The document discusses HDR audio principles and their application in the Frostbite engine for Battlefield: Bad Company. It emphasizes focused sound design, prioritizing sounds based on their loudness, and the engine's capability to handle a vast dynamic range without compression. Additionally, it highlights the importance of sound placement and the integral role of audio in enhancing the gameplay experience.

2. HDR Audio Adaptive mixing in Frostbite

3. David Möllerstedt, Head of Audio Stefan Standberg, Audio director Battlefield: Bad Company™ EA – DICE audio<@>dice.se

4. Agenda Battlefield Heritage HDR Audio Principle Focused Sound Design Frostbite™ Battlefield: Bad Company™ Runtime Demo Summary Questions

5. Battlefield heritage S andbox experience, g ameplay driven design, open ended, free roaming, multiplayer online All out destruction in Battlefield: Bad Company™ increasing the challenge Other alternatives; duckers, snapshot mixers, scene defines , d on’t solve the problem

6. HDR Audio Principle Measure loudness at Listener position – Scale all sound sources accordingly Handle the dynamic range from the quietest sound noticeable to the pain threshold, Some 130 dB Functions similar to HDR lighting

7. 0 d b 140 db 12db 30db 55db 120db 35 db Time Hdr off example

8. 0 d b 140 db 12db 30db 55db 120db 35 db Time Masked Hdr on example

9. Focused Sound Design Cinematic approach

10. Focused Sound Design

11. Focused Sound Design Prioritize, instead of compete for dynamic range Play the right sounds, not all sounds Vital to the sandbox architecture of Battlefield

12. Frostbite™ DICE’s game engine Frostbite™ Tight s ystem integration, a udio one of the core comp onents Destruction integral part of the engine Developed for Battlefield: Bad Company™and to be used by future projects at DICE

13. Frostbite™

14. Frostbite™

15. Battlefield: Bad Company™

16. Loudness HDR Audio functions as a culling algorithm This is a positive side effect Priority is set according to loudness, loudness is a good approximation for ‘importance’ especially in FPS game We set loudness values to create any desired effect

17. Not Compression HDR Audio does not have a specific “sound” HDR Audio is not compression, all sounds are played uncompressed The effect and thus the sound is sometimes similar HDR Audio works on logical loudness values and does not touch the actual audio waveform

18. Boundaries Not the Silver Bullet Special situations still need attention First Person focus

19. Summary “ HDR Audio Make Loud sounds sound loud, and quieter sounds sound as loud as loud sounds”

20. Summary Automatic mixing solution Handle Infinitive dynamic range Transparent sound

21. Sounds Interesting? We are always looking for talented and devoted persons to join our audio teams jobs.ea.com

22. Questions Who has the first question?

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