Making games is a complicated process. It’s easy to think that just because indie developers can build some incredible worlds from their bedrooms that companies such as 343 Industries must all simply be working indoors all day, every week. Of course, when it comes to the sounds of a game, there are exceptions to this. Yes, you can create some awesome soundtracks from software, allowing you to, once again, do everything from your bedroom. Some companies like to use actual instruments, which requires a large room with recording equipment, but what about all of the sounds that can’t be emulated by software?
Driving With A Microphone Strapped To Your Car
As you can see, with a game like Halo Infinite, which will have various forms of transport in, you need to get out of the office in order to capture something that’s going to sound how you want it to. For 343 Industries, this meant a few different things. First, we can see loads and loads of microphones strapped to various cars. This allows the engineers to capture the noises made by the engine, the car as it moves around, and even the tyres going over different surfaces. What I love most is how calm the engineer has to be inside that vehicle.
We’ve also been given a look at how engineers capture jet engine noises. I don’t know how you manage to stay quiet while you’re that close to a jet that’s firing its engine. I think I’d be too excited to stay still or quiet. The video also shows off a sound engineer capturing the noises generated by an old steam engine. These are the sounds that will make up the larger structures moving in the game, I think, and they’re crazy.
For me, knowing that someone has gone out and spent a lot of time and effort capturing these noises makes the game better. There must be loads of archived resources for car sounds, planes, and even helicopters, but putting the effort in to record new ones shows that 343 Industries has a personal vision for the game they’re making. I can barely wait to hear these noises in action when the game launches for the Xbox Series X later this year.