Risk in Sound Design

Caught up with one of my old colleagues a week ago and we inevitably got to talking shop.  The sound design scene in Australia feels very small sometimes so any opportunity to exchange thoughts and tips is always eagerly seized upon.

One thing we were talking about which gave me some good food for thought was the role of risk in creating stand-out sound design.

The ultimate challenge for a sound designer is not merely being a good sound designer, but a great sound designer.  And the thing that separates the two is more often that not the one who takes the risk.  There is the way that you know will sound 'right' - the sound and mix that you are certain will work, because it's tried and true and audiences have been trained to accept it.  I think there's a lot of merit to this approach, because sometimes the audio isn't there to be the star, and all you need is something safe and functional.  There's a common saying in sound design, which is 'if you've done your work right nobody will notice it'.  Also known as 'bad drummer syndrome' - you only notice the drummer in a band if they're bad.

However, if this is all you do, you run the risk of falling into being a 'good' sound designer instead of perhaps a 'great' one.  This is where the risk comes into play.  It's the work which does something different that is most often remembered.  The one which chose a novel approach to the mix, which maybe chose unusual sound effects for mundane objects, which pushed the envelope of originality.  Creativity and originality are traits which are often lauded in the sound design profession, but I think it's far better to describe these traits as 'risk-taking'.

Thinking about it in regards to game audio, I think this can manifest most strongly in implementation.  When technical factors become involved, it's very easy to choose the easier solution, the one you know will be implemented correctly and will work and sound right.  But in doing so you often throw away the opportunity to go one step further and do something really impressive.  It's a trap I've often fallen into in the past, especially on projects when I've been frustrated with a lack of code support and so will reach for the basics first and only then try and reach for more ambitious implementation.  While this is a good approach in theory - you have the safety net of at least being able to do the bare necessities - in practice it's more likely the most basic option is the one you will eventually end up with.  It's a far better bargaining position if you reach for the most ambitious option first, and if necessary then work your way down.

Of course, the biggest issue with taking risks, is that sometimes you will fail.  You have to be prepared for that, too.  But just like investment, the biggest risks can also pay the biggest dividends when they work out.

Anyhow, there's a bit of what's been occupying the stream-of-consciousness the past week.

Video Games Unplugged

Wow, have not been updating this blog at all.  Lately, much of my spare time seems to have been eaten up with things like computer woes and paperwork and all those annoying life errands that pile up after being neglected for so long.  This has extended to all the movies and TV shows and games I want to play as well, though I did at least get the opportunity to play Journey (PSN) and cannot recommend it highly enough. It's one of those moving game experiences that people will talk about for many years to come, in the same company as titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Ico.  It had a wonderful soundtrack and beautifully polished, understated sound design, which I am heartened to see as a trend with these venerated titles.

Regardless, the topic I'm writing about today is far more pedestrian - a brief report of the Video Games Unplugged: Symphony of Legends concert performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with Eminence over the weekend.  By the 'in conjunction with Eminence' part I am assuming Hiroaki did much of the organising, Philip Chu did the conducting, Eminence provided the arrangements and MSO performed it.  I did not recognise any of the other core Eminence members amidst MSO's ranks, and most tellingly Hiroaki did not perform himself, which was somewhat disappointing.

The show itself was excellent, however.  There were some complaints about a feedback hum throughout, though from where I was sitting it was not at all obvious. MSO did a much better job than expected, actually - historically, a lack of familiarity and respect for the source material has led to some less-than-stellar adaptations of video game music.  Play! at the Sydney Opera House a few years ago was very good, but they definitely didn't get the dynamics right, something which has long set Eminence apart from their peers.

MSO rose the occasion wonderfully, though.  Only in some parts did it feel as though perhaps some instruments were being drowned out, usually by the choir of all things, which more typically suffers from the opposite problem.  The soloist they brought on board was stunning, and deserved all the accolades she received.

I didn't have a program handy, but the setlist by memory, in no particular order, went something like this:

Halo Theme (extremely good, couldn't have asked for a better opening)

Gravity Rush suite - I want to play Gravity Rush so badly now.

Starcraft II and Diablo III themes!  Very cool to hear Diablo III before the game is even out.

Shadow of the Colossus: Couterattack - My only complaint is that Counterattack is only two minutes long.  That is not nearly enough Shadow of the Colossus music.

Civilization IV Baba Yetu!  Another piece I absolutely never expected to hear.  This one was quite nice as it was a different style and stood out as a breath of fresh air amidst the other pieces.

Skyrim - The choir for this was awesome.  It was also prefaced by a highly amusing skit and animation.  See here.

Two pieces from Bioshock!  Pair Bond and Elanor I think they were called.  This was briefly marred by a crying baby.  Who brings a baby to an MSO performance?

Warcraft Suite - this was from the special collection Eminence did a couple of years back.  Very good to hear live.

Secret of Mana: Angel's Fear and Seiken Densetsu 3: Meridian Child - were far and away the highlights for me!  I couldn't believe they did Meridian Child!  It's long been on my wishlist of pieces but I had long given up on it, since SD3 so rarely gets a look in.  Look, someone was kind enough to load it up on to Youtube.  (Along with everything else too!  Go check it out, even though it's of slightly dubious sound quality.)  I think my favourite thing about these concerts is when they go to the trouble of creating an orchestral arrangement for older soundtracks.  It's the aural equivalent of having an old 2D sprite game remade in photo-realistic 3D.

Two pieces from Assassin's Creed - these were excellent, the vocalist in particular was amazing.  The second piece was more rock, which again was a nice departure from the style of the evening.


God of War and Uncharted also made appearances - the former was appropriately epic, the latter very well executed but somewhat forgettable amidst its brethren.

They also did a stack of pieces from Soul Caliber.   Way too many really, made sense since they had Junichi Nakatsuru as a special guest (he has a habit of coming to Australia for these things - and in fact, secretly bought a ticket to Night in Fantasia 2009 and sat in the audience so he could hear his work) and also were hosting the fighting game championship.  I'm somewhat surprised that nobody figured out to turn down the sounds or music from the game to allow the orchestra to play though.  They fumbled that one.

Also, naturally, FFVII: One Winged Angel.  Lovely as always, but guys, there's heaps of music from Final Fantasy, do a different one!  They have enough for a dedicated concert series, for god's sake.  There is always the dilemma that there may have been many first-time attendees who would be excited at hearing it, but it would be silly to play Beethoven's 9th at every single classical concert, surely?  ...I am complaining but I still enjoyed it.

Encore was Metal Gear Solid 1-3 medley.  A repeat from Night in Fantasia 2009, but an awesome one.

And one last bonus worth noting: The event was hosted by Wil Wheaton and the PvPOnline guys!  They were fairly amusing, although a tiny part of me can't help but wish there was less of them and more music.


One of these days I'm going to write up my dream set list for a video games concert, with the rules that I must not have heard the pieces live before.  Considering the recent track record of my wildest video gaming dreams coming true (Dissidia, Theatrhythm, Professor Layton Vs Phoenix Wright...?), it's worth a shot, right?