Audio

List of recommended software for recording and editing sound effects and music as well as repositories for free to use audio.

Music Software

  • pxtone Collage - A freeware music editing program created by CaveStory creator, Pixel. It includes different instrument samples and can export to WAV or ORG (CaveStory's, and Kero Blasters's sound format). However, it only supports Windows and it does not support MIDI files.
  • Org-Maker - Pixel's previous music editor. Only exports to ORG and like pxtone, it only runs on Windows.
  • Famitracker - Open source (GPL) program for recording music for the Famicom/NES. It even supports NSF exporting which allows your music to be played on real NES hardware. Useful if you are creating NES homebrews/ROM hacks or making NES styled games. Only supports Windows.
  • DefleMask Tracker - Multi-system chiptune tracker. Supports soundchips for NES, Commodore 64, Master System, Genesis, GameBoy, TurboGrafx-16, and Sega X/Y arcade. Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • FL Studio ($99) - Professional program for composing music and editing audio. Widely used throughout the music industry and game industry. Audio can be exported to WAV, MP3, OGG, MIDI, and ZIP files.
  • Caustic - Freeware music program originally designed for mobile. Deceptively simple interface can create a huge number of sounds via software "machines" based partly on real-world synthesizers. Be sure to check the overview videos for each machine. Available for Windows, Mac for free, and for iOS and Android for $10.
  • OpenMPT - Music tracker for plebs who want a modern Windows GUI.
  • MilkyTracker GPL'd FastTracker 2 clone.
  • Schism Tracker The inevitable GPL Impulse Tracker clone to continue its neverending war against FT2fags.
  • Radium - Weird freetard music editor with a tracker-inspired interface and support for microtonal music. Binaries are available with a donation unless you compile it yourself.
  • Ardour - The freetard DAW. Binaries are available with a donation unless you compile it yourself.
  • LMMS - The other freetard DAW.

Software Synthesizers

  • amsynth - Newfag-friendly freetard software synth.
  • ZynSubAddFX - More advanced freetard synth. Binaries are available with a donation unless you compile it yourself.
  • LinuxSynths.com - Assload of FOSS Linux synths, features and usefulness vary widely.
  • VCV Rack - FOSS virtual modular synthesizer in the style of Eurorack. You could conceivably compose an entire track within the rack, or you could just use the rack to make SFX. Supports Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

Audio Software

  • Adobe Audition ($19.99/month) - Professional audio editing software. Widely used in the film industry.
  • Audacity - FLOSS audio recording and editing software. Allows you to edit audio by cut, copy, and paste and supports unlimited undos. Supports multi-track mixing.

Audio Converters

  • ffmpeg - Command-line audio/video converter. Supports a wide away of audio formats.
  • Drop Encoder Ogg - Converts WAV to OGG by dropping the file into the window. Only works on Windows.

Free Audio

  • OpenGameArt.org - Free to use game art assets including music and sound effects licensed under the GPL, Creative Commons, and Public domain.
  • The Sounds Resource - Sound effects ripped from other games. Free to use for non-commercial purposes.
  • Incompetech - Royalty free music composed by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC-BY 3.0.
  • FreeSound.org - Free to use sound effects licensed under various licenses.
  • Soundbible.com - Sound effects under various licenses.
  • Public Domain Sounds - Archive of a now-dead public domain sample site.
  • OLPC Audio Samples - Assload of free audio samples. Licensed under CC-BY 3.0.
  • GameSounds.xyz - Royalty free professional audio samples. Various licenses, all free for use in commercial projects.
  • Free Music Archive - library of high-quality music under various licences from WFMU radio station

Audio Programming

  • Sound Propagation in 3D Environments - PDF on sound propagation written by Ion Storm programmer who worked on Thief.
  • Sound Propagation in HITMAN - PDF / Video - Method for creating realistic propagation with very little processing power.
  • Real-time Sound Propagation in Video Games - PDF / Video - Similar to HITMAN method, but uses a different method for pathfinding.
  • STEAM Audio - Spatial Audio SDK, created by Valve and free to use. Comes in Unity and UE4 flavors, or you can just use the C API. Tutorial for the C API can be found here.

Audio Design Tutorials

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