Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course from Udemy

Do you want to learn to edit audio to create professional sound effects? Or are you a game developer who loves to make games? But you don’t know where to start with learning about audio and sound? Or maybe you’re a video game composer who wants to dive into the world of sound design.

In the Introduction to Audio Editing for Games Course, we will teach you how to edit audio to create sound effects for games with the free program Audacity. We’ll teach about what makes up a sound, the basics of sound, and even create a sound effect with a free package of sounds that you can download from my sound library company website Blipsounds. com. We’ll be using these free sounds throughout the entire course so you can follow along with exactly what I am doing.

Then we’ll use the tools we learned from Audacity to teach about the different effects that are available in Audacity including Equalizers, Pitch Shifting, Compressors and limiters.

Then with all that we learned in the previous lectures, we will create a Laser gun sound effect a full audio scene soundscape where an alien UFO is chasing our character and he shoots back at it with his laser gun.

And you’ll get to watch me create all of this step by step so you can follow along and try making it yourself.

Getting started with making sound effects can be expensive and difficult, so I made this course to help people get started with sound design and audio editing without investing too much time or money.

So what are you waiting for? Get started and enroll today. Looking forward to seeing you there.

What's inside

Syllabus

Students will gain the tools to complete this course properly.

Intro to the Course

What You'll need for the Course

Links to Download Free Sounds and Audacity

How to get the Most out of this Course

Section 1 Wrap Up

You will Learn the Basic Tools in Audacity

Intro to Section 2

Basic tools in Audacity

Cutting and Fading our Audio Files

Layering Sound Effects

The Envelope Tool Indepth

Exporting our Sound

Stereo and Mono Tracks

Section 2 Wrapup

Students will learn about Frequency, Pitch, and how to manipulate it to their advantage

Intro to Section 3

Tools to See Frequency

Free Online Spectrum Analyzer

Learning How to Use Equalizers

Additive EQ

Noise Reduction Tool

Change Speed Tool

Using your Ears!

Section 3 Conclusion

Students will learn what dynamics are, and how to manipulate them with compressors and limiters

What are Dynamics?

How to Use Dynamic Range

Introduction to Compressors

How to Use the Compressor

A quiz to test your knowledge on compressors!

Attack and Release

Making Smaller Sounds more Powerful

Limiters

Workflow with EQ and Compression

Using Quieter Sounds to Change Dynamic Range

Keep Practicing Using your Ears!

Section 4 Wrapup

Students will be able to create a laser gun sound effect with the free sound effects provided

Intro to Lecture 5

Where to Start with Creating your Sound

Adding the Laser to our Sound

Adding Layers to our Sounds

Cleaning up our Sound

Section 5 Wrapup

Students will be Able to create a Alien UFO sound scene to use as a demo.

Intro to Section 6

Making the UFO Sound

Placing the Sounds in our Scene

Volume Mixing our Scene

Adding Extra Sounds

Fixing Repetitive Sounds

Panning our Sound Scene

Adding Reverb and Echo

Conclusion to Section 6

Students will learn where to go next now that they have completed this course

About Recording Equipment and Recommendations

About other DAW and Recommendations

Finding Work as a Sound Designer

Course Wrapup

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course with these activities:

Review Basic Acoustics

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Reviewing basic acoustics will provide a solid foundation for understanding audio editing concepts like frequency, pitch, and dynamics.

Browse courses on Acoustics

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Read articles or watch videos explaining sound waves and their properties.
Complete online quizzes to test your understanding of acoustics principles.

Read 'The Sound Effects Bible'

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Reading 'The Sound Effects Bible' will provide a comprehensive understanding of sound effects creation, complementing the course's focus on audio editing.

View Make Some Noise: Sound Effects Recording for... on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to sound design principles and recording techniques.
Take notes on key concepts and examples provided in the book.

Audacity Practice Sessions

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Performing regular practice drills in Audacity will reinforce your understanding of the tools and techniques covered in the course.

Show steps

Open Audacity and import a sample audio file.
Practice using the cutting, fading, and layering tools.
Experiment with different effects like equalizers and compressors.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Read 'Designing Sound'

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Reading 'Designing Sound' will provide a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of sound design, enhancing your ability to create complex and unique sound effects.

View Designing Sound (Mit Press) on Amazon

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Focus on chapters related to synthesis and signal processing.
Experiment with the techniques described in the book using Audacity or other audio software.

Create a Short Soundscape

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Creating a short soundscape will allow you to apply the audio editing techniques learned in the course to a practical project.

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Gather a collection of sound effects related to a specific environment (e.g., forest, city).
Use Audacity to layer and mix the sounds to create a realistic soundscape.
Adjust the volume and panning of each sound to create depth and dimension.

Explore Advanced Audacity Tutorials

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Following advanced Audacity tutorials will help you discover more advanced techniques and expand your audio editing skills.

Show steps

Search for tutorials on specific Audacity features or effects (e.g., noise reduction, spectral analysis).
Follow the steps in the tutorial and apply them to your own audio projects.

Design Sound Effects for a Game Prototype

Show steps

Designing sound effects for a game prototype will provide a real-world application of the audio editing skills learned in the course.

Show steps

Find a simple game prototype or create your own.
Identify the sound effects needed for the game (e.g., footsteps, explosions, weapon sounds).
Use Audacity to create and edit the sound effects.
Implement the sound effects into the game prototype.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Sound Effects Editor

A Sound Effects Editor specializes in creating and manipulating sound effects for various media, primarily film, television, and video games. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course teaches how to edit audio to create sound effects for games with the free program Audacity. The course's practical approach, which teaches about what makes up a sound and the basics of sound, and also creates a laser gun sound effect, can help someone to become a sound effects editor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Effects Editor

Sound Designer

A Sound Designer crafts the auditory landscape of video games, film, and other media. This role involves creating, editing, and implementing sound effects, dialogue, and music to enhance the user experience. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course provides a strong foundation for aspiring sound designers by teaching the fundamentals of audio editing using Audacity. The course's focus on creating practical sound effects, such as a laser gun sound and an alien UFO soundscape, aligns directly with the tasks a Sound Designer performs daily. By learning to manipulate audio with equalizers, pitch shifting, compressors, and limiters, someone can start building the skills necessary to create immersive and engaging soundscapes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer

Audio Editor

An Audio Editor is responsible for manipulating and refining sound recordings to meet specific requirements for various media. The work includes tasks such as cleaning up audio, adjusting levels, and creating sound effects. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course is designed for those who want to learn how to edit audio to create professional sound effects. The course provides a hands-on approach to audio editing using Audacity, a free program. The skills taught, such as cutting, fading, layering, and using the envelope tool, are essential for any audio editor. Moreover, the course's focus on creating sound effects for games makes it directly relevant to audio editing in the gaming industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Editor

Game Developer

A Game Developer brings video games to life through coding, design, and audio integration. This role often involves collaborating with sound designers to implement sound effects and music into the game. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course is designed for game developers who want to start learning about audio and sound. The course teaches how to edit audio to create sound effects for games. By learning the basics of sound and how to use Audacity, a game developer can gain a deeper understanding of the audio aspects of game development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer

Game Audio Implementer

A Game Audio Implementer integrates audio assets into video games using game engines and middleware. This role requires a strong understanding of audio editing and mixing, as well as familiarity with game development tools. The Intro to Editing Audio for Games Course teaches how to edit audio to create sound effects for games using the free program Audacity. The course's focus on creating practical sound effects, such as a laser gun sound effect, coupled with the knowledge of equalization, pitch shifting and dynamics processing, directly aligns to this job.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Audio Implementer

Multimedia Artist

A Multimedia Artist creates visual effects. However, they must also produce animation and audio for a variety of media including video games, film, and television. The Intro to Editing Audio for Games Course can help prepare one for a role as a multimedia artist by teaching them how to edit audio to create sound effects. Skills gained can include editing audio, sound design, and the creation of sound effects. These are all useful for multimedia development projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist

Audio Engineer

An Audio Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of sound and music production, overseeing recording, mixing, and mastering processes. While a formal degree is often required, the Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course may supplement one's knowledge by focusing on audio editing techniques specific to game development. The course covers essential tools in Audacity, frequency manipulation, and dynamic processing, all of which are fundamental concepts for audio engineers. This course may be particularly useful for engineers interested in specializing in the gaming industry.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer

Interactive Media Developer

An Interactive Media Developer creates engaging and interactive experiences for users through multimedia applications, games, and simulations. This role requires an understanding of both visual and auditory elements to create immersive environments. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course is designed to help one learn to edit audio to create professional sound effects. The course covers essential audio editing techniques, such as cutting, fading, layering, and using equalizers, pitch shifting, compressors, and limiters, to create soundscapes. This may be useful for interactive media projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interactive Media Developer

Animator

An Animator brings characters and stories to life through motion, creating visuals for films, television, video games, and other media. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course can help an animator by teaching them how to edit audio to create sound effects. This role will leverage these edited sounds in animation projects to give these projects a richer auditory experience. The course covers essential audio editing techniques, such as layering sounds and using equalizers, pitch shifting, compressors, and limiters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Podcast Editor

A Podcast Editor refines raw audio recordings into polished, engaging podcasts. This involves editing dialogue, adding music and sound effects, and ensuring high-quality audio. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course, while focused on game audio, may be helpful by teaching fundamental audio editing skills. Using Audacity, one can learn to cut, fade, layer, and manipulate audio, which are all essential tasks for podcast editing. The course's focus on dynamics and equalization may be helpful to podcast editing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Podcast Editor

Interactive Designer

An Interactive Designer creates user interfaces and interactive media experiences. This role requires a strong understanding of both visual and auditory elements to create user interfaces. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course can help prepare someone for a role as an interactive designed by teaching how to edit audio to create sound effects for interactive sound designs. This role will leverage the sounds that they learn to create in interactive projects for a richer user experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interactive Designer

Content Creator

A Content Creator produces engaging material across various platforms, such as YouTube, Twitch, and other social media. High-quality audio can significantly enhance the viewing experience. The Intro to Editing Audio for Games Course may support content creators by teaching them how to edit audio to create sound effects. This role can use this course to learn to produce more engaging content via the addition of interesting sound effects. The course's use of free software, like Audacity, can help content creators get started immediately.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator

Digital Marketer

A Digital Marketer promotes products and services through online channels, creating and managing digital campaigns across various platforms. While primarily focused on marketing strategies, an understanding of audio can enhance content creation efforts. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course may be helpful by showing how to edit audio to create sound effects. These sounds can be incorporated into marketing efforts to make them more engaging and memorable.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketer

Foley Artist

A Foley Artist creates everyday sound effects for films, television shows, and video games by recording sounds in a studio. Although often requiring specific training, the Intro to Editing Audio for Games Course may provide a glimpse into the world of sound creation. The course's lessons, regarding how to manipulate existing sounds, may be helpful. The course's final projects, such as creating a laser gun sound and an alien UFO soundscape, may also be helpful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Foley Artist

Video Editor

A Video Editor assembles raw footage into a polished final product for films, television shows, or online content. This includes editing video and audio, adding visual effects, and ensuring a cohesive narrative. The Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course, may provide insight into audio editing techniques, and improve one's ability to work with sound in video projects. Using Audacity, the video editor can learn to manipulate audio and create sound effects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Editor

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course.

Make Some Noise

Save

Comprehensive guide to creating and recording sound effects. It covers a wide range of techniques and equipment, making it a valuable resource for aspiring sound designers. It provides a deeper understanding of the practical aspects of sound design, complementing the course's focus on audio editing software. This book is commonly used by industry professionals.

Make Some Noise: Sound Effects Recording for Teens

Paperback

Make Some Noise: Sound Effects Recording for Teens

Kindle Edition

Designing Sound

Save

Delves into the technical aspects of sound design, covering topics such as synthesis, acoustics, and signal processing. It provides a deeper understanding of the underlying principles behind audio effects and manipulation. While more advanced, it offers valuable insights for those looking to push their sound design skills further. This book is helpful in providing background and prerequisite knowledge.

Designing Sound (Mit Press)

Introduction to Editing Audio for Games Course

What's inside

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Activities

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Reading list

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