Reality Factory

I got a VOIP phone number that can be dialed via any landline phone. To test it, I called it using my cellphone. I left myself a voicemail. When I checked my email that I had used to set up the VOIP account, I had an email stating I had received a voicemail. Well, it had an .mp3 file that was my voicemail. So, I thought to myself, I could put my cell on speakerphone and call my VOIP number and leave myself a voicemail. While on speakerphone I can record conversations in the room. My line of thinking is that I can record real voices this way for things like cut scenes, audible instructions in the game, etc. I can go to a local railyard and record train sounds this way, or an endless amount of environment sounds.

....or I could just bootleg an entire live heavy metal concert using my cellphone.

You're on the right track. I take a portable DAT everywhere I go for stuff like that. I love catching the ambience of the world. You can make really interesting sound fx by adding different effects to it like delay or reverb. For the last game I worked on, I went camping with my friends and left the DAT running all night (until it ran out of space). I captured the most realistic forest ambience you can get. I didn't even have to edit it that much to make it loop properly.

what is a DAT? i use an mp3 player with a built in mic. to record sounds, recording live sounds is a realy good way of getting yhe sound fx you need.

yeah, The problem I foresee myself having (when i get to the sound desighn time) is getting voice acting done... Cause I HATE games with rubbish voice acting and i actually will throw the game away if i cant get decent voice overlayed, but I just dunno how im gonna find people to do it. Im willing to pay a bit (not what i imagine even first time actors cost) but its just finding people and getting the recordings, in a controlled enviroment.

@scott - DAT is a Digital Audio Tape. This is the model I have. It's basically a heavy Walkman that has an XLR input with Phantom power, a rechargable battery and stores audio on what looks like a BetaMAX tape but is really made for digital audio. You can find them for about $400-$1000 depending on the model. It's an expensive tool, but for a sound designer, it's priceless.

These models are giving way to portable units that record directly to WAV. They use WAV because it's lossless. I've seen some people carry a 12" Macbook and a firewire powered audio interface into the field to record sounds. You use what is comfortable for you.

@psYco - Voice acting is not really that bad to do for a demo/proof of concept. Sound quality is not your issue there, it's the quality of the person's acting. You can stick all the effects on it in the world, but you can't change the person's personality. Game publishers will let an independent developer get by with decent acting in your proposal demo. If they accept you and give you a budget, then you hire a real actor to do the work. Voice actors are going to ask for a script and design doc in advance so they can work on their delivery. Just be sure they sign an NDA before you hand any of your IP over to them.

Paradox is right on the money. Quality of recording isn't as important as quality of acting. But both can be hard to come by. But like he said, always get your actors to sign NDA's. For a Proof-Of-Concept demo you should be just fine using an inexpensive mic and mixer in your garage to record a few friends doing the voices.

I always am very nervous about using sounds i get off the net, same for textures, it really is not that hard to record your own sounds if you have the right equipment. But using a cell phone is gonna be lower than acceptable quality, even for a proof-of-concept demo. You can get a decent mic and a one channel USB Mixer for under $200.

i need some advice with nda's, if you are commnicating by email then they cant 'sighn' a contract that says they cant disclose information, i have been very careful not to give my story away and have recently got a small team and while i can think i can trust them i would like an nda so they cant legaly give it away then.

Well i promise not to give away your story

But i agree, although as far as voice actiing i think it'd be easier to just send people the lines and describe their character etc. than to get them to sighn a NDA...

@psyco, its not you im woried about, theres a new guy who has joind and didnt think about the nda when i joind him and others and i would like the safty of knowing that the story cant be talked about.

@psYco - If you don't get them to sign an NDA, that means they can blab your project to anyone effectively ruining the element of suspense and also endangering your IP. You can't stop someone from stealing your idea, but you can collect royalties if someone does and you catch them if they have signed the NDA. If anyone does not want to sign an NDA, they are not a professional. Don't waste your time with them.

@scott - Everyone I've had to sign came to me by email and I printed it, signed it and either snail mailed or faxed it back.

if they don't want to fax or mail, they could print it off the email, sign it, scan it into their computer, and email it back.

You are correct, you don't always need an nda. I'm not using one for my project because i know my people very well. My lead voice actor & concept artist is one of my best friends, so i'm not too worried. but when you are working with people you don't know on a serious project, then you definitely need an NDA.

Dude...I've made my own brother sign an NDA before. Trust no one. Nothing stops someone from being mad at you and/or having poor judgement. I'm not saying you absolutely need an NDA, but it's definitely the smart thing to do.