Brian Schmidt

Brian is the program manager for Xbox and Windows game audio and media at Microsoft. Brian uses his unique blend of hands-on composition and sound design experience combined with deep technical knowledge to push new boundaries and further the state of the industry.

At Xbox, he was responsible for bringing interactive Dolby Digital to video gaming, setting a new bar for game audio. He is also the primary architect of the Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT) and is responsible for the design of the Xbox 360 audio system.

Brian has been in the multimedia audio industry since 1987 as both a composer/sound designer and technical consultant. As a composer, he has personally composed music for over 120 interactive games, including JOHN MADDEN FOOTBALL, JURASSIC PARK, and the STAR WARS TRILOGY, as well as composing the award-winning music for Crue Ball.

His theme from the original NARC videogame was later covered and recorded by The Pixies. He has been contracted for custom game music compositions from Aaron Spelling, Michael Jordan, and Joel Silver, and his work has been shown in both television and film.

Prior to joining Microsoft in 1998, Schmidt was a freelance consultant, working with such companies as Sega, Sony, Capcom, QSound Labs, and several other makers of interactive entertainment, designing interactive audio systems including Capcom's arcade game audio system and the sound system for Sega PINBALL.

Brian also spent time working as an assistant to Chicago jingle writer, John Tatgenhorst, where he learned to appreciate the art of synchronizing sound to picture.