Sound Effects Design

Game SFX communicate information, provide feedback, and enhance immersion. Every sound must serve a purpose.

Design Philosophy

Functional first - What information does this convey?
Appropriate scale - Match visual importance
Distinctive - Sounds must be distinguishable
Non-fatiguing - Will be heard thousands of times
Mix-aware - Must work with music and other SFX

Sound Anatomy

Temporal Structure

[Attack] [Body] [Tail]
  0-50ms  50-500ms  500ms+

Frequency Structure

Range	Frequencies	Provides
Sub	20-60Hz	Rumble, impact
Low	60-250Hz	Weight, power
Mid	250Hz-4kHz	Character, presence
High	4kHz+	Detail, definition

Standard Layering Approach

Most sounds = 3-4 simple layers combined:

Layer	Focus	Duration	Purpose
Transient	High	10-50ms	Timing, definition
Body	Mid	50-200ms	Character, identity
Tail	Low/Full	200ms+	Space, context
Sweetener	Variable	Variable	Polish, uniqueness

→ See references/layering-recipes.md for category-specific breakdowns.

Quick Reference: Categories

Impacts

Variables: Material, mass, velocity, surface
Light: 50-150ms, quick transient
Heavy: 500ms-3s, layered boom + debris

Movement (Whooshes)

Variables: Speed, size, direction
Core: Filtered noise with pitch sweep
Speed mapping: Faster = brighter filter cutoff

UI Sounds

Character: Instant response (< 50ms feel)
Family: All UI sounds should be related
Scale: Small actions = small sounds

Ambient

Looping: Seamless, non-repetitive
Layering: Multiple different-length loops
Role: Sets mood without demanding attention

→ See references/material-signatures.md for material-specific guidance.

Material Quick Reference

Material	Frequency	Decay	Character
Metal	High mids	Long ring	Clangy, bright
Wood	Low mids	Medium	Thuddy, warm
Stone	Wide band	Short	Crunchy, solid
Flesh	Low mids	Short	Thuddy, soft
Glass	Very high	Medium	Shatter, tinkle

Frequency Allocation (Avoid Masking)

Sub (20-80Hz):    Music bass, explosions
Bass (80-250Hz):  Weapon body, footsteps
Low-Mid (250-500Hz): Voices, body of sounds
Mid (500-2kHz):   Primary information
High-Mid (2-6kHz): Presence, attack
High (6kHz+):     Air, sparkle

Variation Strategies

Prevent repetition fatigue:

Method	Memory Cost	Variety
Pre-made variations (3-5)	High	Maximum
Pitch randomization (±2 semitones)	None	Good
Volume randomization (±2 dB)	None	Subtle
Layer randomization	Medium	High

→ See references/variation-strategies.md for implementation patterns.

Technical Specs

Format	Use Case
WAV 16-bit 44.1kHz	Master/archive
WAV 22kHz	Retro consoles
OGG	Long sounds (streaming)

Memory Budget Template

UI:        20 sounds × 5KB  = 100KB
Footsteps: 30 sounds × 10KB = 300KB
Weapons:   50 sounds × 20KB = 1MB
Creatures: 40 sounds × 30KB = 1.2MB
Ambient:   10 loops × 200KB = 2MB

Related Components

/design-sfx - Interactive SFX design wizard
sfx-architect agent - Detailed synthesis guidance
sonic-style-language skill - Style consistency

Sound Effects Design Patterns