environment using a few steps: narrow the sound, adjust the volume for distance, and use reverb to create an environmental feel. These techniques help make the sound feel realistic and immersive.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thank you for watching, and I hope you found this useful!