Video Game Music and SFX

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I was very happy with how the sound ended up on a railway sim I was working on. I had to use a bunch of different layers and elements to essentially "build" the sound for the trains so that they sounded correct when the player was controlling them. Included speeding up, braking, crossing over different tracks, different engine types and weight classes. Was a lot of fun and deeply satisfying in the end.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Andrious from London is a composer and sound designer who does both jobs very well, which is not an easy feat. Would recommend checking out his work!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital always because it can emulate the Analog sound very faithfully, especially in this day and age. Also it has more potential.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The almost limitless potential for creativity.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Can you imitate X composers style? The Answer is generally yes, I strive to be able to emulate great composers and sound designers so it's a skill I have developed.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That I create 8-bit style chip tunes, and that these kinds of tunes are the only kinds of video game music.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always want to know what inspires them and what they want their projects to achieve with their sound,

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My computer, A Komplete Kontrol s88, Vienna Symphonic cube, Komplete Ultimate 13 Collectors edition and Reaper. Would keep me occupied for a while...

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been doing this for over 5 years now, I started as a Game developer and transitioned into doing sound work after starting a band and discovering how passionate I was about video game music and sound.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to work with a Nintendo sound designer and composer, just to get a glimpse of their process.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Start with great materials, never try to fix a bad recording. Always strive for the best sound possible at every link in the chain, sound is only as good as its weakest link.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a unique perspective to any project by using my vast knowledge and experience in video game sound.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depends on whether I'm doing composition or sound design but often starts with a detailed spotting session with a client and their project so we can get an idea of the core themes.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on an adaptive soundtrack for a horror game.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I promise to continue to work at your project until we are BOTH satisfied that we couldn't do any better.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Having an idea of what you want your game to sound like is a big help, but more importantly having an idea of what you want the sound to ACHIEVE for the player is very important.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is best described as: versatile.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I work on many different styles and genres, but the big three would be Electronic, Jazz and Orchestral. These three genres I feel encompass the foundation of video game music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my breadth of knowledge regarding video game sound tracks and sound design, it makes the design conversation much easier and more productive.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My set-up allows me to create many different kinds of music and sound effects for different projects, the key to it is it's flexibility.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I'm always inspired by people who are doing NEW things, like the Soundtrack to "Untitled Goose Game" by Dan Golding. But people like Koji Kondo who have such a masterful control over their craft also inspire me.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Most of my work involves looking at and discussing the gameplay, story and world of a clients game project and working out the best way to utilise sound to support these ideas. Then I create the sound effects and music and implement them.