Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524863
122 M PS E . O R G of Blood VR, we have accentuated height elements, such as a Wendigo clambering over your surrounding mental cage. More recently in Switchback VR, the accompanying antagonist dialogue had four layers, from the big, "boomy" stadium-like sound down to a whisper that came right up to your ear for a sinister close presence which was highly effective. We have recorded first-person dialogue using binaural headset mics with great results and sitting well in the mix adding to player immersion, and Dolby Atmos qualification has been crucial as a benchmark to achieving improved spatial headphone experiences for players. How would you describe your approach to the mix in your games? What techniques and principles do you follow to achieve the desired audio balance? BP: We always aim for a mix with cinematic rather than TV dynamic range, as in 'lots of it' which is incredibly helpful for horror. Technically, the framework follows a film premix-style parenting, with various sub-busses offering mix options and mix solutions. There's a prioritized multiband sidechain interplay between all the elements which I cannot emphasize enough in offering such a smooth resulting mix, allowing dialogue to always be audible, loud sounds such as explosions, or combat SFX to punch through, music to clear space in the ambiences, all within the frequency domain. We use mix snapshots to significantly shift the mix from intimate to louder action moments, 'pre-scare' to 'scare,' all vital to a horror mix, offering clarity and focus and emotional emphasis for the moments that matter. More recently, we reworked the entire bussing structure to accommodate 3D audio options qualifying for Dolby Atmos offering significant improvements for headphone listening endpoint which is a large target for games. Characters are the heart of any narrative. Can you describe your approach and the systems you use to bring characters to life through sound design? BP: This is an area we as a team are very proud of and has evolved through many inputs over time. Currently, we have approximately eight emitters per character, each being constantly tracked for movement speed, direction, distance to other bones, and cross- referencing each other's data, procedurally triggering on-shots and loops. Procedural character Foley systems are vital to efficiency of delivery, need to sound natural and nuanced movement sounds, contact with the environment, establishing believable characters through technical systems. House of Ashes saw huge advances here, extending the human movement systems to our vampire aliens and weapons were even covered procedurally adding emotional presence, power, and believability. For a deeper explanation, I'd recommend readers watch our 'Develop,' 'GDC,' and 'GameSoundCon' talks. Music and abstract sound play a crucial role in horror, especially in eliciting emotional responses from players. How do you ensure these elements are perfectly timed to enhance the players' emotional journey? BP: There are two types of music running throughout the game, interactive music fed by the game state and AI enemies, and bespoke Switchback VR ‒ mannequin blink mechanic