Sound FX... What do YOU do?

I'm looking for some freeware to create .WAV sound FX files for a game i've almost finished. I'm looking for all kinds of good freeware Sound Applications. Editors to mess with existing sounds and hopefully some software for generating FX. Also looking for anything that i can use to produce a light musical score as background music.

Everything i've seen is either crippleware or crapware. What does everyone else use? I mean, i know you cant have it all and not pay for it but its not like i can afford to shell out megabucks just to produce games for free, now can I?

Which libs have you tried and what platform is this for?

Have you tried MIDAS?

I'm not looking for libs or code. I already have designed a DSound interface and everything is implemented in my application. I just need some WAV files for it to be playing! What is MIDAS?

Ok, sorry. MIDAS is a sound system that allows you to mix/play sounds in real time - unlimited number of channels - if you have the horsepower to do it.

Since you have coded your own sound system of sorts, you probably won't want to use it.

I'm sure you have, but have you looked for wav libraries on the web? Some of them require money but some are free if you don't mind using someone else's sounds. Otherwise I guess you could try to record your own and write an app or get an app that could filter them and make them sound a bit better. I'm sure most prof. game companies have their own sound teams and sound stages where they produce their sounds. I've always wondered how they come up with them though. I mean, what do they do - go blow up something and record the sound and use it for an explosion in the game?

Also, since you have done some sound programming - are you mixing your own sounds or are you letting DirectSound handle all of that? If you are manually doing it, please let me know how you are doing it. I'm attempting to mix sounds in DOS, but my algo is very weak and causes minor distortion and volume changes in the samples. Does not seem to be very good docs out there on the subject.

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I've always wondered how they come up with them though. I mean, what do they do - go blow up something and record the sound and use it for an explosion in the game?

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Usually the sounds you hear are produced by nothing even remotly simular to what they are supposed to simulate. For instance i was on a TV set one time where they had a rack of meat hanging from a hook. They used a baseball bat on it. The sound effect produced was used for when one character started beating on another character. It was actually quite realistic sounding. I was impressed yet still slightly confused. I mean, who came up with the idea anyhow?

[qoute]I'm sure most prof. game companies have their own sound teams[/quote]
Mmm... I wish! But its just little ol' me all by myself here single handedly tackling an entire project. Its not like its the first time or anything but its the first time i'm doing full sound support and its just yet another thing i have to spend too much time on.

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are you mixing your own sounds or are you letting DirectSound handle all of that?

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DSound handles all of that (Mostly).


So what i was mainly looking for was Applications where i can mess around with settings etc and it will produce effects. I have some recording equipment (a little) so i'd like to see what i can make it into. Kind of like a synthesizer i suppose. But software.

I don't mind paying a little money for something if a few people tell me its good, but i dont want to go out and shell out hundreds on some software i've never heard of before. Sombody here must use some software for this stuff...?

There are several programs you can buy, depending on what you want to do.

Soundforge is the top WAV file editing program. It can do pretty much everything, but it costs money. I am not sure exactly how much money though...

I know you said WAV files, but if you want to do MIDIs too, I suggest Cakewalk. Cakewalk is top of the line in that end of music editing, closely followed by Finale.

Try going to download.com and see what you can find.