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Geek Culture / Seeking advice for Audio FX creation on the cheap.

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Errant AI
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Joined: 24th Aug 2006
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Posted: 30th May 2007 10:53
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Like the title says, I'm looking for advice on how to record/process audio an inexpensively as possible for the weapon pack I am creating.

Link: http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=102684&b=24

Software:

I've tried Audacity in the past but it seemed to crash a lot. Fruity Loops is another one that seems to get reccomended a lot so I'm planning to download the demo when I can get to a fast internet connection but perhaps it's overkill for what I need.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hardware:

I don't have any special audio card or recording equipment. So, I'm wondering about inexpensive solutions for recording foley. The quality need not be fantastic but it's best if it's not horrifying either. Is it absurd to think that I could use a closet and a USB mic and be able to clean the audio up in some application enough to be tollerable?

Again, any suggestions or even helpful anectotes would be appreciated.

Other sources:

Are there some secretly great sources out there for raw audio sounds (gunshots, in particular) that can be had for a reasonable one-time fee and that can be resold in a media pack? All I'd really need would be a couple of decent tracks that could be manipulated in software.

Thanks for reading. Again, I'm not looking to make studio quality sounds here. Just something that won't make hobby developers tear their ears off and something a serious developer can use for placeholder if their looking to shell-out the cash for audio from better equipped sources.
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BatVink
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21
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 30th May 2007 11:12
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Quote: "I've tried Audacity in the past but it seemed to crash a lot"

Audacity is very stable, you must have other problems. I have a friend who even uses it to do some processing of the music CDs he publishes.

Somebody (Ric I think) made a sound generating program and posted the source code, maybe somebody has a link to it. It's good for generating raw sounds that can be manipulated in a program like audacity.

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Fallout
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 30th May 2007 12:07
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You need a portable record solution ideally. Recordings inside (especially a closet!) will have the acoustics of the room or indeed closet you are in. You'll have a horrible close echo/reverb on everything that won't sound quite right, and be worse if you're recording loud sounds.

I would recommend getting any MP3 Player/Recorder that has a pre-amped microphone input (important) and then getting a half decent omni-directional mic for recording environmental sounds (good response and not like a vocal condenser or anything like that). This is a great store for this sort of thing and they'll also help you out on the forum:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-SPSM-13

The link is to a fairly cheap stereo microphone, ideal for recording sound effects. I have one, and it's great for doing anything from voices to recording bird song, storms and car engines. Coupled with a decent MP3 hard disk recorder, that's your complete recording solution. Make sure you get one with a decent length of cable though, else you might pick up the electronic/harddisk noise from the MP3 recorder. Again, a pre-amped mic input is essential, cos these mics require power (so an iPod won't work AFAIK).


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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 30th May 2007 12:35
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I plug a pair of headphones into the line in. I end up with pretty good stereo sound for ten quid.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
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bond1
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Posted: 30th May 2007 23:19 Edited at: 30th May 2007 23:25
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How much are you willing to spend? Excellent quality large and small diaphragm condensor micorphones have absolutley PLUMMETED in the last 10 years or so. You can nab one now for under a hundred bucks, where 20 years ago you would be paying thousands. Studio Projects, Marshall V67, and Rode are a few I've had great results with.

A closet will give fine results, just hang some heavy blankets around to cancel any sound reflections that tend to give a "cheap" sound. Because unless you have a studio designed for the purpose, any ambience or reverb is best added in later via software or a dedicated hardware unit. Although for gun shot sounds I assume you would want it pretty dry sounding anyway.

----------------------------------------
"Your mom goes to college."
My FPSC stuff at http://www.hyrumark.com
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Fallout
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 30th May 2007 23:44
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Yeah, as long as you hang some blankets, firing off a few assault rifles in your closet will be perfectly acceptable! (j/k)


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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 30th May 2007 23:45
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Quote: ""Your mom goes to college.""

Erm... yeah, she does. She's doing higher level A2 psychology at the moment.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
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Steve J
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Location: Vancouver, Washington
Posted: 31st May 2007 08:47
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I use shure microphones, great stuff.

Time is ticking away.
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Errant AI
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Posted: 31st May 2007 10:04
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Thanks, guys.

Really appreciate the links and leads. Never dabbled much on the audio side of things so this is all very enlightening for me and will really help me know what I'm even searching for. I'm sure poking around that forum will be an eye(ear?) opener as well.
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Torsten Sorensen
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Location: Seattle, WA
Posted: 31st May 2007 10:32
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Quote: "I use shure microphones, great stuff."

Me too, Shure FTW!


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