Aaron Marks' Complete Guide to Game Audio: For Composers, Sound Designers, Musicians, and Game Developers

571 Pages·2017·51.948 MB·English

by  MARKS, AARON

Gaming Marks
Whether trying to land that first big gig or working to perfect the necessary skills to fill a game world with
sound, Aaron Marks’ Complete Guide to Game Audio 3rd edition will teach the reader everything they need
to know about the audio side of the multi-million dollar video game industry.
Third Edition
This book builds upon the success of the second edition with even more expert advice from masters in the field
and notes current changes within the growing video game industry. The tools of the trade excerpts will A
showcase what professionals, like Marty O’Donnell, Richard Jacques and Tom Salta, use to create their work A
Aaron Marks' Complete Guide to
and to help newcomers in the field prepare their own sound studios. R

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Sample contracts are reviewed within the text as well as helpful advice about contractual terms and negotiable
points. These sample contracts can also be found as a downloadable zip for the reader’s convenience. Aaron N Game Audio
Marks also explores how to set your financial terms and network efficiently along with examples of how
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projects can go completely awry and achieving the best results in often complicated situations.
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Aaron Marks’ Complete Guide to Game Audio serves as the ultimate survival guide to navigating an audio R
career in the video game industry. K

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Key Features:
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(cid:127) New, full color edition with a complete update of information. C
(cid:127) Added and expanded coverage of field recording for games, creating voiceovers, O
adaptive and interactive audio and other cutting edge sound creation and M For composers, sound designers, musicians
implementation techniques used within games
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(cid:127) New and expanded interview features from game composers and sound designers of every
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and game developers
experience level such as Keith Arem, Bradley Meyer, Christopher Tin and Rodney Gates including E
many international professionals like Pasi Pitkanen, Henning Nugel and Christos Panayides. T
(cid:127) Expanded and updated game console coverage of the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. E
(cid:127) Includes new scripting and middleware concepts and techniques and review of powerful tools
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such as FMOD and Wwise
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(cid:127) Included is a companion website at [URL].
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About the Author:
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Aaron Marks has been active in the games industry as a game composer, sound designer, field recordist, voice over
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artist, audio director, author and consultant with credits on over 275 game titles. He has worked on most game
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platforms and systems for most major developers and publishers in the past 20 years. As the President and owner of

On Your Mark Music Productions, Marks has also created music and sound design for film, television, radio, sound G
effects libraries and numerous multimedia projects as well as an independent musician and recording engineer.
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In addition to Aaron Marks’ Complete Guide to Game Audio, he is the lead author of the book Game Audio
Development and has written for Game Developer Magazine, Gamasutra.com, designingsound.org, E
Music4Games.net, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists. For many years, he has authored and taught accredit-
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ed college courses on game audio, interactive media, production sound, and field recording at The Art Institute of
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California – San Diego, was the chair and member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Technical Committee for
Games, was a founding member, advisory board member and education committee vice chair for the Game Audio D Aaron Marks
Network Guild (GANG) and has been a presenter and speaker at various industry seminars including the Game I
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Developers Conference, Audio Engineering Society Game Audio Workshop, LA Music Productions game audio seminar
and the Game Audio Network Guild workshops and panels, guest lecturer for the University of Michigan and
Edinburgh Napier University game audio courses, among others and interviewed by Rode Microphones for the Rode
Rage series
THIRD
143091
EDITION
ISBN-13: 978-1-1387-9538-9
90000
9 781138795389
Aaron Marks’ Complete
Guide to Game Audio
For Composers, Sound Designers,
Musicians and Game Developers

Aaron Marks’ Complete
Guide to Game Audio
For Composers, Sound Designers,
Musicians and Game Developers
Third Edition
Aaron Marks
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2017 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Printed on acid-free paper
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-62885-4 (Hardback)
978-1-138-79538-9 (Paperback)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reason-
able efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and pub-
lisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Marks, Aaron, author.
Title: Aaron Marks’ complete guide to game audio : for composers, sound
designers, musicians and game developers / Aaron Marks.
Other titles: Complete guide to game audio
Description: 3rd edition. | Boca Raton : Taylor & Francis, 2017. | Includes
index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016033210 | ISBN 9781138795389 (paperback : acid-free
paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Sound--Recording and reproducing--Digital techniques. |
Computer games--Programming.
Classification: LCC TK7881.4 .M368 2017 | DDC 794.8--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016033210
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
To the two most wonderful women in my world—Cynthia,
my wife, and Kristina, my daughter. Without their love,
inspiration and support, this book would not have been possible.

Contents
Foreword xix
Acknowledgments xxiii
Author xxv
1 An Introduction to Game Audio 1
Insert Quarter Here ................................................................................................1
The Bleeps and Bloops of Yesteryear ....................................................................3
Where Sound Is Now .............................................................................................4
Where Sound Is Going ...........................................................................................8
Chances of Finding Work ....................................................................................13
The Rewards ..........................................................................................................13
Fame ...........................................................................................................14
Fortune ......................................................................................................18
Let’s Go Get ‘Em ...................................................................................................21
2 Essential Skill Sets and Tools 23
Important Skills ...................................................................................................23
Attitude ......................................................................................................23
Business Sense ..........................................................................................24
Marketing ..................................................................................................24
Music Skills ...............................................................................................25
Musicianship ...........................................................................25
Creativity and Compositional Skills .....................................26
Engineering Skills ...................................................................27
Producer Skills ........................................................................28
Technical Knowledge .............................................................29
Computer Knowledge ..............................................................................29
Sound Design ............................................................................................30
Voice-Overs ................................................................................................31
Industry Knowledge ..................................................................................32
vii
Tools for Your Business ........................................................................................32
Computers .................................................................................................36
Interfaces ................................................................................................................37
Software .....................................................................................................38
Sound Editors ..........................................................................38
Multi-Track ..............................................................................39
Sequencers ...............................................................................41
Loop Software ..........................................................................41
Plug-Ins ....................................................................................42
Mastering .................................................................................42
Sound Modules, Keyboards, and Virtual Instruments ........................44
Other Instruments ...................................................................................45
Field Recording ........................................................................................46
Sound Effects Libraries ............................................................................46
Development Systems ..............................................................................48
Preparing Your Studio for Surround Sound.....................................................48
Equipment and Placement ......................................................................49
Studio Setup ..............................................................................................54
Surround Tips ............................................................................................57
Dolby Support ...........................................................................................60
3 Getting Organized and Ready for Business 61
Understanding the Business of Game Composing ..........................................61
Expectations ...............................................................................................62
Reasonable Costs .......................................................................................62
Flavor of the Month .................................................................................63
Composing versus Sound Design ......................................................................64
In-House Audio versus Independent Contractor ...........................................64
In-House Composing ..............................................................................65
In-House Equipment ...............................................................................66
Independent Contractors ........................................................................67
Audio Demo Reel ................................................................................................73
Putting Your Demo Together: The First Step .......................................73
Demo Content ...........................................................................................74
Short and Sweet .........................................................................................74
Demo Style .................................................................................................75
The Presentation ........................................................................................76
What Format Is Best? ................................................................................81
Delivery .....................................................................................................82
Follow-Ups ................................................................................................83
Some Final Demo Reel Thoughts ...........................................................83
Determining Your Costs .....................................................................................84
Types of Fees .............................................................................................84
Creative Fees ............................................................................84
Studio Fees ...............................................................................86
Talent Fees ...............................................................................88
Media and Material Costs ......................................................89
Hourly Wages ..........................................................................89
The Kicker ................................................................................89
viii Contents
Rate Calculation .......................................................................................89
Organization Is Key ..............................................................................................91
4 Finding and Getting the Jobs 95
Marketing .............................................................................................................95
Tell Everyone .............................................................................................95
Tale #1 ......................................................................................96
Tale #2 ......................................................................................96
Tale #3 ......................................................................................97
Look Professional .....................................................................................97
Design a Cool Logo ................................................................98
Business Supplies ..................................................................100
Web Sites ................................................................................100
Industry Presence ..............................................................................................106
Basic Marketing Tools ...........................................................................108
Direct Marketing ..................................................................108
Telephone Marketing ...........................................................109
Internet and E-Mail Marketing ............................................110
Print Advertisements ............................................................111
Press Coverage .......................................................................111
Write Relevant Industry Articles and Books ......................112
Presence at Industry Events ..................................................113
Word of Mouth ......................................................................113
Other Resources for Marketing Success ...............................................114
Where to Look for Clients .................................................................................114
Internet ....................................................................................................114
Industry Magazines and Books .............................................................115
Telephone Books .....................................................................................115
Store Shelves .............................................................................................115
Game Developer Headhunters ..............................................................121
Networking .............................................................................................122
Nextdoor Neighbors .............................................................122
Finding Your Niche ...........................................................................................123
Stay Educated ..........................................................................................123
Start Small ...............................................................................................124
Start Locally ............................................................................................124
Getting the Break ...................................................................................125
Networking Basics .............................................................................................125
Industry Functions .................................................................................127
Make Yourself Available, Make Yourself Known ...............................127
5 The Bidding Process 129
How Much Do You Charge? .............................................................................129
Let’s Play Twenty Questions .............................................................................130
Details, Details, Details ..........................................................................130
Asking the Right Questions..............................................................................130
What Platform Is the Project Intended For? .......................................136
Are You Bidding the Project or Just One Song or
Sound Effect? ..........................................................................................136
Contents ix