Sound Design

We put it all together
We appreciate sound effects are not simply quickly recorded or grabbed from a sample CD – each sound is lovingly crafted through several editing, mixing, processing stages.
Built from scratch
We have built up an enormous collection of commercial and bespoke sound libraries as well as a vast personal library. We now have way over 100,000 sound effects, so no matter what you're after, we will be able to create and design the sound that you need.
Audio Processing
This is an all-encompassing term to describe all manner of bending/ stretching/ splitting/ warping/ mixing/ merging/ pitching/ blending/ twisting/ re-generating that gets applied to the sounds, in order to make them fit to the customers brief precisely.
Complex Surgery
We also often include complex processing methods in our sound design. This could involve changing the harmonic content of a sound, re-synthesizing elements of a sound, or forensic style cleaning and reconstruction operations when required.

Design & Implementation

Designing the systems
We understand that sound effects in a game are only as good as the audio system that’s triggering them, so we, ideally, like to spend time designing, building and integrating complex audio systems to help create realistic (or surreal), living, breathing audio game environments that will maximise and enhance the sound design.
Immersion is key
We try to ensure that, for the player, immersion into the game world is vital, so we build, design and integrate around this concept, making sure that all implementation and in-game audio systems never become obvious to the player, and always feel and sound organic, consistent and natural (even if the game environment is very unnatural).
Version Control
Having worked for years with numerous version control systems we are very comfortable and fluent with all studio development arrangements – Perforce, SVN, Git, etc
Limitations
We realise that working within the technical limitations of the platform is essential so we are always careful to approach a project with this foremost in mind, using memory maps and performance profiling to ensure that audio is working within the allowed resources and is not impacting on other areas of the game .

Bespoke Recording

Being unique
Understanding that when striving for the highest quality of audio in our projects it is essential that we record our own unique sounds.
Using the right equipment
Over the years we have amassed a huge arsenal of professional recording equipment, including many expensive microphones of all different types, sizes, sensitivities and an array of different recording devices, and not forgetting kilometres of professional cabling to connect everything together.
Recording experiences
It’s all well and good having all the equipment to hand but you also need the experience to understand how to best approach each recording task. After years of recording we have built up a huge knowledge of different recording techniques, coupled with an understanding of individual microphone designs and capabilities.
High resolution
We always try to record at the maximum possible recording resolutions, regularly recording at 192kHz 32 bit to ensure a supreme level of audio fidelity.

Racing Games

Exhaust
Air Filter
Gearbox
Engine Ambient
Games, games and more games
Having worked on pretty much every racing game on the market we understand the differing needs and requirements of every type of racing game. Whether it is a huge AAA title or a tiny phone racer, we are experienced and knowledgeable in all areas of vehicle racing sounds and techniques
Systems
We understand that each racing game will have a unique set of systems and game engine integrations and can adapt to whatever implementation is needed. Whether it’s a simple loop based racer, or a fully-fledged next generation granular/synthesis system we have a vast amount of knowledge of all vehicle audio systems in games
Experience
We are one of the most experienced vehicle engine specialists around having dealt with all manner of racing studios and vehicle audio systems since 1995.
Advice
Whether you need us to record vehicles for you, or license some of our own recordings from our library to you, or create engine sets using your own recordings, we can deliver, or even if you just want some advice on vehicle audio systems in games, just drop us a line.

Dialogue & Localisation

Find your voice
Here at The Audio Guys we have worked on delivering voices for many titles over the years, we have a large network of voice agencies and individual artists that we can call on when it comes to casting voices.
The right direction
During a voice over session it is crucial that you have high quality, experienced session direction. Having performed this role many times, across a wide variety of game genres and voices styles, we are well qualified.
Organisation
We know that when implementing voice over into games there can often be a huge number of assets to keep track of. We are very accomplished with the file organisation and logistics involved when dealing with huge amounts of speech, having worked on titles which had from 1,000 to 100,000 individual speech files to manage.
Speaking the right language
We have localisation partners that we have worked closely with over the years that can be called on to help us with all the translations and voice recording/localisation across a huge range of different dialects and languages.

Music

Variety is the spice
We understand that each project requires a unique style of music which is why we source our music from a wide range of high quality, hand-picked, experienced composers.
Understanding the systems
Having worked on titles with orchestral, interactive music scores we understand the methods and processes involved in designing and implementing complex, reactive, interactive music systems.
Originality
When we arrange music tracks for a project we always arrange original, bespoke commissioned music, ensuring that the customer has unique music tracks that will not be heard anywhere else ever!
Finding the niche
While we are well accomplished in arranging huge orchestral scores with deep layers of interactivity, we also appreciate that not all titles require this level of complexity and so we are more than happy to just arrange a handful of linear music tracks, or even just a single (perfect J) music track for you.