Tony Gibbs: The Fundamentals of Sonic Art & Sound Design (2007)

The Fundamentals of Sonic Art & Sound Design introduces a subject that will be new to many: sonic arts. The application of sound to other media (such as film or video) is well known, and the idea of sound as a medium in its own right is also widely accepted. However, the idea that sound could also be a distinct art form by itself is less well established and often misunderstood.

The Fundamentals of Sonic Arts & Sound Design introduces, describes and begins the process of defining this new subject and provides a starting point for anyone who has an interest in the creative uses of sound.

The book explores the worlds of sonic arts and sound design through their history and development, and looks at the present state of these extraordinarily diverse genres through the works and words of established artists. It discusses the wide range of practices that currently come under the heading of ‘sonic art’, as well as the technologies that are used and the impact that they have upon the work.

* Introduces students to the diverse disciplines of sonic art and sound design, examining the relevant technologies and approaches to recording, performance and display.
* Describes the history and development of sonic art as a distinct subject.
* Supported by a variety of examples, quotations and interviews with artists, as well as student resources, suggested reading and listening.

Publisher AVA Publishing, 2007
Fundamentals (Ava) Series / AVA academia
ISBN 2940373493, 9782940373499
175 pages

publisher
google books

PDF (updated on 2012-8-3)

Karen Collins: Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design (2008)

“A distinguishing feature of video games is their interactivity, and sound plays an important role in this: a player’s actions can trigger dialogue, sound effects, ambient sound, and music. And yet game sound has been neglected in the growing literature on game studies. This book fills that gap, introducing readers to the many complex aspects of game audio, from its development in early games to theoretical discussions of immersion and realism. In Game Sound, Karen Collins draws on a range of sources—including composers, sound designers, voice-over actors and other industry professionals, Internet articles, fan sites, industry conferences, magazines, patent documents, and, of course, the games themselves—to offer a broad overview of the history, theory, and production practice of video game audio.

Game Sound has two underlying themes: how and why games are different from or similar to film or other linear audiovisual media; and technology and the constraints it has placed on the production of game audio. Collins focuses first on the historical development of game audio, from penny arcades through the rise of home games and the recent rapid developments in the industry. She then examines the production process for a contemporary game at a large game company, discussing the roles of composers, sound designers, voice talent, and audio programmers; considers the growing presence of licensed intellectual property (particularly popular music and films) in games; and explores the function of audio in games in theoretical terms. Finally, she discusses the difficulties posed by nonlinearity and interactivity for the composer of game music.”

Publisher MIT Press, 2008
ISBN 026203378X, 9780262033787
200 pages

Keywords and phrases
PlayStation, arcade games, LucasArts, iMUSE, MIDI, wavetable synthesis, dynamic music, Grim Fandango, Konami, FM synthesis, surround sound, Super Mario Bros, Sega Genesis, Nintendo DS, Commodore 64, sound chips, subtractive synthesis, diegetic, Intellivision, diegesis

Publisher

PDF (updated on 2021-3-16)