Weapon Sound Design: Shock Rifle

[MaxCarnage]

Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday or days off. I am happy to say I am plunging back in and will have new revisions of the Shock Rifle for you guys soon! Stay Tuned!

[MaxCarnage]

New revision up at the top of the thread. Check em out!

[iLikeTheUDK]

I think you should try to make it sound less obviously synthesized. It's got that clichéd synth sound to it, and IMO it doesn't sound that good, it gives that away. Make it sound more unique, maybe mix in some treated found sounds to achieve that, or maybe add some of the shrill back as well.

[MaxCarnage]

I think you should try to make it sound less obviously synthesized. It's got that clichéd synth sound to it, and IMO it doesn't sound that good, it gives that away. Make it sound more unique, maybe mix in some treated found sounds to achieve that, or maybe add some of the shrill back as well.

I do agree. Now that I have gone from one spectrum to the other, it's time to split the difference. Thanks for the feedback!

[code187]

Hi MaxCarnage
Nice to see someone working on this.
I dont like any of them, i think i like the original 1st post better, primary. only if you keep clicking it to start very quickly and not listen to it till the end. the first 1/2 second sounds good but still not right. Go listen to UT99 sounds and tweak/modernize that sound rather then invent a new one.
thanx

[Avalanche._]

New ones sound too wet in terms of delay effects (chorus flanger etc), and have this after-tone thing that sounds out of place.


https://soundcloud.com/john-m-repka/...rev-02/s-Q2sAL

I think it's a good starting point though for the primary. Just make it sound more noisy and less "delay-y", and try to remove that weird lower pitched sound (as if it was fired in a very small metal room) after the shot.



So I took a snippet from the first primary shot sound of yours (of the link above), then I went completely wild with it, and this is what I came with:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...%20primary.mp3

Shorter version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...kprimshort.mp3

Alternative version with more treble, length between the former two, smoother attack: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...mshortalt2.mp3

EDIT: one more, like the alt one but then with less decay: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...mshortalt3.mp3

EDIT: okay one more; https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...mshortalt4.mp3

EDIT: Last one I promise, this one sounds slightly different: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...mshortalt5.mp3

And this is a brighter version of the top one, probably best version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ckprimalt7.mp3

[Sir_Brizz]

Archer I like those but they seem more sniper-y than shock to me.

[Avalanche._]

Archer I like those but they seem more sniper-y than shock to me.

How about this? https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ckprimalt9.mp3

EDIT: another one, slight variation of the previous one: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...primalt9v2.mp3

Same but longer and with less attack: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...primalt9v3.mp3

And same but with different pitch drop: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...primalt9v4.mp3

[iLikeTheUDK]

That just sounds like a combination of a sniper rifle firing, a rocket launcher firing and a bullet ricocheting.
It needs to sound more like like an energy weapon.

[Avalanche._]

That just sounds like a combination of a sniper rifle firing, a rocket launcher firing and a bullet ricocheting.
It needs to sound more like like an energy weapon.

Eh... Energy weapons don't really exist, so it's kinda hard to make it sound like "one".

It's like what they do with monster sounds in movies, they just pick a few animal sounds, throw them together, and create something new like that. The same approach can be taken with fictional weapons.

I know what effect made it sound like a rocket though, slightly overdid that, will post a new one in a moment.

[iLikeTheUDK]

Well, of course I want you to try and avoid that sort of generic sound...
I think you should look at some of the descriptions on the Shock Rifle from various games from the series to see how it apparently "works", then research in Wikipedia or something else on particle physics and/or nuclear physics. Then, after you've read what nore or less matches with the games' description of the shock rifle, imagine what a weapon that works based on these principles should sound like.

[Avalanche._]

Well, of course I want you to try and avoid that sort of generic sound...
I think you should look at some of the descriptions on the Shock Rifle from various games from the series to see how it apparently "works", then research in Wikipedia or something else on particle physics and/or nuclear physics. Then, after you've read what nore or less matches with the games' description of the shock rifle, imagine what a weapon that works based on these principles should sound like.

I can't use wikipedia for that, only my own imagination will help me there.

So far, I got this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...primalt9v5.mp3

[MaxCarnage]

Archer, I applaud you for taking one of my sounds putting your spin on it! I can't wait to hear more! As far as the tail that sounds like it was fired in a metal room, I was that it would add abit of character rather than a standard decay. Perhaps it doesn't come across that way then?

Code187, Hi there! (Did I play you recently on the servers?) I do like the original Shock Rifle sound, the original post was modeled more after it than the newer post, however I would like to explore and experiment with other options before settling down to trying to recreate and modernizing it. But, I do agree, there is still a certain impact in the original one that I have not been able to re-create...yet! Exploration abound!

iLikeTheUDK: Researching and reading up on the weapon certainly would help, although personally not as big on that workflow. I am personally going off of the visual model of the current Shock Rifle. Also it is a fine balance of what we think it would sound like based on other works (such as movie SFX, and other games.) and something that you would hear in the real world. (As you know, gun sounds nothing like what it sounds like in the movies.) However, maybe reading up on it will give me a new perspective on shaping how it could sound. More knowledge the better!


This is great guys! I would like to find the balance between what sounds like a UT weapon, and also contributing to a newer sounding weapon. Also, let us not forget that the ultimate test would be have it play in the game. It may sound great here, or by itself, but not as much in the game. But keep on keep on! Thanks guys!

[Avalanche._]

Archer, I applaud you for taking one of my sounds putting your spin on it! I can't wait to hear more! As far as the tail that sounds like it was fired in a metal room, I was that it would add abit of character rather than a standard decay. Perhaps it doesn't come across that way then?

Glad you don't mind me "hijacking" your thread lol, I didn't intend to attempt the sound more than once but when I start messing around with sound I really can't stop

It's definitely not bad to add character, but I think the tail sounded a bit too obvious, maybe if it was more subtle and spread out it could work.

I started from scratch again and got a new one for the primary, it sounds more boomy/shocky: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...282.1.1%29.mp3

It's a bit plain though, so if you want to mess around with it yourself: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...282.1.1%29.wav

EDIT: Here's one more, it's more sparkly and sharp: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...282.1.2%29.wav

EDIT: Last ones for now, with more turbulence and delay effects: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...282.1.3%29.wav

Heavier version: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...282.1.4%29.wav

[Sir_Brizz]

Archer, I think maybe what's missing is that high pitched squealing undertone that people associate with laser-y, energy kinds of weapon sounds. I love how powerful yours sound, though.