Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

Darren Mc Elroy

DGH-1

Music and Sound for Computer Games

Assignment 1

January 2013

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

What is Sound ?
All sounds are vibrations travelling through the air as sound waves. Sound waves are caused by the vibrations of objects and radiate outward from their source in all directions. A vibrating object compresses the surrounding air molecules (squeezing them closer together) and then rarefies them (pulling them farther apart). Although the fluctuations in air pressure travel outward from the object, the air molecules themselves stay in the same average position. As sound travels, it reflects off objects in its path, creating further disturbances in the surrounding air. When these changes in air pressure vibrate your eardrum, nerve signals are sent to your brain and are interpreted as sound. The simplest kind of sound wave is a sine wave. Pure sine waves rarely exist in the natural world, but they are a useful place to start because all other sounds can be broken down into combinations of sine waves. A sine wave clearly demonstrates the three fundamental characteristics of a sound wave: frequency, amplitude, and phase.

Sine Waves This wave shows as a perfect curve that runs up and down like a rollercoaster. As can be expected, the sound is sweet and smooth, almost like a flute.

Saw Waves These types of waves are a bit gritty. They are also referred to as "sawtooth", because the
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Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

waveforms look like the teeth of a saw, sharply falling and slowly rising. These types of waves are very commonly used for melodies or counter melodies in 8-bit music. They can be thought of as the alto of the chiptune choir. Saw waves sound dirty and have a bit of a buzz to them (go figure).

Square Waves It represents a good blend between the sine wave and the saw. It's a bit buzzy, but maintains a smoothness at the same time. This is also commonly used for lead voices in 8-bit music, especially the main melody. This wave is very malleable and lends itself well to effects and alterations. Triangle Waves This sound is about as smooth as the sine wave. It moves steadily up and down with single points as peaks and valleys instead of curves, creating a shape that looks like a bunch of triangles. This sound wave does not work well with sound effects, so it does not fill the role of lead very effectively. It is frequently used for bass lines. Since it can reach low pitches easily without creating any buzzing or feedback effects, it is well suited to low ranges.

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

How the sound works

(PSGs) are sound chips designed for audio applications that generate sound based on the users input. These specifications are usually coded in assembly language to engage the oscillators. An oscillator is an electric signal that generates a repeating shape, or wave form. Sine waves are the most common form of oscillator. An oscillator is capable of either making an independent tone by itself, or of being paired up cooperatively with its neighbour in a pairing known as a generator. Instrument sounds are typically created with both a waveform (tone generator) and an envelope generator. Many video game PSGs were created by Texas Instruments or General Instruments, but some companies, such as Atari and Commodore, designed their own sound chips in an effort to improve sound quality. Subtractive synthesis, common in PSGs, starts with a waveform created by an oscillator, and uses a filter to attenuate (subtract) specific frequencies. It then passes this new frequency through an amplifier to control the envelope and amplitude of the final resulting sound. Subtractive synthesis was common in analog synthesizers, and is often referred to as analog synthesis for this reason. Most PSGs were subtractive synthesis chips, and many arcades and home consoles used subtractive synthesis chips, such as the General Instruments AY-8910 series. The AY-8910 (and derivatives) found its way into a variety of home computers and games consoles including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Mattel Intellivision, Atari ST, and Sega Master System.

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

Frequency modulation (FM) synthesis was one of the major sound advances of the 16-bit era. FM synthesis was developed by John Chowning at Stanford University in the late 1960s, and licensed and improved upon by Yamaha, who would use the method for their computer sound chips, as well as their DX series of music keyboards. FM uses a modulating (usually sine) wave signal to change the pitch of another wave (known as the carrier). Each FM sound needs at least two signal generators (oscillators), one of which is the carrier wave and one of which is the. modulating wave. Many FM chips used four or six oscillators for each sound, or instrument. An oscillator could also be fed back on itself, modulating its original sound.

FM sound chips found their way into many of the early arcade games of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and into most mid1980s computer soundcards. Compared with other PSG methods of the era, FM chips were far more flexible, offering a much wider range of timbres and sounds. Arcades of the 16-bit era typically used one or more FM synthesis chips (the Yamaha YM2151, 2203, and 2612 being the most popular).

Wavetable synthesis, also introduced in the 16-bit era, uses preset digital samples of instruments (usually combined with basic waveforms of subtractive synthesis). It is therefore much more realistic sounding than FM synthesis, but is much more expensive as it requires the soundcard to contain its own RAM or ROM. The Roland MT-32 used a form of wavetable synthesis known as linear arithmetic, or LA synthesis. Essentially, what the human ear recognizes most about any particular sound is the attack transient. LA-based synthesisers used this idea to reduce the amount of space required by the sound by combining the attack transients of a sample with simple subtractive synthesis waveforms.

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

Granular synthesis is a relatively new form of synthesis (having begun with the stochastic method composers, such as Iannis Xenakis, in the 1970s), which is based on the principle of microsound. Hundredsperhaps thousandsof small (1050 millisecond) granules or grains of sound are mixed together to create an amorphous soundscape, which can be filtered through effects or treated with envelope generators to create sound effects and musical tones. Leonard Paul at the Vancouver Film School is currently working on ways to incorporate granular synthesis techniques into next-generation consoles (see Paul 2008 for an introduction to granular synthesis techniques in games).

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

A history of sound in video games.

In 1958 the very first video games where made this was called The Silent Era of gaming as The very first video games had no sound component whatsoever. Then in 1972 Magnavox Odyssey Released The first home video console, the Magnavox Odyssey. The fully analog system is again fully silent as well. In 1975 Gunfight is the first game to use a microprocessor (instead of hardwired circuits). A one-channel amplifier provides mono gunshot sounds.

The Atari Video Computer System (VCS). Scratchy and primitive sound effects on the VCS (later known as the 2600) are still unlike anything to ever come out of a TV set. The TIA chip is having two sound channels which are output, as mono signal, to the TV set. According to the specs, it can make sounds like a "flute", a "rocket motor", and an "explosion".

The Magnavox Odyssey2 used programmable 2K ROM game cartridges so that each game could be designed with unique sound and music. Previously, games were limited to the palette of sounds hardwired into the specs of the console itself. The Odyssey also came with a speech synthesis unit (released as an add-on) for phonetic speech capability and improved music and sound effects. In 1982 Commodore 64 the SID chip (Sound Interface Device) is the built-in Programmable Sound Generator chip of Commodore's CBM-II, Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Commodore MAX Machine home computers. It was one of the first sound chips of its kind to be included in a home computer prior to the digital sound revolution.

Then in 1986 Sega releases its 8-bit Sega Master System (SMS). The system features four dedicated sound channels--three for music, one for noise, and in 1989 Nintendo's handheld phenomenon, the Game Boy, is released and features four channels for sound--each of which can be mapped to the left, to the right, or to both speakers.

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

Sega releases its 16-bit Genesis system, which features six-channel stereo sound. Sega launches a huge campaign to promote its title for the Genesis system, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker--seemingly the ultimate meeting of video games and pop music. The game, which features synthesized versions of MJ hits, such as "Billie Jean," "Another Part of Me," and "Beat It," is offbeat, but excellent. Jackson contributed to the creative development of the game, which follows the superstar as he shimmies through graveyards and pool halls, looking for kidnapped children. Yes, it all seems even creepier now. In 1990 SNK releases the 24-bit NeoGeo in arcade and home formats. The home system's dedicated 8-bit sound processor provides 15 separate channels.

Nintendo releases the 16-bit Super Famicom in America and calls the console the Super NES (SNES). The system uses a dedicated 8-bit Sony SPC700 sound chip with eight separate channels. In 1993 Breaking new ground in home gaming sound fidelity, Sonic CD for the Sega CD system boasts what is perhaps the first truly CD-quality soundtrack. The music credits read like a professional commercial release, with multiple composers, arrangers, and mixers, as well as individual musician credits for guitar, drums, bass, and synthesizer. In 1995 Sega releases its 32-bit console peripheral, the 32X, which enables the Genesis to run a new set of 32-bit cartridge games. The 32X adds two more sound channels with its builtin PCM stereo sound chip.

Then Sega releases its 32-bit Saturn in the US. The system employs two sound processors--a Yamaha FH1 24-bit digital signal processor and a 22.6MHz Motorola 68EC000 sound processor

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

In 1995 Sony releases the 32-bit PlayStation in the US in September. The 24-channel sound chip provides CD-quality stereo sound and has built-in support for digital effects such as reverb and looping.

In 2000 Sony's much anticipated PlayStation 2 finally gets a limited US release on October 26, 2000. Along with the 128-bit Emotion engine CPU, the system boasts 48 channels of sound plus 2MB of dedicated sound memory. Significantly, the PS2 can also play DVD movies, another step toward the promised land of home entertainment convergence.

In 2001 Nintendo releases a new adapter for the Game Boy Color, and it turns the handheld system into a portable MP3 player, called the SongBoy, attaches to the top of the Game Boy and equips the system with 16MB of memory (expandable to 32MB) for playing MP3 music files.

In November 2001, Microsoft entered the fray of home console gaming with the highly anticipated xbox. Sound capability was a major focus, and Microsoft promised "movielike" sound from its 64-voice I3DL2 audio processor. With 64MB of unified memory and a 200MHz bandwidth to the CPU, sound designers were given an enormous amount of power to work with. Nintendo's GameCube also released in 2001, with its own array of heavy-duty sound specs. A specially dedicated 16-bit DSP sound processor powers 64 channels with a 48KHz sampling frequency.

Darren Mc Elroy Music and Sound for Computer Games DGH-1

The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005and All games made for the Xbox 360 are required to support at least Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The console works with over 256 audio channels and 320 independent decompression channels using 32-bit processing for audio, with support for 48 kHz 16-bit sound. Sound files for games are encoded using Microsoft's XMA audio format

The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, with international markets following shortly thereafter. Playstation 3 as according to about.com the audio spec is "Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)".

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