It’s been a few years since I have worked on a project involving sound design. In fact it’s been 4 years since I did some sound design and voice acting for Omnites in his short film/trailer, “Squad Community Trailer“.
But I’ve just been asked to assist with another project. This time it’s a modification, or “mod” as they’re called in the gaming community, to a game.
Funnily enough, it’s the same game the Omnites’ project was promoting, the online tactical multiplayer “Squad” from Offworld Industries.
So far, the only thing I’ve been asked to do is create the firing sound of the machine gun used on the A4-AR Lockheed Fightinghawk aircraft, a Colt MK 12.
“What? That’s all?” you might be thinking, but try doing a search for the given parameters and see if you can find a suitable sound for inclusion on a game, where the sound has to be without extra noise such as the environment around the plane, the plane’s engines, or report echo, or other sounds, and should be sufficiently clear and loud.
So, after the mod author determined they couldn’t find a sample to use, and after I did my own multi-hour search, I decided that I would in fact have to create a sound from scratch, or at least almost. I was given a couple of samples of the GAU-8 “Avenger” the gun that gave the A-10C it’s nickname “Warthog”. I was told by the mod author that the MK12 sounded similar but a little lower and slower.
I’ve got a job on my hands, and while it’s not a high paying gig or anything, I’m going to enjoy the return to sound design and feeling productive again.
Stay tuned, because there’s more to come!