I play far more music than games, but I always get great musical insights at GDC, the annual Game Developers Conference. I'm particularly intrigued by what game composers call adaptive music, soundtracks that change based on what the player is doing. The Fat Man likens composing this type of music to creating sculpture—your audience will be able to walk around...

I have created a variety of views for the Audio sessions for this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (much faster than waiting for GDC's site). Even if you are not a composer or sound designer, there are plenty of sessions worth checking out: All Audio Sessions in chronological orderLectures Mobile Audio SessionsPanels Roundtables Sponsored SessionsIAsig recommended sessions (more...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Napster Freebies. These un-DRMed MP3 files are free for a limited time and can be downloaded from just about any country. Enjoy! "Love Fades" by AmnestyProviding a counterpoint to early Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Sly & The Family Stone, this relatively obscure Indianapolis outfit's previously unreleased early '70s recordings, now available...

You know how I am...I never recommend gear, I just wax all philosophical about theories and such. However. I am currently so stinking excited I can't sit still!!!! Don't tell the other guys, we jam tonight, and I have a--no, no, not "A.." no, I have THE--coolest secret weapon ever. I'm giddy. It analyzes what your guitar is playing, and...

I'm sure you've heard the news that Microsoft must pay $1.5B as the result of a lawsuit brought by Alcatel-Lucent. You can read about it, but it sure is a good lesson. You better do your homework before licensing patents. I encourage everyone to look into the use of Vorbis Ogg format. First, it sounds very good. And it's patent...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Napster Freebies. These un-DRMed MP3 files are free for a limited time and can be downloaded from just about any country. Enjoy! "Within a Mile of Home" by Flogging MollyThis genre-defying septet got its start playing countless gigs at the L.A. bar Molly Malone's. They've been compared to raucous Irish rockers The Pogues...

Folk-rock artist Jimmy Camp was recently evaluating options for recording his demo album. In frustration at not being able to find an affordable commercial recording studio that met his budget, he wound up recording using only his iPod. He purchased a Belkin Tune Talk ($70) mic accessory for his video iPod, connected it to a basic mixer, and was able...

Location, location, location: In this brief online video, podcaster David Adam Weiss demonstrates how to improve your voiceovers dramatically just by tweaking your mic position. Weiss makes his point with a $65 Giant Squid mic taped to a ballpoint pen, but says it works equally well with the $15 mic he uses for Boston Behind the Scenes. After watching the...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Napster Freebies. These un-DRMed MP3 files are free for a limited time and can be downloaded from just about any country. Enjoy! Be aware, however, that the Napster site is pretty slow and unresponsive today, so if you're having any problems with downloads, you might want to try again later. "The House Under...

Recording voiceovers for podcasts can be tricky, because it's so easy to pick up background noise, slapback echo from your desktop, and room reverberation. Here's an ingenious solution hacked up by a professional voiceover artist. Harlan Hogan's voiceover porta-booth uses a collapsable storage crate lined with acoustic foam to isolate the microphone from its surroundings: The porta-booth set up in...