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Custom Soundboard Creator?
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Popularity Score: 13
This app was mentioned in 17 comments, with an average of 1.59 upvotes
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Well, assuming the player already has the sounds they want to play, or they want to record their own voice, you could use something like Custom Soundboard Creator. It's pretty much what it says.
Cutting out parts of a song is very easy with Audacity.
Once you have your samples, you can use an app like Custom Soundboard Creator.
I did what most cheap Hollywood directors do, to great effect: put some creepy music at half volume and then without notice play some sound effects at full volume. It works every time.
Some possibilities I used: Falling thru floor on church
Banging on walls
Window rattling
Bed attack
Knife attacks
Angry rats
Corbitt zombie attack sounds (several effects, one different for each attack)
I used a free soundboard android app to great effect https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
If you don't want to invest in something you may never use then try the free sounds board creation tools on the play store. You have to provide your own sounds; video game audio rips help.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
I've used it in my games, does exactly what you want it to.
Probably the easiest is to get a sound board app for a tablet. There's some with premade sounds, plus the ability to use your own. Something like this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
If you want something more physical I know you can make something using and Arduino and a bunch of arcade switches, but unless you've spent some time doing Arduino stuff before and can solder it's probably a deep dive.
A Google search for "diy sound board" brings up some inscrutables and YouTube vids.
HTH
I found this app witch I use for some RPG. Including Paranoia.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
I highly recommend the Custom Soundboard Creator for Android. I use it every time we play for background music and sound effects.
You just need to feed it with your soundfiles. You can adjust the volume for each clip, loop them, give your own color code and if the clip plays over other clips.
My soundboard is full with ambience from Cryo Chamber, rain, various thunders and gunshot effects, monster growls and action sequence soundtracks.
Youtube has lots of sound effects you can use (by using a Youtube mo3 downloader). It's great for adding atmosphere. I use an old Android phone with Custom Soundboard linked to a small bluetooth speaker. Custom Soundboard allows you to loop sounds and to play sounds over each other.
For example I will have a base effect of people talking in a tavern looped in the background. The when I want another sound over the top (a scream or dog bark) I press a button and that sound is played over the crowd but still hear both.
On android, there is an app which make you able to create your own soundboard if you want
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
On android, there is an app which make you able to create your own soundboard if you want
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
Audio is something I consider essential in all of my games, but especially so in Dread. I personally do a lot of my own work when creating soundscapes, but when I simply don't have the time, I turn to a number of different sources, all of which I will list below.
Audio Resources
1. <strong>Tabletop Audio</strong>
While not entirely horror themed, they do have a decent selection for background audio for a number of genres, including . Each loop is 10 minutes long, and can be directly streamed or downloaded for free. These are good for the GMs who prefer to press play, and forget.
EDIT: I just learned that Tabletop Audio now provides a new service called the <em>Soundpad</em>.
2 <strong>Songza Playlist:</strong> <strong><em>Something terrible is about to happen</em></strong>
This is a bit of a mix bag, but it's a fantastic source of horror soundtracks you may not have thought to add. While you could just hit play on this and let it run for a game, you are better off using this as a research resource. Hit play while you're doing prep work to both find good tracks, and to get you in the right mindset!
This is less of a resource for Dread games, and more of a massive, user-submitted sound-library. You can even search for sounds under a <em>Creative Commons 0</em> liscense which means you can legally use it for anything without asking permissions. If you're unsure of how to effectively utilize this resource, consult the Audio Tools section below.
4. <strong>Youtube:</strong> <strong><em>Game Soundtracks</em></strong>
This one is probably obvious, but on the off chance you haven't thought of it, video game soundtracks work amazing for Dread games. The one I linked for instance is an ambient track from the now extinct, P.T., but you will find most of your favorite horror games have rather good ambient tracks that will not likely be called out by your players. Amnesia, Telltale's Walking Dead, Alan Wake, Left 4 Dead, you name it. Ambient music for horror games is far easier to use than most movie soundtracks because it's designed to make whatever the player is doing, no matter how ridiculous, feel creepy
Audio Tools
> "Audacity is a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems."
I've been using this program for over 8 years now, and even after I moved to more advanced DAWs, I still find myself using this program for some projects due to it's simplicity. If you have any interest in working with sound editing, but don't have any idea where to start, I highly recomend checking out Audacity.
2. <strong>Youtube Audio Downloader:</strong> <strong><em>Anthing2mp3</em></strong>
This is my go-to site when I need a piece of audio from a youtube video. For instance, during my Alan Wake themed Dread game, I used it to download lines from Stucky before using Reaper Audio, and Audacity to create <em>This</em>
3. <strong>Android App:</strong> <strong><em>Custom Soundboard</em></strong>
So, like me, you've gone off the deep end, and decided to create an entire playlist worth of songs, ambient tracks customized to each environment, and a number of sounds to play at key moments during your game. Great, but unless you have access to your computer, it's going to be hard to effectively mix it on the fly. That's where this app comes in. Use it to create looping music, and ambient sounds that can all overlap, along with sound clips, and pretty much any audio file you would want to play. I use this app religiously in my games, and while it can be tiny bit clunky at first, it's an amazingly powerful tool for GM away from home. I wrote a sizable tutorial on how to use this app effectively. You can find that Here.
So there's my list. Hope this helps for all the non-hobbyist sound designer GMs out there. Before I go however, I'll link a few of my favorite tracks to play while a game is running.
>Note: this comment is a copy and paste from another post at the recommendation of one, /u/Arrohkeen. The original comment thread can be found here.
The app I use is called Custom Soundboard Creator. While it does the job I want it to do, it does have it's pros & cons.
PROS
- Option to change each sounds volume individually
- Option to loop sounds
- Option to make sounds able to be played over each other to allow for layered sound
- Ability to name the buttons, as well as change their colors and font colors
- Ability to Record sounds to use
- Limited ads. Appear only when exiting the app
- Support for multiple soundboards, even while sounds from another is playing.(Useful if you have a lot of sounds. E.G. One board for music, one for ambience, one for sounds)
CONS
- UI is a bit clunky in places
- Must be comfortable with searching through file structures to access sounds from phone. No search functionality.
- Sounds will need to be transferred from PC into a custom file structure to make finding the sounds easier.
- Bit of a learning curve. Will require some basic practice before use in a game.
- Setup time must be considered for your game prep.
NITPICKY CONS
- No ability to edit, or crop sounds
- No, "Stop all sounds." button. To deactivate a looping sound, you will need to manually press it.
- Drains battery very quickly. I have to keep it plugged in for the entire game, or it will be dead before the end.
USER RECOMMENDATIONS
- The best way to use this app, in my opinion, is to compile all the sound files you want to use into a folder on your pc. For ease of use later, be sure to use a naming structure that is easy to navigate by text alone. Name this folder by what it's being used for.
- By default, the app's file browser will put in what is essentially your phone's (C:) drive file directory. Find a good place to create a folder that is easy for you to find. Personally, I use my SD card directory, as it can be found on that page.
- Inside, Create a folder. I call mine, "D&D" to make it easy.
- Plug your phone into your computer, locate and open your newly created 'D&D' folder, and drag the folder with your compiled sounds into it.
- Unplug your phone from the PC, open the app, and proceed to begin uploading the sounds in your desired format.
- Be mindful of the order you upload the sounds in, as it is finicky and time consuming to reorganize later.
- Individually adjust each file's audio levels to match the others. As a general rule, leave yourself some room to increase the audio level later if it becomes an issue.
- IMPORTANT: If you want sounds to overlap, you need to make sure every sound has the, "Can be played over" checkbox ticked. Otherwise, they will start to cancel each other out.
- Color code your sounds by type, scene, or some other defining difference. For instance, I make music a different color from ambience, and ambience different from sound effects.
- Use high contrast color schemes. Font should always contrast the button color, otherwise you may end up losing what button is which.
I think that's about it. I've been using the app for almost all of my games, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
The app I use is called Custom Soundboard Creator. While it does the job I want it to do, it does have it's pros & cons.
PROS
- Option to change each sounds volume individually
- Option to loop sounds
- Option to make sounds able to be played over each other to allow for layered sound
- Ability to name the buttons, as well as change their colors and font colors
- Ability to Record sounds to use
- Limited ads. Appear only when exiting the app
- Support for multiple soundboards, even while sounds from another is playing.(Useful if you have a lot of sounds. E.G. One board for music, one for ambience, one for sounds)
CONS
- UI is a bit clunky in places
- Must be comfortable with searching through file structures to access sounds from phone. No search functionality.
- Sounds will need to be transferred from PC into a custom file structure to make finding the sounds easier.
- Bit of a learning curve. Will require some basic practice before use in a game.
- Setup time must be considered for your game prep.
NITPICKY CONS
- No ability to edit, or crop sounds
- No, "Stop all sounds." button. To deactivate a looping sound, you will need to manually press it.
- Drains battery very quickly. I have to keep it plugged in for the entire game, or it will be dead before the end.
USER RECOMMENDATIONS
- The best way to use this app, in my opinion, is to compile all the sound files you want to use into a folder on your pc. For ease of use later, be sure to use a naming structure that is easy to navigate by text alone. Name this folder by what it's being used for.
- By default, the app's file browser will put in what is essentially your phone's (C:) drive file directory. Find a good place to create a folder that is easy for you to find. Personally, I use my SD card directory, as it can be found on that page.
- Inside, Create a folder. I call mine, "D&D" to make it easy.
- Plug your phone into your computer, locate and open your newly created 'D&D' folder, and drag the folder with your compiled sounds into it.
- Unplug your phone from the PC, open the app, and proceed to begin uploading the sounds in your desired format.
- Be mindful of the order you upload the sounds in, as it is finicky and time consuming to reorganize later.
- Individually adjust each file's audio levels to match the others. As a general rule, leave yourself some room to increase the audio level later if it becomes an issue.
- IMPORTANT: If you want sounds to overlap, you need to make sure every sound has the, "Can be played over" checkbox ticked. Otherwise, they will start to cancel each other out.
- Color code your sounds by type, scene, or some other defining difference. For instance, I make music a different color from ambience, and ambience different from sound effects.
- Use high contrast color schemes. Font should always contrast the button color, otherwise you may end up losing what button is which.
I think that's about it. I've been using the app for almost all of my games, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
It isn't open source, but I've used this one in the past and found it very good.
U put mine on a tablet, attached to a bluetooth speaker behind me. I used this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hipxel.custom.soundboard.maker.creator.free
good question. cue my thinking music. in the meantime, something for the ambitious babies: apple / android.