Legality of using sounds from other games

[Josrence44]

Hey folks,

What is the legality of using sound effects (that have been heavily edited from the originals and mixed to be unrecognizable) from actual published video games?

My game uses a variety of firearms, each bearing their own attack animation and sound effect. I tried the Free Firearm Sound Effects Library, but the sounds

belong more to a movie rather than a video game (specifically an FPS - shooter game sound effects work well for this).

I've tried searching the forums but couldn't find an exact explanation. If I can't use sounds that I've rendered completely unrecognizable from the original, where can

I go to find sounds that would work for my project?

 

[B.Ultimus]

Illegal if the original sound wasn't open source/public domain. You're playing a heavy risk.

I would recommend going to sites like Freesound and specifically look for files that are public domain, or allowed to be used for commercial use.

Sounds like you have some audio editing capabilities, so that resource will do you wonders.

 

[Josrence44]

Thanks for the quick reply, and thank you for clarifying that. I've spent quite a bit of time on Freesound, Findsound, Opengameart, etc. - lots of great stuff.

I need to move past how easy it is to "borrow" rather than "create", so I've got a lot of work to do!

 

[_Shadow_]

The only thing you can do is search for:

Public Domain assets CC(0) and CC BY giving credit.

There are more licenses that give you more or less rights under some terms.

What you are looking for, is dry,  firearms sampling sounds.

Without reverb and other effects or environmental shapings, you can build samples upon them.

As an alternative (but you have to know what you are doing) you can build such sounds by other samples or by using a strong synth.

Videos taken by public officers of the USA, makes them I think available automatically to the public, thus it is considered public domain. Now MAKE SURE it is public domain first, then you get such a video that shows for instance firing a gun or throwing a grenade etc etc...

You have to walk the walk though.

You have to do the research, and take screenshots of everything you download, as a proof that it was available as public domain, when you got it.

You have to build upon them, some will be lame, some will have a gem hidden in there.

In the end you might have what you need.

 

[Josrence44]

Definitely, I do enjoy it, too. There's a guy on Freesound who exclusively uploads effects from public domain department of defense videos - pretty neat, just not what I had in mind. Thanks for the info - it definitely helps!

 

[Oddball]

If you want to use the original sound, you would have to get permission from the original artist and most likley have to pay a royalty

 

[_Shadow_]

Definitely, I do enjoy it, too. There's a guy on Freesound who exclusively uploads effects from public domain department of defense videos - pretty neat, just not what I had in mind. Thanks for the info - it definitely helps!

He seems like what you are looking for....

 

[Josrence44]

Sort of. When I take those sounds and mix them (ie. a single shot mixed into a 3-round burst), the presence of background noise blended together just ruins the audio. I can play around with sound but I'm still learning, haha.

 

[_Shadow_]

Sort of. When I take those sounds and mix them (ie. a single shot mixed into a 3-round burst), the presence of background noise blended together just ruins the audio. I can play around with sound but I'm still learning, haha.

Learn about mixing and panning.

To mix two sounds and not turn out to have a mass of bad muddy awful sound, you should do panning.

Imagine you got a console. You know, the one studios have that you connect microphones and guitars and stuff...

Default panning is to the center.

You pan a little right, you make the sound flow from the right stereo channel.

You pan a little left you make the sound flow from the left stereo channel.

If central panning is 12 o clock, then panning should be made mostly from 11 o clock until 1 o clock.

Slightly differences on panning makes the difference.

Sounds change position thus they do not collide.

Next thing to do is volume.

To bring something near the listener, you increase the volume, while sending something back and far is lowering the volume.

These are the basics.

There is a whole profession that is called Mastering behind this.

A way to make things more clear is remove frequencies with equalizers for each sample and more advanced stuff that need... experience, knowledge ant time to learn how to do.

But even with the basics, you can really enhance your overall sound.

Good luck and remember Google is your friend. Things to google:

Sound Panning

Sound Mixdown

Mastering a mix

How to do mastering using EQ (EQualizer)

Compression mastering

side chain Compression

 

[Josrence44]

Dude. Thank you so much!

Edit - also, congrats on 400th post, lol

Second Edit - Turns out that some of my mixed sound effects when played during an animation in conjunction with RTP sounds, create a very satisfying bang. This just leaves the burst sounds now, but I can mix them properly now from what you've posted above. Thanks again

 

[_Shadow_]

That was nothing.

Keep in mind that RTP sound fx are VERY panned.

I think to the right channel or the left. Just listen to one of them and you will understand.

Search on  Restaff releases though.

I made some remixes centeralizing them and changing channel to the other side.

You might probably use them too.

I released that work under the RTP EULA, including an OPTIONAL attribution to me. 

Enjoy.