# RPG Audio Mixer



## spilth (Jan 23, 2005)

Hi all,

I'm in the process of creating an audio application for use in role playing games. I have a pretty good idea of how I'd like it work, but definitely would love to hear ideas that others have.

This is also my first foray into real application program, so I've been blogging the experience in the hopes that other can learn from it. You can check it out at: http://www.rpgaudiomixer.com/

I'm also hoping to turn the site into a repository of information for using audio in games: suggested soundtracks, information on getting music out of computer games you bought, and even articles on using music in games. I'd love to hear some thoughts on that as well.


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## mac1504 (Feb 22, 2005)

There's another program out there called RPGSoundmixer that does essentially the same thing you are working towards. But for the fact that the site's boards are mostly in german (the programmer/owner of the program is German) I love the program. It makes managing and using sound effects in my games easy. There are a few things I would change, but on the whole it is a great utility. I would suggest checking it out.


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## spilth (Feb 22, 2005)

I've tried that program it's part of the reason I decided to write my own.  I find it pretty difficult to use and not very user friendly, GUI-wise.

I'm curious, what aspects of their program would you change?


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## mac1504 (Feb 22, 2005)

I particularly don't like the way the hotkeys are set up. I'm no master of the program (I've only been causually using it for 6 months), but it seems that if you have a series of hotkeys set for sound effects and music, and you end up hitting one of these keys while in another program - it keys up the sound effect or music from RPGSoundmixer. It would be nice if the hotkeys did not take effect unless I had the focus on the program.

Other than that, it does take a while to get use to the interface, but I've got a pretty good understanding of it now. I would be interested in seeing your project, and I've also been delving into opening up computer game files to search for sound effects and music as well.


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## spilth (Feb 22, 2005)

That's odd that it captures keyboard commands while it's not the focused app.  That seems like something you'd specifically have to code your program to do.

My app is still in the early stages but you can see a screenshot of my current test version here:

http://www.rpgaudiomixer.com/images/rpgam0010.gif 

I'm planning to add shortcut keys to the scenes and sound effects as well (with a column displaying the shortcut).

I've got a test version you could download if you're interested, but it's still very early in development.


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## mac1504 (Feb 23, 2005)

spilth said:
			
		

> I've got a test version you could download if you're interested, but it's still very early in development.




I'm interested


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## spilth (Feb 23, 2005)

Can you email me at brian@rpgaudiomixer.com?  I'd like to email you the link and some information privately.


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## Kid Charlemagne (Feb 23, 2005)

If I were to do something like this, I would set it up more like one of those Flash .wav programs that play back clips of Samuel L. Jackson or Homer Simpsn when you hit a button.

Essentially, there are only two things you need a program like this to do.  Play an audio "bed" of music or atmospheric sounds (forest sounds, creepy house sounds), and play individual Sound FX when you click on a button.

If it takes more than one click to do either of these at the table, the program is of no use to me.  Simplicity is paramount.

You can have a load section where you can designate which effects or songs (meaning specific files) are to be assigned to which buttons, with an option to have them be "one-time" FX or to repeat (useful for the audio "bed").  This shouldn't be any more difficult to use than assigning sounds in Windows to system events.


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## spilth (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm actually dividing it up into three pieces:
- Playlists - lists of songs that go together (Traveling Music, Combat Music, etc.)
- Environments - Your atmospheric bed of sounds (Windy Mountainside, Waterfall Temple, Thick Forest, etc.)
- Effects - lists of sound effects that go together (Spell Effects, Spaceship Combat, etc.)

In the current implementation the playlists and effects are triggered by double-clicking (single-clicking allows you to select a sound and alter it before playing it), but this is all UI-related and generally easy to change.

The Environments will break down into looping sounds, random sounds and manually triggered sounds.


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## Wonko the Sane (Feb 23, 2005)

Being able to pan sounds around manually would also be cool for surround sound systems.


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## Yranuis (Feb 23, 2005)

*You can turn that off*



			
				mac1504 said:
			
		

> I particularly don't like the way the hotkeys are set up. I'm no master of the program (I've only been causually using it for 6 months), but it seems that if you have a series of hotkeys set for sound effects and music, and you end up hitting one of these keys while in another program - it keys up the sound effect or music from RPGSoundmixer. It would be nice if the hotkeys did not take effect unless I had the focus on the program.
> 
> Other than that, it does take a while to get use to the interface, but I've got a pretty good understanding of it now. I would be interested in seeing your project, and I've also been delving into opening up computer game files to search for sound effects and music as well.





You can turn that feature off:  Click on "Settings" and then uncheck "Key monitoring always on".  Then, it will only pay attention to your keys when you have focus on them.

The program is excellent if you take a little time to learn it.


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## mac1504 (Feb 23, 2005)

Yranuis said:
			
		

> You can turn that feature off:  Click on "Settings" and then uncheck "Key monitoring always on".  Then, it will only pay attention to your keys when you have focus on them.
> 
> The program is excellent if you take a little time to learn it.




Thanks! Like I said I use it casually, but do think it is a great resource.


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## pjrake (Jun 16, 2005)

i also used rpgsoundmixer for my superhero game. afte a few sessions, i found that i'm spending too much time looking up what key is for what sound effect and not concentrating on the actual game.

also, i would like if the program was more graphics where you can click and not no much just using the keyboard.

i would love to hear how exactly you use this program in your game, because music is a big part of my roleplaying, but i don't want it to take away from the game.

PJ


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## pjrake (Jun 16, 2005)

spilth said:
			
		

> I've tried that program it's part of the reason I decided to write my own. I find it pretty difficult to use and not very user friendly, GUI-wise.
> 
> I'm curious, what aspects of their program would you change?




you're right. i also purchased the program and i hate the fact that it's not GUI. i will try out your program.

maybe a thread can begin on how GM use sound effects in their game. i have alot of superhero sound effects and the players pretty much laugh when i play them, i don't think it adds too much to the game.

PJ


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## pjrake (Jun 16, 2005)

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> If I were to do something like this, I would set it up more like one of those Flash .wav programs that play back clips of Samuel L. Jackson or Homer Simpsn when you hit a button.
> 
> Essentially, there are only two things you need a program like this to do. Play an audio "bed" of music or atmospheric sounds (forest sounds, creepy house sounds), and play individual Sound FX when you click on a button.
> 
> ...




i was looking for something like that too! there's a "how-to" on PDF at ebaumworld.com. the link is http://www.ebaumsworld.com/sb101.html. you need flash program to create your own.

PJ


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## spilth (Jun 16, 2005)

pjrake said:
			
		

> you're right. i also purchased the program and i hate the fact that it's not GUI. i will try out your program.
> 
> maybe a thread can begin on how GM use sound effects in their game. i have alot of superhero sound effects and the players pretty much laugh when i play them, i don't think it adds too much to the game.
> 
> PJ




You can get my app from http://www.rpgaudiomixer.com/dist/

There's also a forum at http://www.rpgaudiomixer.com/forum/ that I'd love to see some conversations happening on.  I just added a forum called "Audio in RPGs" that can be used to discuss how you use music and sound effects in your game.

Personally I mainly use it for music during games, to keep the mood when the group is in a battle, camping, traveling, exploring, etc...


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## Yranuis (Jun 16, 2005)

Actually I've found the RPGSoundmixer to be extremely useful BUT it takes a lot of prep time before the game to make it so.

As said, atmospheric sounds are the primary purpose of it.  Using a combination of sounds and music, I can create a "town" or a wet dungeon, or a forest walk.

The program allowed me to create sound combinations that have allowed me to make the sounds of traps being sprung... "click, shwoop!".

All of these at the press of a single button.

The trick, however, is preparation.  It takes awhile to find the sounds, organize them, and then modify them in RPG sound mixer.

During the game, it's imperative that you print your keyboard map to text and then print it out.  I then place the printout hanging from the bottom of my laptop over the desk.  If I forget where I map a key, the directory of sounds is right there and it barely takes a second to find it.

My players absolutely love it as it truly helps create an immersive environment for us adults who no longer have the imagination we used to (so we make up for it by spending more money on things like this! ).

Yran


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## pjrake (Jun 17, 2005)

I'm glad it works for you because it's a good program and a good idea, but for the life of me, I cannot make it work. Even with a printed copy of the effects hanging on my DM screen, it's still difficult to find certain files.

As with everything in life, preparation is key. Maybe I'm just trying to do too much with it. it's a hit or miss I guess, and the learning curve is very high. For example, my players were walking on a wooden bridge so I quickly found some "creaking" sounds and looped it. That worked. However, on another occasion, a villain escaped in a van and I played sound effect of a car speeding off and the players looked at me and said, "Dude, that was corny." Again, hit or miss...

PJ


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