Mastering for Video Game Media?

[jordanstoner]

Hey guys,

Just a few random questions:


Let me preface this with the following statement: I know a very dismal amount (next to nothing) about how audio gets handled by particular gaming platforms / OS, but am very curious as it doesn't come up too often around here. Thanks in advance for any info you can give.

What does mastering audio for video games usually entail? Are there many independent mastering studios being sent VG work? Are you usually sent just the music, or do ambience and SFX tracks get mastered as well (and is there specific call for stem mastering other than the Guitar Hero [etc] series)?

As I understand it, most VG audio gets mixed / mastered in-house (depending on the size of the company and if they contract a separate entity for audio), and then imported to the "developer toolkit" (not sure if I'm using correct terminology here) for that particular platform to conform to their in-game requirements (i.e - music / scene changes [evolving loops or fades, etc.], 5.1 surround localization, etc).

Has anyone handled a VG project recently that would care to comment on the process and requirements involved? Were there specific guidelines? Do any mastering houses specialize in VG audio? Do you see this as a potential area of growth in the mastering industry?

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As a side note, I notice that the majority of games have a very dynamic range of SFX / Ambience / Audio mixes, while some seem to be loudness offenders (i.e: Anything by Valve - like Half Life 1 & 2 and Left for Dead, for example). Even most FPS or fighting games seem to conform to a general standard as far as loudness (I haven't actually measured the RMS of any given game - though I think it would provide a very interesting comparison) - does this depend on the VG's engine or the mastering (again, sorry if I'm getting completely mixed up here...)?

And also as a side note - I've been playing Fallout 3 recently... and it is literally the only game I've ever come across (and I've been a gamer since the first platforms were introduced) with a "Master Gain" function built-in to the engine (as well as independent Music, Ambience, Footstep, and Dialog level control). Ingenious - I wish more developers would consider this as a feature.
And as a final statement - the only other thread I have found on the forums even closely related is here...

[jdg]

i can speak about regular CD music being used in games.
alot of times, just the music from a CD release just gets imported from the CD.

re: SFX
i've done sound design for video games, and i always just delivered 16/44.1 wav files.. no specs required/requested.. i have NO idea how it got into the game

[reynaud]

To start with, you can take a look at Mix magazine's digital publication on game audio:
Mix Game Audio | Mix Digital Edition, Newsletters, Products, Columns for Audio for Videogame Development

you can read this very basic writeup on audio integration in to gaming titles:
April 2008 Mix magazine AudioNext game audio column about professional videogame audio sound production in April 2008 Mix magazine

and an interview on sound integration:
Sound Integration

hope that helps.

cheers,
Reynaud

[Lagerfeldt]

I've mastered for Konami and Namco in Japan (Arcade and PlayStation 2), and eastasiasoft (PlayStation 3 and PC).

All those were stereo jobs though so thanks for the great links. Keep 'em coming, Reynaud.

One game that bugged me a lot was Halo on Xbox. The music is wonderful but the dialog is so poorly compressed you can't hear what's going on most of the time. Either use prioritized audio (ducking the music when there's dialog) or compress the dialog properly - and always give the player options for dialog/music/effects volume. Controlling footstep volume is a bit OTT IMO.

[DSD_Mastering]

We just did work for a game coming out next month.

Defense Grid - The Awakening

We recorded at 24/48 and delivered at 16/48


Regards,

[reynaud]

The recording and editing scores for video game titles involves much the same process for films or physical release as you can see in this brief video YouTube - Turning Point: Soundtrack Recording.

There is no standard mastering involved with in-game audio since most often the score is integrated in to opening sequence videos, credit sequences and sometimes game-play action sequences and encoding is always performed by the in-house audio team.

Dolby has some information on technologies for game development: Dolby - Surround Sound for Video Games for Game Developers & Publishers

There is the Austin Game Developers Conference: You can buy lecturers online. This first lecture costs $6 but focuses on mixing and mastering music and sound for games:
Gamasutra - Store

This lecture is $8 but will give you a basic understanding of how gaming audio differs from the pro audio market:
http://store.cmpgame.com/product.php?id=3017&cat=

This lecture is $7 and focuses on the issue of loudness and dynamic range which is fast becoming an issue in gaming production:
Gamasutra - Store

The soundtrack is increasingly being mastered by a dedicated mastering facility just like any standard music release. Game soundtrack releases are a huge business in Japan (and slowly gaining more interest in Europe) and popularity is only increasing even during a down-turn in standard music releases. Definitely a growth area where a mastering engineer's experience is a valued asset.
Here is a lecture ($6) from the Austin Game Developer's Conference on producing and promoting a game soundtrack (for interest sake):
Gamasutra - Store

Also take a look at the Game Audio Network Guild.

There is also an AES Technical Committee: Audio for Games.


cheers,
Reynaud

[narcoman]

the games i've worked on I send to either Metropolis or Abbey Road. Of late - and I've only done the one project - i'm mighty impressed with Brian Lucey!! I've also handled the mastering requirements of many game projects.... not doing them here, but handling the logistics and farming out different parts of music depending upon requirements.

[Plugin]

...just found this - similar to my post...
For those of you mixing and mastering with software, what tools do you use? Do you try to go for that vintage vibe, or do you just use something more transparent?

[djwaudio]

I've done some work for video games. They were instrumental versions of the records. So I did the same EQ and sent 48k/16bit.

I was hanging out with my nephew a couple years ago when he was playing Playstation (I forget the specific game). I was thinking the music seemed awful familiar (and cool) when it hit me. "That's the Splint Record I did way back." It's as fun as hearing your stuff come up on the radio!

[Energie]

Going to be starting writing music for a 3rd wii title. Smaller budgets and games and developers, just basically sending off stereo wav files 44.1/16bit. Doing basic processesing on the 2 track, some limiting but not squashing it. Using what I use for most of regular music tracks, not going for vintage, if the music calls for that, then I do that in the mix. The music will be mostly backround game music, so most likely it will be implemented at lower volumes. Have to make it a pefect loop

Have done sfx for a wii title, small downloadable game, they requested ADPCM wav files, which effected the sound quality a bit, so I just adjusted eq to help from bringing out any bitterness after compression.

thats been my experience, small budgets and not asking alot. Have not been there for the impementation yet. I am sure a big game with loads of dialoge and SFX is a whole different animal.