Posts Tagged → game audio
Reflections on Theses Past
In a few months, I will celebrate the first anniversary of graduating from NYU with a Masters in Music Technology. It will also be my thesis’ first birthday.
I recently read over both my undergraduate AND graduate theses. Yes, both. I did them a day or so apart, and took notes during the entire process.
The writings appear to be worlds apart. My undergraduate work is stuffy; it doesn’t sound like me writing, perhaps more like a professor or two being channeled as I pushed that project out the door. My graduate thesis – although under greater technical restraints – reads as more relaxed, conversational dive into a niche audio programming/designing topic. I’m glad to have a “professional” outlet for my thoughts (this blog!), and to see that my writing style doesn’t pass away with my last thesis.
Anyway, back to the recent thesis, which has raised a few questions about how to proceed in my non-freelance, non-otherpeoplework life:
- Working with Flash, Java, and Javascript concurrently isn’t wise. It worked in most browsers for the most part, but it’s begging to break if I’m not babysitting it every time a new major browser is released or something changes with one of the three languages.
- Flash or Unity? I’m still torn on which to develop side projects in seriously. I’m always working in Flash, but after developing two simple games in the medium, I’m not sure that it’s the way to go anymore.
- JMSL and JSyn have my hands tied. Moving solely to Flash or Unity makes using either library quite difficult, if not impossible. Therefore… should I consider translating the aspects I like into a new audio library? Unlike these existing libraries, I could gear it towards the specific needs of a reactive or interactive soundtrack.
- If I make a new library, I will also need MIDI supported tools to quickly import composition ideas. This, to me, is a must for getting what I want working/out the door in a reasonable amount of time. I’ll be making these tools myself, though, on top of whichever methods I develop.
I suppose these are the big questions I need to pan out for the near future. I’m feeling better about taking a break from my thesis/kicking myself about the millions of things I didn’t solve with it. It’s easy to get lost with so many different kinds of technology coming about every day. Dare I say it… there may be too many imagined possibilities, freezing the average sound designer in an icycle of indecision.
