The five elements of sound design
The elements of sound design we’ll be discussing are source, envelope, pitch, frequency, and layering. These apply to the process of making an individual sound effect, as well as a broader scope of how sounds work together in a game.
Source
A source can be a person, place, or thing from which your inspiration comes or is obtained. Your source is what helps your listener understand the real-world characteristics of your sound. If you record the sound of a footstep hitting a grassy surface versus a concrete surface, the minute qualities and differences between these two sounds help us distinguish them. And thus, we can utilize the source as a creative limitation in creating our sounds authentically.
Limitations are what artists use to cut out all of the clutter in our brains to help create their visions. So, in our recording process, if we needed a magical water sound in a video game, we would record some water as a base layer. Or...
