This article originally appeared in Dev.Mag Issue 24, released in August 2008

One aspect of game creation that constantly seems to stump the average hobbyist developer is the matter of sound creation. Nowadays, experienced players can go onto the Internet, download a few indie games and easily pick up on what one may call "stock effects" – sounds that appear in a whole host of games because developers frequently resort to the same online libraries to get their beloved game noises. Favourites include Famous Bird Chirp and Ubiquitous Cow Moo.

This is not strictly the result of laziness (even though we're all admittedly lazy at heart). Many developers out there are very intimidated by the idea of sound engineering – a widely-held misconception which usually prevents people from trying it out.

While professional audio manipulation is definitely not something to be taken lightly (those who make a career of it can tell you about the painful investment in time and equipment it requires), there's nothing that stops the casual enthusiast from jiffy-fixing a little bit of sound magic to suit their own needs. Anybody can go into Paint or GIMP and make crude, but serviceable sprites to serve their gaming ends. The same really does apply to sound – it's just not advertised enough.

Dev.Mag Reader: "Right, then! Give me a sound tutorial!"

Well, if you insist. There's one quick way to do things, and it only requires you to cover three bases:

This is all you need

1. Believe in yourself. This sounds hideously corny, but it's true. The number one obstacle that prevents most developers from soundcrafting is the idea that it's too difficult. This is simply not true. If you want to create A-class audio, that's one thing. But working with the basics is another matter entirely. Take a moment to acknowledge that you have the capability. If you have doubts, remember that this article is aimed at doubters. Take a deep breath, and move on to the next step.
   
2. Secure basic equipment. We're talking really, really basic here. You only need a microphone. Nothing fancy. Just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill microphone. All you want is something that can plug into your computer and let you record sound. If a twig and a wad of bubblegum achieve this, then so be it.
   
3. Get a sound editor. One which comes strongly recommended is Audacity. It's a tiny, 2 MB download and it's free. It's also reasonably powerful.

Ready? Great. Be sure to take notes!