Technical Audio for Games

🎧Bridging Creativity and Code in Game Audio

With over two decades in audio and a background in systems engineering, I specialize in technical audio solutions that bridge the gap between creative intent and in-game execution.

From scripting interactive sound behaviors to middleware integration and performance optimization, I design sound systems that just work — and sound amazing.

🎯 What is Technical Audio for Games?

Technical audio for games involves integrating and optimizing audio assets into game engines to create immersive experiences. It combines sound design and technical implementation, ensuring that every sound— from effects and dialogue to background music — reacts in real-time to gameplay.

This discipline often involves the use of middleware like FMOD and Wwise, which are designed to help manage complex audio environments. Technical sound designers work alongside programmers and designers to create dynamic audio systems that respond fluidly to gameplay, enhancing realism and immersion.

With a blend of creative sound design skills and technical expertise, technical audio professionals are responsible for ensuring the soundscape adapts to gameplay in real-time, creating a seamless experience for players.

🤝 Let’s Collaborate

Looking to implement a responsive audio system for your game or prototype? Get in touch to discuss how we can bring your game’s audio to life.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

I work with a range of tools and technologies to deliver seamless audio experiences:

Middleware: FMOD Studio, Audiokinetic Wwise, Master Audio, Tazman Fabric

Game Engines:

Unity (C#) | Unreal Engine (Blueprints) | Gambryo

Custom Audio Engines:

Tailored solutions for unique project needs

 

Scripting | Coding :

JSON | Lua | C# | Swift/XCode | Blueprints

Data Formats:

XML | CVS | Lists | Arrays | Linked Lists | Classes | HTML

Audio Systems:

RTPCs | state-based logic | sidechain dynamics | dynamic dialog | dynamic music | component driven | mixer snapshots | virtual voicing | priority

Audio Formats:

mono, stereo, quad, 5.1, 7.1, binaural, ambisonic, FOA, SOA, TOA, Audio Objects (Dolby Atmos), wav, m4a, mp3, ogg, flac, modtrackers (.mod, .it. xm, .s3m)

🎮 Technically-Driven Notable Projects

Halfbrick Studios

Halfbrick Studios: Leading audio content creation for marketing, game development, and live support

Thrill Of The Fight 2 VR – Meta Quest

Thrill Of The Fight 2 VR – Meta Quest: Designed dynamic audio systems for immersive VR gameplay and optimized player feedback.

  • Worked and supported an existing audio project lead with my experience
  • Technical Coaching (Wwise | C# | Unity)
  • Designed the Wwise Project Architecture
  • Optimized audio behavior
  • Created a Dynamic Mix system driven by snapshots and input parameters
  • Spatially Enhanced & Tuned the Player Punch System to make it pop, meeting internal & external stakeholder approval
  • Designed and implemented a Spatial Music System & Wwise structures
  • DSP Environment Setup & Preset Design
  • Technical Documentation
    Super Fruit Ninja - Apple Vision Pro

    Super Fruit Ninja – Apple Vision Pro: Designed and implemented immersive game audio features using a bespoke audio engine, freeing up the lead programmer.

    • Assisted in the design of bespoke audio-engine features
    • Designed immersive audio feedback for innovative hand-driven gameplay
    • Developed an immersive mix and priority system
    • Implemented audio behavior systems, freeing up the engineering lead
    • Implemented sound assets using Swift/XCode/Apple Reality Kit
    • Led a team of 3 designers assisting with asset creation
    • Technical Documentation
    Jetpack Racing - iOS | Android

    Jetpack Racing – iOS | Android: Designed, Implemented audio assets and sytems such as layered parameter and curve driven response engine systems.

    • Collaborated with stakeholders to provide R&D into vehicle engine designs
    • Engaged in fast iterative prototyping
    • Designed & implemented bespoke vehicle engine response system
    • Led migration of behavior from prototyping tools to C# custom audio engine, contributing code
    • Implemented audio assets in game code
    • Designed & implemented a music manager
    • Designed & implemented a real-time mix system : driven by mix states & input parameters
    • Optimized technical audio asset design to reduce CPU load while maintaining richness
    • Technical Documentation
    Fruit Ninja Classic+ - iOS

    Fruit Ninja Classic+ – iOS :

    • Designed and implemented ambience spot effects
    • Designed and implemented Dojo Repair system audio behaviors and asset sound design
    • Technical Documentation

    Meta (Facebook)

    Meta (Facebook): Focused on technical sound design for VR/AR projects, enhancing immersive experiences.

    Horizon Worlds VR - Meta Quest

    Horizon Worlds VR – Meta Quest: Helped drive the technical requirements for both in-game audio features and back end tooling / pipeline for The Horizon worlds Metaverse.

     

    • Back End Technical Sound Designer
      • Updated existing audio code with new SDK
      • In-world visual spatial audio tools R&D
      • Back-end audio systems R&D
      • Expanded audio classes and behaviors
      • Designed audio features and systems to support a thriving creative-metaverse

    • In-World Technical Sound Designer
      • 1st Party Horizon Worlds games division audio lead & technical sound designer
      • Designed in-game behaviors using visual scripting and audio design patterns
      • “Canyon Runners” – Airplane Game : Vehicle Engines, announcer system
      • “Mini Golf ” – Golf Game : Scoring Systems, Water systems, Music Stinger Systems
      • FPS Arena : Bullet and impact pooling systems, weapon implementation, pickups, target practice system
      • Grapple Hook Arena : grapple system, platform system, armor system, scoring system
      • Self Created Game + audio behaviors: As a challenge led a team to develop a platforming shooter experience. Handled techincal game behaviors and audio behaviors.
      • Meta Connect 2022 presenter : Dynanic World Building : grapple system, swinging wind system, chord tension system, ambiance system
    The World Beyond MR:

    The World Beyond MR: Hand Tracking Demo

    • Technical Sound Designer : coding
    • Enhanced existing audio solution in C# Unity
    • Added a new audio pooling system for ambient
    • Implemented audio cues in code
    Wolves In The Walls VR

    Wolves In The Walls VR:  Technical designer on the Emmy Award-Winning Immersive Story

    • Fixing old ‘unfixable’ bugs
    • Designing & implementing new audio features
    • Mixed use of spatial formats to create smoke n mirror effects for features
    • Physics based audio interactions (flashlight + other props)
    • Blueprints UE4

    TrionWorlds

    Trionworlds: Served as Audio Director & Technical Lead, overseeing sound design, team leadership, and audio systems design & implementation across multiple titles.

    Horizon Worlds VR - Meta Quest

    RIFT – High Fantasy MMORPG: Audio director and technical audio lead creating a dynamically driven AAA world.

    • Designed audio tooling to support dynamic content and implementation pipeline into a custom content editor
    • Designed water interaction systems
    • Designed non-binary footstep system
    • Designed time of day system and responsive ambiances to dynamic events
    • Designed ambiance implementation system
    • Designed creature vocalization systems that scaled and were re-usable & non-repetitive.
    • Designed layered ambiance/weather systems
    • Designed 3 dynamic music systems that intersected based on area content.
    Trove - Voxel-based MMORPG

    Trove – Voxel-based MMORPG: Audio lead on a custom game engine paired with WWise to build an audio system that supported dynamic and user modifiable world content based in a voxel-block-world.

    • Responsible for WWise audio architecture
    • Created and tuned audio priority systens needed to handle an mmorpg
    • Designed all audio features in the game some ksy areas: large liquids, outside/inside, material based destruction
    • Designed a dynamic mixing system
    • Collaborated in designing a music-block system
    • Extended audio functionality in scripts & data structures (C#)

     

    Atlas Reactor - Team Tactics Turn-Based MOBA

    Atlas Reactor – Team Tactics Turn-Based MOBA:  Developed a non-linear adaptive music system, stage & action-based gameplay as audio lead and technical audio designer.

    • Unreal (C#)
    • Fabric Audio Middleware
    • Expanded audio functionality with light coding
    • Design of audio systems and layout with Fabric in Unity.
    • Worked with engineering to support game-play systems with audio cues.

    Backbone Entertainment

    BackBone Entertainment: Served as project audio lead overseeing sound design, audio systems design & implementation across multiple titles.

    Gauntlet DS - Nintendo DS

    Gauntlet DS – Nintendo DS: Audio Lead on the project driving the audio engine design, and music system used to utilize full quality streamed orchestral music on the project. 

    Eidos : “This is some of the best music we have heard on the DS”

    • Audio Lead
    • Technical design of Music Engine / System design and create content for
    • Tecnical design of audio engine behavior on dual screen isometric display.
    • Direct external Composer with technical requirements
    • Sound Design
    • Game Mix

     

    Death Jr 2 - Wii

    Death Jr 2 – Wii: FILL ME IN

    • Did stuff

     

    Brooktown High - PSP

    Brooktown High – PSP:  Audio Lead on an original IP about dating at highschool designing audio and implementation of game audio assets.

    RATBAG GAMES

    Ratbag Games: Supporting clients as a freelancer with technical audio design, sound design,  music composition, dialog sourcing and editing and game mixing on handhelds, console, PC, bespoke hardware and VR platforms.

     

    Freelance Work: Provided audio consulting, technical design, and sound design for top iOS titles and major companies like Anki, NGMoco, Playfish, and Glu Mobile.

      • Anki Drive (Original) – iOS
      • Dragonball Z “Legacy of Goku 2” – GBA
      • South Park Rally
    Scavengers Demo - PS2

    Scavengers Demo – PS2: Audio Lead on the project driving design and implementation of a vehicle combat game set in an apocalyptic future.

    • Technical Vehicle Engine Designs & Engine Tuning
    • Source & Author engine loops for the different vehicles
    • Physics based Vehicle impact and destruction sounds + content
    • Physics based bullet, explosion projectile impact system + content

     

    Wheelman Demo - PS2

    Wheelman Demo – PS2: Audio Lead on the project driving design and implementation of a vehicle combat game set in city environment.

    • Technical Vehicle Engine Designs & Engine Tuning
    • Create, Author engine loops for the different vehicles
    • Physics based Vehicle impact and destruction sounds + content
    • Physics based bullet, explosion projectile impact system + content

     

    Freelance – Audio Consultancy

    Freelance: Supporting clients as a freelancer with technical audio design, sound design,  music composition, dialog sourcing and editing and game mixing on handhelds, console, PC, bespoke hardware and VR platforms.

    Gauntlet DS - Nintendo DS

    Gauntlet DS – Nintendo DS: Audio Lead on the project driving the audio engine design, and music system used to utilize full quality streamed orchestral music on the project.

    • Game Mix