I'm looking to add some music and sound effects to my games, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for soundboard software to help out. I have access to Android and Windows hardware at the table, and I'd like something that can play music, allowing me to switch between loops or playlists to match the mood of the game at that point in time (cross-fading between the two would be a bonus), and hopefully let me return to the playlist either at the point I left it, or the next trak (rather than skip back to the beginning). Even better would be the ability to play short sound effects over the top of the music without stopping it.
I've taken a look at Syrinscape, but it's designed around getting people to pay for sound and music packs from them; I don't see any way to add my own music. Any recommendations?
Soundboard Software Recommendations?
I am also strongly interested in this.
There is superb Soundboard for ipads:
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/soundboard-ipad/
Its super, you can Import any sound file you want (supported format needed of course), you can loop sounds/music etc.
I need such a thing for WIN or Android tablet. I would actually pay for that (tried free ware stuff which was a total mess)
If you have internet access at your table, here is what i use
This page has also a soundboard "app" (right corner) for different settings
I use the android app "custom soundboard" and I've never looked back. It's free and flexible.
You can create multiple soundboard and have many effects per button etc.
All will be well
If you have internet access at your table, here is what i use
This page has also a soundboard "app" (right corner) for different settings
This is what I have on my ipad. I'm lazy and don't want to go out and search for various background sounds to use. This has quite a few generics with it. But, it doesn't have some of the features you desired. It's ambience, some with music, some without. You can't do any of your own mixing with it. You have selections such as, "Busy Space Port, Ambience + minimal music", "Frozen Wastes, Ambience only", or "Uncommon Valor" (for fights). Etc.
So I would be remiss if I didn't mention my experiences with this. I'm a big fan of mood music at the table, and I have that set up pretty well. I purchased all the soundtracks and I have a large library of appropriate music that I've divided into playlists to meet the need of the scene. I am also a great fan of http://www.ambient-mixer.com/ for non-musical ambience (and you can create your own!)
However -- I have found that a soundboard actually detracted from the game. I spent a lot of time loading samples and getting it all set up. It really seemed like having blasters and droids and stormtroopers would be a boon to enhance the mood, but it turns out that it wasn't for us. It ended up being a distracting novelty. I hope your mileage varies.
We use it for Backgroundmusic and some sounds
Normally as long as the there is no fight, a calm Star Wars soundtrack is looped. i use no ambient sounds then. But when it comes to fight i loop up to 3-5 blaster sounds and switch music to somewhat faster. Then the atmosphere is a better for my players though.
This weekend they will meet their first force user with a lightsaber equiped. So i have of course the ignition and hum sound for the talking part, as soon as the player force user is engaged i have a sound file for a lightsaber duel looped. This will kick the atmosphere
So lets say i have around 2-4 songs to play and 4-10 sounds for battles. Of course the hyperspace sound for a jump. Its manageable without distracting too much. more then 15 sounds could be an issue i assume.
Cheers from Germany!
Does anyone have anything that i can use with Skype? my games are all online (Skype and Roll20). I dont like the roll20 audio since i cant choose whatever i want. Even though i own the Star Wars albums..i cant upload the MP3 yo use in my games. I have heard of people using some Skype-add on to be able to use whatever sound they want (and not take space on my roll20 account).
Can anyone vouch for one of these add-ons?
I’ve never used Skype in this manner, and I haven’t used Skype at all since Microsoft bought them.
So, can’t help you there.
With regards to music as a whole, I have to admit that good background and theme music during movies is something I greatly appreciate, and really affects me a lot. Poor music/sound will put me off faster than just about anything else.
However, in that case I’m being a passive watcher/listener.
Moreover, when they do audio for a movie, they are almost always careful to make sure that it can be heard when it should be heard, and fades into the background when that would interfere with everything else that is going on. A lot of attention usually goes into the sound design of a movie, with many, many hours of work from a number of extremely talented and skilled people, and most of the time we only notice when they make a mistake. If they’ve done their job well, we don’t notice at all.
In the case where I am an active participant, like during a game, none of that really applies.
Sure, you can have background audio, but it can’t really adjust in loudness as appropriate for the situation, because the GM already has a zillion other things to do, and can’t also keep up with what’s going on with the background audio.
Sure, you can have theme music, but there’s no pre-written script that says whose theme music should be played for what period of time, before we fade to the actual action scene for that character. Instead, players and characters do what they normally do, which is act in their own interests and according to their own desires on their own timetable, and run around like chickens with their heads cut off. And nothing you’ve ever planned actually happens at all, or at least it doesn’t happen in any way remotely related to the way you had planned it.
So, frankly, I think that the concept of a soundboard used during a live roleplaying game is one that has limited usefulness, and more often than not will just add one more distracting factor to the table, above and beyond all the cell phones, food, side-chat, noisy bodily functions, and the multitude of various things that are already constantly going on during the game.
At least, that’s the conclusion that I’ve come to over time with regards to the games I’ve played in, and the games that I’ve run.
I’d love to be able to make good use of a soundboard, but that would almost have to be done by someone else who was in the role of Assistant GM and could watch, listen, and otherwise monitor the game in realtime and select and play the audio as appropriate, but only for exactly as long as appropriate. And even that just that job alone would be a Herculean task.
Building on this this, does anyone have any music playlists (specific songs and artists) for certain moods that would be accentuated by a soundboard? I know people usually have their soundboard for background noises, ie. a tavern with people talking and clinking glasses, etc., but does anyone have specific music for when they are trying to set a particular scene?
In the Geek and Sundry twitch stream Critical Role the GM, Matt Mercer, said he has playlists for every type of mood. That way he can just browse through an app on his tablet quickly, choose the mood he wishes to convey, then fade in the music.
(if needed I can start my own thread)
Building on this this, does anyone have any music playlists (specific songs and artists) for certain moods that would be accentuated by a soundboard? I know people usually have their soundboard for background noises, ie. a tavern with people talking and clinking glasses, etc., but does anyone have specific music for when they are trying to set a particular scene?
I do, I actually spent a fair bit of time building playlists for a half dozen moods, then lost them in an iTunes snafu. Slowly I'm building them back. I made playlists for combat, intrigue, cantinas, good times, spooky times, and general atmospheres.
Building on this this, does anyone have any music playlists (specific songs and artists) for certain moods that would be accentuated by a soundboard? I know people usually have their soundboard for background noises, ie. a tavern with people talking and clinking glasses, etc., but does anyone have specific music for when they are trying to set a particular scene?
I do, I actually spent a fair bit of time building playlists for a half dozen moods, then lost them in an iTunes snafu. Slowly I'm building them back. I made playlists for combat, intrigue, cantinas, good times, spooky times, and general atmospheres.
Is there a way you could share your efforts? I have a lot of soundtracks as well, but never got around to catalogue them or tag them for different settings...
Is there a way you could share your efforts? I have a lot of soundtracks as well, but never got around to catalogue them or tag them for different settings...
Sure! They're not done, so I'd need to spend a little time finishing the task instead of shooting my mouth off.
Is there a way you could share your efforts? I have a lot of soundtracks as well, but never got around to catalogue them or tag them for different settings...
Sure! They're not done, so I'd need to spend a little time finishing the task instead of shooting my mouth off.
How are these coming along? Any chance you can post what you have yet
?
Is there a way you could share your efforts? I have a lot of soundtracks as well, but never got around to catalogue them or tag them for different settings...
Sure! They're not done, so I'd need to spend a little time finishing the task instead of shooting my mouth off.
How are these coming along? Any chance you can post what you have yet
Haha! My apologies, I haven't worked on this even one bit. Someone either here or /r/swrpg did us one better and made a list in Spotify.
Is there a way you could share your efforts? I have a lot of soundtracks as well, but never got around to catalogue them or tag them for different settings...
Sure! They're not done, so I'd need to spend a little time finishing the task instead of shooting my mouth off.
How are these coming along? Any chance you can post what you have yet
Haha! My apologies, I haven't worked on this even one bit. Someone either here or /r/swrpg did us one better and made a list in Spotify.
Sweet, I will check these out! Thanks!