Throughout my early career, I’ve grown increasingly fascinated by how sounds can transform the gaming experience, elevating it beyond mere visuals to a truly immersive encounter. My passion for sound design is deeply intertwined with my love for EDM, an umbrella of complex genres that, like gaming, thrive on dynamic and immersive soundscapes.

Dynamic Differences: Video Games vs. Film Sound Design

One of the most interesting aspects of video game sound design is its interactivity. Unlike film, where the audio track is locked to a specific set of visuals and unfolds linearly, video game sound must respond in real-time to the player’s actions and decisions. This dynamic nature of video game audio demands a highly adaptive approach, requiring sound designers to consider a myriad of possible scenarios and interactions. Each game creates its own world, and the sound design must cater to its unique thematic and environmental cues, offering a stark contrast to the more predetermined nature of film sound design.

A Calling to Sound Design

My teenage years — which were heavily consumed by gaming — were the foundation for my interest in sound design. Video games provided a playground of rich auditory environments that were not only stimulating but also deeply engaging. From the serene tranquility of a peaceful landscape to the adrenaline-pumping intensity of combat scenes, the emotional impact of sound within these environments is undeniable. This profound influence sparked my passion for EDM, which shares the same essence of building captivating auditory experiences.

Challenges in Crafting Game Soundscapes

Creating soundscapes for various game genres presents heaps of unique challenges. Each genre, from action-packed shooters to MMR adventure games, requires a distinct sound atmosphere that complements its gameplay and narrative style. My approach involves extensive research into the genre’s conventions, followed by a narrow selection of tools and techniques that help maintain consistency throughout the game’s audio environment. Interactive sound design, or audio programming, is particularly challenging as it requires precise synchronization of sound effects with gameplay events in real time. Despite these challenges, the satisfaction of nailing the perfect auditory experience for a game is incredibly rewarding.

Sources of Inspiration

I often find myself returning to The Legend of Zelda series for all sorts of audio inspiration. A game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for instance, checks all boxes in regards to effective sound design and composition. The score is minimalistic, yet masterfully compliments the open-world exploration of a Zelda game. The Zelda series also features a ton of mystical sounds, like Navi’s famous flutter, which urges me to use my DAW’s endless resources to create similar happy accidents. I also enjoy veering back to slightly older games like Portal, which features tons of mechanical foley and sci-fi infused sound effects. Like I said, every game has a unique audio-visual aesthetic and sonic palette, and inspires me to wear multiple creative hats while adapting to their unique environments.

EDM and Game Audio: A Symbiotic Relationship

The similarities between producing EDM and designing audio for video games are striking. Both fields require a deep understanding of complex signal chains and how to creatively manipulate sounds to evoke specific emotional responses. My background in EDM has proven invaluable in this regard, enabling me to leverage techniques like wavetable synthesis and multi-layered processing chains to create rich, textured soundscapes that resonate with gamers and music fans alike.

The Future of Game Audio and AI

As technology advances, I believe AI will play an increasingly significant role in game audio. Tools from companies like Google Magenta and OpenAI Jukebox are beginning to automate the creation of musical compositions and sound effects, adapting them in real-time to player interactions. While I do think AI will certainly augment the practice at hand, I don’t reckon it will completely replace the need for sound designers. The sheer elements of creativity, artistry, and human judgment that video games have demanded for years will likely remain non-negotiable for quite some time. The emotional depths needed to be hit to create a truly authentic audio-visual experience are indispensable, and do not require artificial intelligence to replicate.

For more insights into my work and thoughts on the evolving field of sound design, visit my website at davidtops.com, where I showcase my projects and share my experiences in video games and other digital entertainment mediums.

Throughout several decades, jazz music has been losing popularity due to an inevitable decrease in exposure. With the help of digital audio workstations and modern software, jazz has become overshadowed by newer and edgier genres such as hip-hop and electronic dance music. Jazz has been struggling to compete within the music industry for years, and as the business continues to expand, so will the likelihood of jazz’s demise…

Enter DOMi & JD BECK, a young breakout duo that is actively disrupting the industry by reinstating the iconic sounds and playfulness of classic jazz into the modern mainstream. In case you aren’t familiar with them, Domitille Degalle, the 22-year-old French keyboardist and James Dennis Beck, the 19-year-old Texas-bred drummer met only four years ago at a music trade show and immediately established an unbreakable bond over their shared love and passion for creating music — and their absurdly high jazz standards, of course.

JD and Domi are not just any pair of talented experts at their crafts; these two are pioneering a modern approach to jazz music through their youthful and incredible songwriting. If it is one thing JD and Domi have in common, it is their everlasting strive for perfection, and if their bedroom jam sessions on YouTube won’t persuade you, then their debut album, NOT TiGHT, surely will.

The 15-track banger NOT TiGHT portrays the very musical traits that brought the esteemed duo into the limelight in the first place. Whether it’s Domi’s refined and simplistic approach to keyboard riffs and melodies or the effortless and addicting rhythm of JD’s drum playing, this record is nothing short of a breath of fresh air. As some may say, the young artists are ‘making jazz cool again.’ There isn’t a single track on this record that can’t make one go, “damn, that sh*t was smooth!”

Replayability Factor

All praises aside, what really makes this project stand out is its replayability factor. The project’s average track length is roughly three minutes, which is significantly shorter than most classic jazz records that to most non-jazz fans may often feel too ‘draggy.’ Their track mixdowns are tame yet smooth and lively, as each drum hit transient is tight and felt while the keyboard sounds are clean, bright, and soothing to the ears.

Tension & Release

Domi and JD have a seemingly strong awareness of pop-driven arrangements that they often choose to employ throughout their tracklist to give their characteristically jazz music a more novel and refined feel. Most of the tracks featured on NOT TiGHT portray a strong sense of tension and release, as they tend to divide their tracks into chill, break-like sections and crazy, ‘no holds barred’ styled sections. This very aspect of their songwriting is what projects their ‘mainstream’ qualities and boosts that replayability factor I mentioned earlier.

Simplicity & Sonic Palette

Domi’s illustrious melodic motifs are constantly free-flowing yet always maintain a sense of coherence, while JD’s drum breaks are tight, energetic, and purely contagious as they seamlessly marry Domi’s keyboard magic. Coupled with their playful yet calculated melodic arrangements and infectious rhythms, their unique approach to mastering the art of simplicity lies in the bareness of their sound selection; in fact, you won’t often hear more than just some stock e-piano sounds and soft synths acting as chorus ‘leads’ over a catchy drum and bass groove. Even still, it is nearly impossible to resist bobbing your head from side to side when a track of theirs comes on.

Branding

Apart from their mind blowing musicianship, Domi and JD are naturally incredible marketers. In an industry in which young artists often lack the character and authenticity needed to make a spark in the scene, Domi and JD are much-needed outliers that simply don’t take themselves very seriously. As young as they may be, they have an astonishingly eye-catching presence and style that perfectly matches their colorful yet ‘retro’ theme.

Based on the tremendous buzz that JD and Domi have been receiving online over their impressive jam sessions and features on Kenny Beats’s popular Twitch livestream, it is no surprise that Anderson .Paak took these two young talents under his wing, as the future looks brighter than ever for these two. DOMi & JD BECK are redefining jazz music before our very own eyes, and they are not to be overlooked!

“You have to be born with perfect pitch to have perfect pitch…” This is a quote that I have heard countless times throughout my musical education. Sure, the statement certainly holds some merit and validity, though it is not entirely true.

You see, if one views ear training similarly to, say, lifting weights, then the concept becomes rather simple to break down. The ear is just another ‘muscle’ that, if taken through consistent analytical and critical listening and/or ‘training,’ can naturally advance and become infinitely more capable. That said, who’s to say you can’t develop perfect pitch?

Ear Training for Traditional Musicians

Ear training for music comes in several forms, all of which aid equally in sharpening a set of ears, but differ immensely from one another. For instance, traditional ear training, which is typically taught in programs that follow conservatory principles, is bound to ensure most individuals a solid base of musical intellect and a set of ears capable of recognizing specific sound patterns and relationships while having a keen understanding of harmonic structure.

Traditional ear training entails learning your key signatures, rhythmic values, intervals, chords, and so on. The more familiar you can become with various chord progressions and harmonic structures, in general, the more proficient and advanced you will inevitably end up as a songwriter.

In regards to vocal training, practicing the vowels and their respective mouth shapes in tangent to reciting all the scales — natural, harmonic, and melodic — will certainly aid in building up one’s confidence when it comes to singing on pitch and enunciating words and phrases like a true professional.

As for a more modern approach to ear training, one that I like to call ‘ear training for producers,’ we can take a step back from all the big, fancy words mentioned above and just — listen.

Ear Training for Producers

What shocked me most upon entering the world of music production and attempting to make my first few tunes was the realization that there was practically no carryover from my earlier music education. Sure, I was able to put together a couple crafty chord progressions and understood the fundamentals of rhythm, but my finished products almost always sounded like crap. After sitting through numerous YouTube rabbit holes and absorbing hours of production content, I realized that some of the best producers don’t know a lick about music theory yet will produce circles around me, even still…

When it comes to ear training for producers, the main exercise is critical listening. This is not to be mistaken for simply listening to a whole bunch of songs, though of course that would never hurt, either.

Examples of critical listening include identifying frequency ranges, stereo profiles (how wide certain sounds appear on the stereo spectrum), and audio effects (reverb, distortion, delay, etc.). The ability to pinpoint these physical details is often what depicts an experienced producer over a less experienced one. Learn how to ‘pocket your sounds’ using subtractive EQ and apply compression and saturation to enliven certain sounds that you feel deserve treatment. Otherwise, use audio effects and plugins sparingly to enrich your sounds or even, turn them into something completely unexpected — a happy accident, so to speak!

Some say jazz is dead. I say it just smells more funky 🤘

Through the advent of digital instruments, recording softwares, and online platforms, jazz musicians are greeted with an unprecedented amount of opportunities to explore new sonic territories.

One legendary band of brothers who have spent the past three decades leading the transformation of jazz are the Wooten Brothers. The long-awaited reunion of the Wooten Brothers has blessed the music world with a brand new tour to celebrate the brothers’ return to the stage.

Featuring Joseph (keyboards/vocals), Roy (percussion/vocals), Regi (guitars/vocals) and Victor Wooten (bass/vocals), this incredible family unit is bringing their music to thirteen cities across the US this fall. Listed by Rolling Stone as one of the “Top 10 Bassists of All Time,” Victor Wooten has captivated audiences for over four decades with his dynamic stage presence and unparalleled technical chops. Wooten’s eclectic repertoire includes collaborations with the likes of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Chick Corea, Dave Matthews Band, India Arie, Keb’ Mo’, and more recently, Cory Wong.

The Wootens kicked off their tour with a fresh single called “Sweat,” a fun, groovy, and seamless tune for those who crave a pep in their step as they get out of bed in the morning.

Although “Sweat’’ is far from the most intricate and musically inclined track the Wooten Brothers have put out to date, it nonetheless illustrates their impeccable abilities as individual instrumentalists, and collaborators. Having spent decades in the scene honing in on their crafts, seizing opportunities to work alongside alternative music groups (e.g. Steve Miller Band), and bridging the gap between the ‘new’ and the ‘old,’ it should appear as no surprise that the Wooten Brothers have managed to maintain their anthemic style of composition and lyrical execution, a key factor of their long-term success and longevity in this ever changing industry.

One specific attribute of their new single “Sweat” that confirms the aforementioned is their ability to manage space throughout the sonic arrangement of the track; the verse sections follow an easily digestible four-bar call and response format, the call consisting of Joseph Wooten’s singing over nothing but a teasing kick and closed hi-hat groove, and the response consisting of a lyricless, full ensemble jam highlighting the song’s hypnotic melodic motif. Stylistically, similar to the brothers’ older classics, “Sweat” blends elements of jazz, funk, soul, and even hints of rock, scratching multiple itches at once.

Earlier this year, I’ve had the honor of meeting and getting to know Joseph Wooten, whose warmth, youthfulness, and unbreakable passion for his art is as clear as day. Joe was kind enough to share a few words of wisdom over a pleasant Georgian dinner, and although I wasn’t astutely familiar with the band, I can say one thing for sure:

I left that dinner table as a fan for life.