The Future Of Game Audio - Highlights With Ben Minto, Becky Allen & Matthew Smith:

Happy New Year - hope you had a fun entry into 2018! The beginning of the year is always a great time to reflect on what's ahead, and that made me re-read the series we kicked off last year entitled The Future Of Game Audio.

We spoke with Ben Minto (senior audio director/sound designer at EA DICE), Becky Allen (head of audio at PopCap/Electronic Arts), and Matthew Smith, the audio director overseeing the sound for legendary franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and more.

The interviews are full of interesting insights into what's ahead in game audio - so if you haven't read them already, be sure to check them out below:

Please share:

Ben Minto, senior audio director/sound designer at EA DICE:

Senior audio director/sound designer Ben Minto at EA DICE in Stockholm, Sweden has spent the last 10 years working on their AAA-game franchises like Battlefield and Star Wars Battlefront.

But success hasn’t sent Minto to rest on his laurels. With every new release, he and the team at DICE are looking for ways to push the boundaries of sound, to take the next step to delivery an exemplary sound experience to game players.

Here, Minto shares his thoughts of what’s happening in the game sound industry, what opportunities lay ahead, and what can help future game sound pros to get into the industry:

Read the Ben Minto interview on the future of game audio

Becky Allen, head of audio at PopCap/Electronic Arts:

What’s next for game audio? We got the chance to speak with Becky Allen – head of audio at PopCap/Electronic Arts, and keynote speaker at GameSoundCon – about just that. And here, she shares her insight on the current challenges, advancements, and future opportunities in the game audio industry:

Read the Becky Allen interview on the future of game audio

Matthew Smith, former audio director at Rockstar North:

Matthew Smith spent more than 11 years at Rockstar North, as audio director overseeing the sound for legendary franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and more. Now, he’s branched out into the non-audio side of games, while still continuing to work with audio plug-in development at Krotos, Ltd. In this exclusive interview, Matthew shares his insights on what’s next for game audio:

Read the Matthew Smith interview on the future of game audio

Please share this:

THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:

A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

Animal Sound Effects Collections Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV Play Track 2096 sounds included, 78 mins total $153

⏰ For a very limited time:
Add this library to the cart and enter ah4launch in the cart coupon field – to sprinkle an extra launch discount, on top of the current discount!

Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV is a sound library containing animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 2000 individual sounds in 294 files. The sounds were recorded in zoos, and wildlife centers.

The asset list includes but is not limited to: hippos, hyenas, vultures, dwarf mongooses, elephants, African cranes, parrots, tigers, pigmy hippos, rhea ostriches, brown bears, pheasants, wildebeests, African wild dogs and many more. The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, an Avisoft CMPA and a Sennheiser 8050 for center plus two Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.

The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

15 %

OFF

Add to cart
Weather Sound Effects Hyper Thunder Play Track 800+ sounds included $99
Hyper Thunder is a colossal collection of thunder and lightning, 100% crafted from the ground up using innovative synthesized technics and props recordings. Not a single real life thunder recording was used. using synthesis and props manipulation crafted to deliver impact far beyond natural recordings. Built entirely from innovative synthesis and props recordings, this library pushes the boundaries of weather sound design—perfect for when you need the raw energy of a storm dialed up to cinematic extremes.

Featuring over 800 files, Hyper Thunder spans everything from subtle distant rumbles and rolling thunder to razor-sharp lightning strikes and earth-shaking impacts. With both designed hits and source layers, you have full control—drop in ready-to-use power or sculpt your own stormscapes using the source recordings.

Created in collaboration with Bruits.Studio’s Vincent Fliniaux and Tibo Csuko—longtime SoundMorph contributors to acclaimed libraries like Robotic Lifeforms 2 and WATER— Hyper Thunder blends technical mastery with bold creativity.

Key Features
- 800+ files of synthesized thunder and lightning
- Both designed hits and source layers for full creative control
- Covers subtle distant rumbles through to massive cinematic impacts
- Crafted 100% from synthesis for a unique, larger-than-life sound
- Perfect for film, games, trailers, and any project needing storm power
- Created in collaboration with Bruits.Studio’s Vincent Fliniaux and Tibo Csuko (Robotic Lifeforms 2, WATER)
From atmospheric detail to explosive drama, Hyper Thunder gives you thunder and lightning that are bigger, subtler, and more versatile than nature itself.
Add to cart
Aircraft - Jet/Propeller Plane Sound Effects Boeing 737 Airplane Cockpit Play Track 59+ sounds included $45

Inside an airplane cockpit, we captured control manipulation sounds (knobs, levers, switch…), alarms, and ambiences.

Recorded from a 737 cabin, with the help of a certified pilot. Get maneuver sounds with original and ‘cleaned’ version (from background noise); but also ‘loopeable’ ambiences. See file list.

Add to cart

Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:

Foley Sound Effects Business Navigator NV-A008 Piaggio Vespa PX150 2023 electric ride-on toy scooter motorcycle Play Track 23 sounds included, 10 mins total $45

All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II & Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is only available in UCS.

Add to cart
Aircraft - Jet/Propeller Plane Sound Effects Planes and Helicopters Play Track 66 sounds included, 41 mins total $34

PLANES & HELICOPTERS contains flybys, takeoffs, and landings of 13 aircraft models and 5 helicopter models, including small and medium-range passenger planes, private jets, tiny planes and firefighting aircraft. Recorded as close as possible to the aircraft, in airports. You’ll find turbojet, turboprop, and propeller-powered aircrafts. You’ll also find military and civilian helicopters sound effects.
The sounds can be used for a realistic purpose but you can design spaceships or futuristic vehicles.

13 %

OFF

Add to cart
Car Sound Effects Lada Riva 1980 compact car Play Track 218 sounds included, 51 mins total $65

All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is only available in UCS.

Add to cart
Electricity Sound Effects Fridge Hums Complete Bundle Play Track 60 sounds included, 130 mins total $24

A comprehensive fridge hum library with 60 sounds / 2+ hours of hums, buzzes, beeps, industrial room tones, clicks, drips and more

20 %

OFF

Add to cart
Helicopter Sound Effects CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Play Track 40 sounds included, 46 mins total $80
This library delivers the raw power of this legendary military transport helicopter. Originally recorded for the acclaimed Netflix series Money Heist: Part 5, this library captures every rotor, engine, and maneuver with pristine detail and fidelity—now available for your own productions.

From the thunderous rotor blades slicing through the air, to the deep roar of its twin turbines, and the massive fly-bys that shake the ground, this collection delivers 46 minutes of sounds from one of the most iconic helicopters in history.

Recorded using a multi-mic setup, every nuance has been preserved – from the hurricane-like rotor wash to the natural echoes bouncing across the runway and hangars. This library is a perfect fit for war films, military documentaries, AAA video games, or any production in need of authentic and cinematic helicopter power.

What’s inside:
- APU start ups, takeoffs, landings, and hovering sequences.
- Close and medium imposing fly-bys
- Interior and Exterior perspectives
- Fully edited and UCS-compliant metadata for fast and easy search
With CH-47 CHINOOK, you’ll have a rock-solid, versatile, and epic sound resource at your fingertips – ready to take your projects to the next level.

Note: The SoundCloud demo contains radio communiactions and some cockpit switches. These are not included.
20 %

OFF

Add to cart