“Immersive experience is the trend popular right now, and it is also the needs of human from the past to the present!" Zhang Jianyu, the composer and game sound designer, said with a smile, "it makes no essential difference whether you take a 10-hour flight to a completely new place or sit at home immersed in games all night. Sometimes we just want to step into another world for a while and forget about the real life or even ourselves for a while.”

This is indeed true. In this era, a single plane sensory feeling is far from satisfying needs of the audience. How to create an all-round immersive experience has become an important subject for creators-this is also the reason why Shenzhen Leiting Games Company built a 5.1.4 game audio studio in 2019.

Zhang Jianyu, the composer and game sound designer of Leiting Games

「Game Sound Lab」for creation of immersive experiences

Zhang Jianyu, the composer and game sound designer, we interviewed, who is also the project leader of this 5.1.4 studio, is currently working in Shenzhen Leiting Games Company.

About Leiting Games

Shenzhen Leiting Games Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of G-bits. It is composed of a group of enthusiastic fans of games. Viewing its mission as “attracting and training innovative talents, pursuing an efficient way of working, providing global users with differentiated products and services, creating and disseminating wonderful experience in the cultural and entertainment field”, it provides players with “fun and unique great games”; it values “user reputation” and serves players who are pursuing experience upgrades.

"For a games company like ours, an audio studio is a must." Zhang Jianyu said, "But our requirements are quite special. What we want is not just a recording studio, nor a standard mixing studio or a reviewing studio. To be precise, what we want is a “game sound lab” to assist us in the conceptual design of games.”

Qiao Zhenyu, the designer of Huanyu Acoustics, is responsible for the acoustic design and construction of this studio. He recalls that from the very beginning of the project, he realized that he would take on an extensive and integrated task for this studio: “in this studio, you need to be able to record, edit, mix and produce. You also need to be able to review, play games and conduct tone-color design using a modular synthesizer. All these functions must be realized in one space.”

Zhang Jianyu's initial idea was to build a 5.1 monitor system: “Because I know that there are already many games have used 5.1 format to produce sound. Later, Mr. Qiao suggested that since it was already 5.1, why not make it 5.1.4 by adding the 4 top sound channels?”

Mr. Qiao’s suggestion fits well with Zhang Jianyu’s idea of “creating an immersive game experience”. "Immersive audio technology is no longer a new thing. It has been used in many ways. We as creators surely have to learn and try." Zhang Jianyu said.

"I used to think it was boring for everyone to use GENELEC, but then..."

Qiao Zhenyu believes that although space of the studio is small, it is necessary to find a way to realize comprehensive functions and make the results as perfect as possible. After careful consideration was given, the studio chose a pair of GENELEC SAM series 1234 large 3-way speakers as the main monitor system of stereo. It selected 8330 compact 2-way speakers and 7370 subs that belong to the SAM series to form the 5.1. 4 monitor system. System integration is carried out by Digital Media Technology Co. Ltd. (DMT)  .

GENELEC speakers in audio studio of Leiting Games
Main monitor system of stereo
GENELEC 1234 x 2

5.1.4 monitor system
Front: GENELE 8330 x  3
Surround: GENELE 8330 x  2
Top: GENELE 8330 x  4
Sub: GENELE 7370 x 1
Calibration and Management: GLM kit

Acoustic design: Huanyu Acoustics (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.
System integration: Digital Media Technology Co. Ltd. (DMT) 
 
As for indoor acoustic design, the smaller the space is, the greater the challenge becomes. Qiao Zhenyu said: "it is quite hard to control, especially the low frequency stage below 200Hz. It requires a comprehensive consideration of simulating calculation results, field measurement data and previous experience. The results we got in the end are quite good. We only use the GLM management kit to make a small amount of calibration compensation. “

GLM calibration curve of main monitors GENELEC 1234A (left)

When asked why he chose GENELEC, Zhang Jianyu frankly shared his "spiritual journey from hate to love" for GENELEC.

When Zhang Jianyu first came to the profession of audio, what he used was a pair of GENELEC 8030. At the time, he didn’t like GENELEC: "At first, I thought it was boring for everyone to use GENELEC, and I used to think that GENELEC speakers had less low-frequency, too flat, and not cool to use compared with many speakers for household or live performance use. But now I realize that I was too young at that time. “Zhang Jianyu said and smiled gently.

Later on, he changed his idea because he found that the mix he made did not sound right in other places: “I use various equipment to try out my work in various places. Sometimes, it sounds quite right on my own monitor, but it sounds less or more somewhere when taken to other places. After listening, I don’t believe myself anymore. Then I realized that I need a relatively standard monitor system to do my work. “

For audio workers, the most important thing in choosing a monitor system may not be "brand freshness" or " bursting and cool bass", but making you “listen clearly” and being trustworthy.

“GENELEC 's sound is very reliable. You will hear what you heard. I am certain about what I made with it. Moreover, when I use this pair of 1234 to listen to various works, I can immediately tell the quality of mixing, and even the cost of sound production of this work.” Zhang Jianyu commented.

When the era of “immersive experiences” approaches ...

The 5.1.4 studio adopts light colors in its visual design, making it clean and bright. All GENELEC speakers, of various sizes, have also specially selected “polar white” custom-made models.

“We often get a group of people gathering here to listen and discuss. This requires an uplifting and inspiring atmosphere, so we didn’t choose too-dark and too-warm tones, hoping it makes a difference from the common recording studio.” Zhang Jianyu said.

After using it for a period of time, Zhang Jianyu and his colleagues at Leiting Games believe that this ‘game sound lab’ has become a place to get inspiration and broaden their scope of mind, as they expected.

We also asked a rather tough question: “at present, no work of Leiting Games Company has adopted the immersive sound format, will this set of 5.1.4 monitor system be a waste?”

Zhang Jianyu answered without hurry and haste that “although we have not used the top channel in the projects we are currently doing, as a creator, you need to know what the latest and best sound like. If you haven't even heard of it, let alone create. This is not quite different from the traditional recording industry. Your scope of mind will be broadened when you hear of the better, and you will have more inspiration.”

In recent years, the domestic game industry has attached greater importance to the sound experience. Opening our eyes to other countries,  it can be found that more and more games with big-budget production using Dolby ATOMS to create sound experience.

“The era of immersive experience will come sooner or later,” Zhang Jianyu said banteringly sitting in the monitor position of this 5.1.4 audio studio: “After it comes, peers may all need to build an immersive audio studio! When others are busy with construction and learning, we already have experience and a place to do this. Now we are one step ahead so that we can take the lead to the end."

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