Sound Log

The Virtual Chemist
Diary of a Sound MInd
Introduction
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Conclusion

Bob wanted to convey a lot of information in the voice over, which was to be spoken by the Virtual Chemist, the host character in the game. The voice over was recorded three times. Each time, the script was modified and extended in some new way. (The recordings, in two languages, were made overseas, and shipped to the States on DAT for editing. Each round took over a month, with all of the scheduling delays involved between the various participants.) By the time the third integration review had arrived, no one wanted to rock the boat, but everyone agreed that the experience didn't feel quite right yet.

As the voice files were integrated into the program, it became clear that there were too many voice over elements to allow the soundtrack to establish the mood of the experience. During the final review of the voice over with Bob, the issue of the verbose host was finally broached. A bunch of lines had been added that were designed to enhance the feeling of camaraderie between player and chemist. There wasn't room for all of the lines in English, no less in Bob's native language, a tongue marked by the redundant repetition of words and syllables and pieces of words.

Confronted head-on with the situation, Bob agreed that each line should have to pass a litmus test: Is the line in question contributing essential information to the player? By answering this simple question with regard to each line in the script, we were able to cut the voice over track in half, and allow the musical and effects elements of the soundtrack to breathe.

With this final stroke, the experience as a whole settled into place, and Bob enthusiastically signed off on the soundtrack, and several other major design elements of the contract. The Chemist is scheduled to be installed in the museum within the next few months.

Jonathan Hoffberg is a freelance soundtrack producer based in Berkeley, California. His production company, Sound Mind, offers a wide range of sound solutions for interactive entertainment. He can be reached at soundmind@batnet.com.
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