Welcome to the second volume of Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices – the first series of its kind dedicated to the art of game audio programming! This volume features more than 20 chapters containing advanced techniques from some of the top game audio programmers and sound designers in the industry. This book continues the tradition of collecting more knowledge and wisdom about game audio programming than any other volume in history.
Both audio programming beginners and seasoned veterans will find content in this book that is valuable, with topics ranging from extreme low-level mixing to high-level game integration. Each chapter contains techniques that were used in games that have shipped, and there is a plethora of code samples and diagrams. There are chapters on threading, DSP implementation, advanced middleware techniques in FMOD Studio and Audiokinetic Wwise, ambiences, mixing, music, and more.
This book has something for everyone who is programming audio for a game: programmers new to the art of audio programming, experienced audio programmers, and those souls who just got assigned the audio code. This book is for you!
Chapter 1: Lifecycle of Game Audio
Chapter 2: A Rare Breed: The Audio Programmer
Section 1: Low-Level Topics
Chapter 3: Multithreading for Game Audio
Chapter 4: Designing a Channel-Agnostic Audio Engine
Chapter 5: Audio Resampling
Chapter 6: Introduction to DSP Prototyping
Chapter 7: Practical Applications of Simple Filters
Section 2: Middleware
Chapter 8: Advanced FMOD Studio Techniques
Chapter 9: Understanding Wwise Virtual Voices
Section 3: Game Integration
Chapter 10: Distance-Delayed Sounds
Chapter 11: Designs for Ambiences in Open-World Games
Chapter 12: Approximate Position of Ambient Sounds of Multiple Sources
Chapter 13: Techniques for Improving Data-Drivability of Gameplay Audio Code
Chapter 14: Data-Driven Sound Limitation System
Chapter 15: Realtime Audio Mixing
Chapter 16: Using Orientation to Add Emphasis to a Mix
Chapter 17: Obstruction, Occlusion, and Propagation
Chapter 18: Practical Approaches to Virtual Acoustics
Chapter 19: Implementing Volume Sliders
Section 4: Music
Chapter 20: Note-Based Music Systems
Chapter 21: Synchronizing Action-Based Gameplay to Music
Biography
Guy Somberg has been programming audio engines for his entire career. From humble beginnings writing a low-level audio mixer for slot machines, he quickly transitioned to writing game audio engines for all manner of games. He has written audio engines that shipped AAA games like Hellgate: London, Bioshock 2, and The Sims 4, as well as smaller titles like Minion Master, Tales From the Borderlands, and Game of Thrones. Guy has also given several talks at the Game Developer Conference and at CppCon.
When he’s not programming or writing game audio programming books, he can be found at home reading, playing video games, and playing the flute.
