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hi my name is max
I am a self-taught music producer and sound designer that has been creating professionally for over a decade. I have grounded myself in Ableton, but have extended experience with Garageband, Logic Pro, and mastering using Audacity. I also have experience designing, building and advertising shows for a musical performance starring them and local artists. I have nine years experience distributing music on SoundCloud, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, etc. through DistroKid recordings.
[ sound redesign ]
of Valorant
screenshot of the project in Ableton
some browsers support picture-in-picture video
about the project
this project explores re-designing and implementing original dynamic, procedural audio with a recording of interactive gunplay as a concept for future integration of real-time game audio in video-games.
I sourced foley sound from freesound and my surrounding environment. I also designed my own instruments within Ableton for sounds that I needed to feel synthetic.
combining foley sounds such as rocks being thrown into dirt and velvet being scratched by nails with digital 808s, arpeggiated wood blocks and reverberated kicks, allowed me to merge the organic and mechanical texture seamlessly.
I used a sample recording of the Doombringer skin for the Sheriff pistol from the popular shooter game Valorant and replaced the original audio with my own.
I maintained precise organization of the project by establishing timing locators and grouping and separating tracks. prioritized quality of sound with return tracks for reverb and delay and a focused mix.
[ sound profile ]
my goal was to create a resonant and chitinous sound profile that made the gun feel like sentient alien technology. I wanted to draw out the subtle organic details in the animation that made it feel alive; the dynamic lighting and spinning magazine. I did this by emphasizing high and low frequencies together, like the punch of the bullet being released and clicky rotation of the magazine as it empties, while de-prioritizing mid frequencies, like the crunch of a shot leaving the barrel. additionally, to widen them final mix, I added ambient audio of a courtyard space.
final product
layered gunshot
individual tracks
high frequency
high frequency
mid-high frequency
mid frequency
mid frequency
mid-low frequency
low frequency
low frequency
i created this project by layering four key audio elements.
layers
[ transient ]
transients are critical for feeling texture in audio. percussive sounds have effective transients that help the listener feel when an impact or action happens.
effect 1 is two different hi-hats pitched +22 semitones.effect 2 a wood block sample playing the note B3.effect 3 and effect 4 are rim shots sequenced in quick succession.effect 5 and effect 6 are the same sample as effect 2, playings the note F3.effect 7 is a recording of two pieces of silverware touching warped at different frequencies.effect 8 is a simple digital drum kit shaker.
sound effects
effect 1
effect 2
effect 3
effect 4
effect 5
effect 6
effect 7
effect 8
using transients, I was able to manufacture mechanical noises that accurately demonstrate the weapons impression.
[ kick ]
similarly to transients, the kick
allows the listener to feel audio. low frequencies resonate, allowing the impacts to become audible. they typically initiate the action.
effect 1 is the initial part of the shot, embodying the punch of the sound.effect 2 is a sort of transient of kick 1, a reverbed kick giving space to the other punchy noises.effect 3 is a piece of the reload section. this sound is the main part of the magazine impact while reloading.
sound effects
effect 1
effect 2
effect 3
[ mech ]
mech is the texture of the gun itself; its moving parts. mech in sound design breathes life into the animation. it helps the listener consider each animated part of the gun, anticipating each movement and lending buzzes and whirs to the aesthetic.
most of these sounds are synthetic.
effect 1 is a quieter, high frequency piece of the mech, enhancing the already loud and resonant, effect 2, a whirring effect created with a distorted bass sine wave.
effect 3 and effect 6 are the same small, crackling buzz to give sound to the rotational parts.
effect 4 and effect 5 speak sentience through computerized and alien whirring
effect 7 is a riser, embodying the charging of energy
effect 8 is extremely subtle detail for the dynamic lighting that reacts to the player interactions with the gun
effect 9 is demonstrating the friction and scraping within the gun
effect 10 is partnered with other reverberating sounds to give them some crunch, creating the effect of the bullet scraping through the barrel to escape
sound effects
effect 1
effect 2
effect 3
effect 4
effect 5
effect 6
effect 7
effect 8
effect 9
effect 10
[ tail ]
tail is what follows. it is the evidence of each bullet shot. essentially, the echo and reverb of each noise in the environment has its own sound, it is not just the previous sound modified with room effects. in the end, the tail is necessary to create a responsive and well-sounding subject.
effect 1 is the subtle sound of handling the pistol. a little bass swoop to create the feeling of holding something a bit heavy. it functions as weight.
effect 2 is the resonant, heavy echo of the blast of a bullet.
effect 3 is the crackle of a bullet piercing the air.
effect 4 is a small layer contributing to the alien effects of the gun. it is a laser sound, sitting on top of the punchy noises. it creates feeling of a tighter shot.
effect 5 is the 'pop' of the bullet.
sound effects
effect 1
effect 2
effect 3
effect 4
effect 5
[ menu sounds ]
to create the menu sounds, I aimed to make selections using the mouse immerse the user with subtle clicks and low frequency loading sounds. drum hits such as claps, snares and rims were used to enhance the responsive UI. this was layered with the sound of a car starting, a laser beam (pitch enveloped white noise), and a custom 808 with an arpeggiator.
track 1
track 2
track 3
track 4
track 5
track 6
track 7
track 8
track 9
track 10
[ LIBRARY ]
under construction