Spatial Audio Design | FINAL PROJECT

故事 Pin 图图片

 20/10/2025 - 2025 | Week 8-week10

Huang jiaqi | 0371553

Spatial Audio Design | Bachelor in Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Final Project 

Table of Content 

   1. Module Information
   2. Lecture
   3. Final Project
   4. Feedback 
   5. Reflection 

Module Information 


Lecture

Week 10

Final Project Briefing

The first step in the pre-production stage of this project is to identify the necessary sounds.
In linear media like film, sound is carefully planned. We already know:
  • When the sound will happen
  • What type of sound it is
  • How loud or soft it should be
However, sound in games works differently because the experience isn’t linear.
In games, sound depends on the player’s:
  • State
  • Choices
  • Actions
This makes the process more dynamic. To handle this, we use event mapping—a way to list out every possible situation or interaction that might need a sound or a change in the sound environment. These are often referred to as triggerscues, or events.

Week 11 

Week 11 was the consultation week, during which the tutor provided an explanation regarding the final assignment.


 Final Project

Project 3 focuses on developing a Beta Prototype of a virtual environment where spatial audio acts as the primary storyteller. The objective of this project is not to redesign the entire game visually, but to demonstrate how binaural audio, multichannel sound, and ambisonics can drive narrative, immersion, and player experience within a virtual space.

Rather than replacing every single sound in the game, this project prioritises key narrative-driven and interaction-based audio elements, ensuring that spatial audio design enhances clarity, emotional impact, and environmental realism.

Our group consisted of myself, Guan Yu, and Zhou Yu Tong. The project emphasized not only technical execution but also collaboration, communication, and iterative improvement through user testing.


Team Collaboration and Workflow

We worked as a small production team, dividing tasks based on individual strengths while maintaining clear communication throughout the process.


My role

Organised and structured the audio asset list for the entire game.

Recorded home-based audio prototypes as early test sounds.

Participated in studio recording, focusing on monster (Chomper) sound design, including growls, attacks, and death sounds.

Conducted audio replacement and integration in Unity, ensuring correct spatial positioning and narrative consistency.


Guan Yu

Operated the recording studio equipment during the studio session.

Handled Unity scene construction and implementation, including spatial audio setup and testing.

Assisted in audio refinement and Unity audio replacement during Weeks 13 and 14.


Zhou Yu Tong

Recorded various audio assets for characters and interactions.

Used Adobe Audition to clean, edit, and polish recorded sounds.


Studio Recording and Audio Production

Before going to the studio, I conducted test recordings at home using the built-in Voice Memos app on my iPhone. This allowed me to experiment with microphone placement, recording techniques, and sound performance to ensure efficiency and quality during the studio session.

In Week 12, we booked the recording studio on Friday morning to record all necessary audio assets. This session allowed us to capture higher-quality recordings compared to home setups, particularly for expressive and dynamic sounds such as monster vocals and combat effects.

The recorded audio included:

Character sounds: Ellen’s movement, combat, and damage sounds

Enemy sounds: Chomper’s idle, attack, hurt, and death

Environmental ambience: forest atmosphere, wind, subtle environmental details

Interactable object sounds: doors, crates, pickups, switches

Fig 1.1Mobile phone recording

Fig 1.2Mobile phone recording

Mobile phone recording link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cqahmCozZmhDO1gIH39c_crMyQQlpVPs?usp=share_link

During Week 12 in the recording studio, we followed the Audio Asset List to systematically record all required sounds. Each sound category—character, enemy, environment, and interactable objects—was recorded according to the planned props and techniques. This structured approach ensured that every audio asset matched the project’s specifications and maintained consistency, making it easier for subsequent editing and integration into Unity.

Fig 1.3 Recording studio session


Fig 1.4 Recording studio audio

Fig 1.5 Recording studio audio

we systematically followed the Audio Asset List to capture each sound category—character, enemy, environment, and interactable objects.

Recording studio audio link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Eu90btzkVbHyjWLTkouORzNTipkeGy1h?usp=share_link


Audio Asset List

This structured and well-equipped recording environment allowed us to capture high-fidelity, dynamic audio that met the project specifications and could be directly used for editing and integration into Unity.

The recorded audio included:

  • Character sounds: Ellen’s movement, combat, and damage sounds

  • Enemy sounds: Chomper’s idle, attack, hurt, and death

  • Environmental ambience: forest atmosphere, wind, subtle environmental details

  • Interactable object sounds: doors, crates, pickups, switches


Week 13 – Audio Editing and Integration in Unity

In Week 13, we focused on post-production of the recorded audio and integration into the Unity project. The process began with audio editing, where we cleaned up the raw recordings by removing background noise, normalizing volume levels, and applying minor effects such as EQ, reverb, or compression where necessary. Adobe Audition was primarily used for this stage, ensuring that each sound was polished and consistent with the game’s aesthetic.

In accordance with the division of responsibilities, Zhou Yutong is responsible for audio enhancement.

Audio Journal


Fig 1.6 Character sounds


Fig 1.7 Background sound effects

Fig 1.8 Interactive sound effects

Fig 1.9 Monster sound effects

Below is a record of my sound creation process, highlighting the best three audio selections from each category, for a total of nine key sounds.

1. Character Sounds (Ellen)

Process:

  • Used props such as cardboard, cups, and human voice to create realistic and dynamic movement sounds.

  • Recorded in the studio with condenser microphones and pop filters to capture high-fidelity audio.

  • Edited in Adobe Audition for clarity, consistent volume, and added slight effects (EQ, compression).

    Top 3 Selected Sounds:

    Character Death

    Audio_Shrink_Character Death.mp3

    Character Jump

Audio_Shrink_Character Jump.mp3

Character Injury.mp3

Audio_Shrinkage_Character Injury.mp3

2. Monster Sounds (Chomper)

Process:

  • Experimented with growls and hisses to convey different emotional states: idle, attack, hurt, death.

  • Recorded using human voice in the studio, applying multiple takes to achieve variety and expressiveness.

  • Selected the best takes and adjusted pitch and timing in Adobe Audition for realism.

Top 3 Selected Sounds:

Monster Death.mp3

Audio_Shrink_Monster Death.mp3

Monster Injury

Audio_Shrink_Monster Injury.mp3

Monster Attack
Audio_Shrinkage_Monster Attack.mp3

3. Interactable Objects

Process:

  • Tested household objects to simulate doors, crates, and pickups.

  • Recorded multiple takes in the studio, experimenting with different materials and techniques.

  • Edited sounds for consistency and to make them blend naturally into the game environment.

Top 3 Selected Sounds:

Weapon Swing

Audio_Shrink Mix_Weapon Swing.mp3

Pick up items

Audio_Shrink_Pick up items.mp3

Walk (stone)

Audio_shrinkage_Walk (stone).mp3

Through this process, I learned the importance of pre-testing, using appropriate props, and editing to achieve high-quality, game-ready sounds. Selecting the top three sounds in each category allowed me to focus on creating a cohesive and immersive audio experience while ensuring efficient workflow for integration in Unity.

Editor's sound effects link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IZ8rZ2qH96b55HSB7FhWmEFt0ZZ2-wrY?usp=share_link

Unity Audio Integration

After completing the audio recording and editing in Week 13, the next step was to integrate the sounds into the Unity project. This process involved importing, replacing, and configuring all audio assets to ensure they aligned with gameplay mechanics and player interactions.

For reference

Process:
Importing Audio Assets – All finalized audio files were imported into Unity via the Project window. Each file was organized into folders according to category: Character, Enemy, Environment, and Interactable Objects.
Replacing Placeholder Sounds – Existing placeholder sounds in the project were replaced with the new high-quality recordings. For example:
Ellen’s footsteps, jumps, and combat sounds were linked to animation events and scripts controlling movement and attacks.
Chomper’s idle growls, attack, hurt, and death sounds were linked to AI scripts for proper timing during gameplay.


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