Quote: Original post by Hellmaster
Hmm, I see. Still not the answer I'm looking for though...


In any case, what exactly are the duties of an audio programmer? Do they do the mixing and stuff?

No, a audio programmer builds the code that allows the music and/or SFX to be played at the correct time in the correct manner (looping or not) in the game.

People are telling you what you need to do this job, but judging from your responses I think you're mistaking audio programmer for audio engineer. The Engineer is the one who is doing mixing and post production work.

If you are wanting to be an audio programmer, then you'll be involved with the code part of it.

Also, if you are really interested in all of this, look up audio jobs in the biz. First off, you'll notice that there are not as many as there are in other fields (art, programmer, etc). When you do find some, look up the duties and requirements of that position. This will give you a good idea of what that company requires you to do.

I can already tell you that you will have to:
*be a pro at C++
*know inside and out OpenGL, Open AL and Direct X
*most major companies require you to have several years in the industry
*and most require you having shipped a AAA title.

If you don't meet these requirements, they'll probably pass you over. Not meant to be harsh, but like Kenbar said, wanting to do this job is like trying out as an actor. There are TONS of others wanting to do this job as well. The companies can afford to be picky.

Thanks for the responses, guys. I understand this a bit better. So my next question is, if I want to be Sound engineer, how should I approach it?

As someone who has gone through higher education and successfully found a job in the games industry I would, naturally, recommend the same route. But there are others who don't have a degree who are also working in game audio who can no doubt recommend a different path. Having said that, those without degrees are in the minority (in Europe at least).

The music technology course I studied nurtured my love for working creatively with sound, giving me a strong foundation in the creative, technical and scientific disciplines at the undergraduate level before going on to specialise in sound design as a postgraduate. With games not being part of the curriculum I spent much of my spare time devoted to researching this area and the job market, steering my academic studies towards games wherever possible.

That was my approach; YMMV!

www.gamesound.org

You could check out Capital University www.capital.edu , which really has a nice music technology program, and has intern programs as well.

Music is cool, but that's not something I want to pursue. I wanna do the mixing and stuff.