Here you will find a variety of writings. Software and hardware reviews, industry news and commentary, as well as personal reflections. Enjoy!

State of Symbiosis - 3

...on religious experiences...

A few weeks ago my fiancee and I visited my good friend Jeff, whom I used to make music with.  Musically we’re doing our own things now, but we still talk every now and then, and we love to get together over dinner to talk about music and gear.  I had mentioned to him that I was interested in hearing BT’s latest album, This Binary Universe, and he offered me his copy, as it was a little ‘too ambient’ for him.  I gladly accepted, wanting to experience both the stereo mix, and the included DVD which features a full 5.1 DTS mix as well as videos for each track.
 
I started listening to it that night, though it was late.  It was definitely ambient, and probably not the best music to listen to after a late meal, some sake, and a 30 minute drive home.  The shortest track on the album is about 8 minutes, so three tracks and we were pulling into our parking space at our apartment building.
 
What a difference a day can make in ones ability to be impressed by a piece of music.  What on Saturday night seemed to be some typical BT musical explorations turned into a full-fledged spiritual experience on my commute the following Monday morning.  I recalled that I had left off on about track 3 or 4, so I started again with track 4.  A few minutes in, I knew I was in for one of the most enjoyable commutes I’ve had since starting my new job.

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Commentary: Xbox 360 from the audio perspective

A short commentary piece we wrote about our hands-on experiences with the Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Impressions at CDM

State Of Symbiosis - 2

On developing symbiotic relationships with your tools.

Anyone who creates music using technology is likely familiar with a couple of colloquialisms used to describe the desire for newer, bigger, better, faster, cooler noise-making or noise-capturing devices.  I would posit that gearlust, also known as GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) affects all musicians and content creators at some time or another in their careers.  Those with little expendable income likely experience it more than those with fat bankrolls, often thinking that more money=more tools=better music, yet the creativity of those with abundant wealth may also suffer as a result of gear glut.  Regardless of financial standing, the symptoms of the affliction are much the same.

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State Of Symbiosis - 1

Welcome to the first installment of our ongoing series of industry commentary, opinion and introspection: State of Symbiosis.  In this series, we hope to convey a little about our thought process in creating music and audio for games, as well as shed some light on what it is that we do as creators working in the game industry.

One of the greatest challenges I have in creating audio for games is in finding the space wherein the line between creator and gamer is blurred.  Emerson has this great quote in Self Reliance where he says, “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” I think creating audio for games is kind of like that.

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CDM Article: 2005 Game Audio Review

A new commentary we wrote over at CDM, taking some time to recount the 2005 year in Game Audio. Here’s the full article...