So, regarding our updates.
We’ve been really busy and we haven’t been able to keep posting regularly, sorry about that.
We want to keep you posted so we’re going to make the update to talk about the audio in the game.
SOUNDOne of the important things about the audio in Scarf is the use of a middleware. We’re using FMOD Studio to implement all the audio.
This has allowed has to control every aspect of the audio perfectly and comfortably.
AmbientThe prototype being placed at a meadow area has obviously influenced the audio development. One of the audio areas affected the most by this has been the ambient sounds.
As you can see in the previous videos we’ve uploaded (with real time sound) the ambiental sound looks for something realistic.
Wind, birds and waterfalls are the main components for the ambiental sound.
HykeThe sound of the main character is trying to represent him as a week but light and quick creature. (Footsteps)
The vocal sounds of him also try to represent this. (Noises, Jump, etc.)
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/scarf-sound-design-hykes-noisesSoulsIn the prototype, the main character must interact with other souls. Creating the souls’s sounds it’s been tough. The sound must represent some kind of childish behavior but also that this are fantastic creatures.
Visually this is represented by some kind of glow that we’ve tried to match with the sound.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-glow-sound-exampleUsing this sound as base we’ve applied this to the voice’s sounds, creating a mix between a most *real* sound (like the ones used in Hyke’s voice) with this glowly sound.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-voice-examplesFor this mix, the sound designer has used cross-synthesis software.
The process has been as follows:
First having recorded the voice and decided what is the exact noise for the animation. (Cleaning, editing and all.)
We have the glowly sound decided and edited, so we have the two materials.
Every voice sound has been processed with the glow sound to have a mix of the two.
This created a sound to close to the glow and maybe not fully understandable as a voice of a soul.
Mixing the original voice sound with this last sound creates an unique voice for the souls.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-voice-processAltarTo keep this aesthetic with the sound it’s been the idea while approaching other elements of the prototype.
For example there is an altar where Hyke must place a cristal in order to activate a path. The altar’s sound is modified when Hyke activates it.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/altar-soundScarfThe scarf sound is dived in two. On the one hand we have the normal movement of the Scarf, based on real clothing sounds.
On the other hand we have the transformation process, with a completely different approach.
We’ve used the cloth recordings to keep a base, but with lot of process to destroy it.
The scarf transformation sound has 6 sounds inside of it. We can group them into 3 types.
The first is a sound created with multiple delays of a cloth recording.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess01-multidelays-scarfThe second will be the grain base sounds. They are sound created making a cloth recording pass through a granulate process.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess02-grain-sounds-scarf-clothIn the middle of this two groups we have a sound made with plastic:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess03-plastic-grain-scarf-clothThe third group is an optional sounds, between 30 and 60% of possibilities to play, based on crotales rubbed with a bow, you can sense it in the full example:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/scarf-wings-transformation-full-soundIn one of the videos of the last update you can see it implemented!
For the sound design this are a few examples of work. You have in this link all the examples:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/sets/scarf-walking-with-souls-soundNow, for the music:
MUSICThere have been many changes from the start until we’ve found the music we think suites the most to the prototype.
The style for the music that has been chosen is orchestral music with the use of harp and tin whistle to approach it a bit to the celtic music.
We can difference between the exploration/walking music and the games music.
ExplorationFor the walking music at first we thought about something a little bit active. Not too much, but something. And had to be always running, in loop.
Our composer worked in this piece:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-old-versionAfter the prototype was evolving our composer and the design team thought that That was going to be too much music input, as you can walk through the map freely.
Our composer wanted something less continued, something more for accompaniment. In the different games there will be time for some music with more melodic and rhythmic charge.
This are the final three walking tracks:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-first-trackhttps://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-second-trackhttps://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-third-trackGames musicFor the two games you have to play in the prototype, one about overcome a platform section and the other about playing with one Soul (in order to get the last cristal which will open the path to the temple), there are two tracks which evolve with the progress.
Platforms trackhttps://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-platforms-musicEach changes represents the different states of the test. Using FMOD as middleware has allowed to make all the musical changes easy and rhythmically perfect.
Soul’s game trackIn this game you’ll have to play with a souls. The game has kind of a childlike spirit. The music tries to represent those aspects.
The music evolves for the two parts of the game, but maintaining the base for the two of them.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/playing-with-souls-musicThis case is far more complex that the platforms example regarding the evolution of the music and reaction to the game, with a lot of possibilities and parameters.
When you have finished all the games you can access the path to the temple, the end of the prototype we’ve created.
For this you’ll have to cross the map progressively reaching the temple.
So the music tries to make that progression as well.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/road-to-temple-musicHope you like it! If you have any doubts, don't hesitate!!