DamianKastbauer

Hi friends! #GDC is a week away, so I just want to remind any #gameaudio people, that we've got a little server for those who are at the event, and want to keep up with things! Can't wait to see you at the show!

discord.gg/sPEPBZfzjK

I’ll be doing a session on the audio of Cairn, with live gameplay and commentary, moderated by Alistair Hirst. We’ll explore how climbing Foley and an organic breathing system replace the traditional stamina bar, while spatial mixing further enhances immersion. Hope to see you there!

YouTube video by Lost Chocolate Lab Lost Chocolate Lab - Flight | Crows (Excerpt)

Lost Chocolate Lab - Flight | Crows (excerpt)

youtu.be/ELxwd1dJZ84?...

YouTube video by Lost Chocolate Lab Lost Chocolate Lab - Flight (excerpt)

Lost Chocolate Lab - Flight (Excerpt)

youtu.be/YqAPFhxXuH4?...

Cairn: Audio Feedback and Immersion. Martin Stig Andersen, Alistair Hirst. March 12th, 2026.

Next week, join Audio Director @martinstig.bsky.social & moderator @alistairhirst.bsky.social for an in-depth exploration of the sound of Cairn, featuring live gameplay with commentary!

📍 AMC Metreon 16 (Theatre 14)
🎟️ FREE Entry
🔗 RSVP: hubs.ly/Q045fh2k0

#GameAudioGDC @thegamebakers.com #GameAudio

Game Developers Conference 2006 w/ Damian Kastbauer in foreground

20 Years of GDC is a long time.

Go read the Hardcore Guide to #GameAudioGDC
www.asoundeffect.com/gdc26/

See you in San Francisco

Civilization VII Mixing: A Sound Strategy. Kadet Kuhne, Dmytro Nebesh, Joseph Marcus, Dylan Escalona-Sandoval. March 11th, 2026.

Ever wonder how Civilization VII handles the chaos of thousands of real-time audio events?

Next week, join Firaxis Games' audio team & learn about scalable #Wwise systems, core mix philosophies & more!

📍 AMC Metreon 16 (Theatre 14)
🎟️ FREE Entry
🔗 RSVP: hubs.ly/Q045bFDr0

From Studio to Style: The Fundamentals of Working in Immersive Audio. Erik Foreman.

From Studio to Style: The Fundamentals of Working in Immersive Audio 🔊

Next week, join Erik Foreman as he digs into studio acoustics, calibration essentials, mixing techniques & more!

📍 AMC Metreon 16 (Theatre 14)
🎟️ FREE (No GDC pass required!)
🔗 RSVP: hubs.ly/Q045dyb-0

#GameAudioGDC #GameAudio

Beyond Menu Loops - The Interactive Music of Wildgate. Maclaine Diemer. March 11th, 2026.

Join @maclaine.bsky.social next week as he details his process of creating the score for Wildgate, from pitch to final in-game playback!

📍 AMC Metreon 16 (Theatre 14)
🎟️ FREE (no GDC pass needed!)
🔗 RSVP: hubs.ly/Q045dKkG0

#GameAudioGDC @dreamhaven.com @playwildgate.com #GameAudio

The "Games for Blind Gamers" Game Jam 5 has just wrapped up! There are now 33 different blind-accessible games to try out, so go play them! I contributed to 2 games, linked below. Be sure to rate any games you play. Top entries receive prizes. #A11y

Brutal Dreams: Co-Developing with Sound & Music. With Kevin Bolen, Tom Brosnahan, Chelsea Rapp, Bill Rudolph, Megan Frazier, Nathan Moody. March 11th, 2026.

Ready for #GDC2026?

Join us March 11th for "Brutal Dreams: Co-Developing with Sound & Music" & discover how developers CerebralFix & Skywalker Sound approach game development for an original IP.

📍 AMC Metreon 16 (Theatre 14)
🎟️ FREE Entry
🔗 RSVP: hubs.ly/Q045bggB0

#GameAudioGDC #Wwise #GameAudio

Live Score Berlin - Community Event

We celebrate the successful initiative of Live Score Berlin over the last 3 years with a community event at the Computerspiele Museum!

Over 50 productions over the globe have been recorded live through our concept!

#gamedev #berlin #game

shorturl.at/vG9y9

Excerpts from the vinyl record cover of THE WORLD OF HARRY PARTCH focused on marketing for the QUADROPHINIC format

Quadraphonic - the struggle and expense to convey the value proposition of “Columbia SQ QUADRAPHONIC” went all the way to marketing the technology as part of the music “package” 1/?

The SQ Quadraphonic Record: new, from the company that brought you the LP Inner sleeve image from THE WORLD IF HARRY PARTCH vinyl record - Front

A Record Collectors Guide to Quadrophonic Sound Inner sleeve image from THE WORLD IF HARRY PARTCH vinyl record - Back

Modulated Groove and Stylus Inner sleeve image from THE WORLD IF HARRY PARTCH vinyl record - Back

Left and Right Helical Modulations Inner sleeve image from THE WORLD IF HARRY PARTCH vinyl record - Back

If you made it this far, here’s a bonus: The entire inner sleeve is covered with diagrams and descriptions of Quadraphonic Sound

This thread is a clear case of what happens when you pick a record off the shelf on a Saturday morning and fall deep into historical parallels while the pounding sounds of marimbas and invented string instruments propel you through speculative conjunctions.

Ultimately, the people making decisions to embrace and adopt 3D Audio, while finding and creatively leveraging strengths of the format, ultimately determine its success. Just like the transition from Mono to Stereo.

Anyway, there’s some obviously willful naivety on my part as someone who hears the potential for 3D Audio to improve the way we experience sound as part of an interactive experience.

It’s not about selling (more) speakers in a room (although there ARE more speakers if you want/ can afford/ have room for them) it’s about trying to represent the worlds, spaces, and audio that already exists with precision in the experiences that are created.

With all of the major “platforms” providing 3D Audio (Spatial Audio) rendering, some even going as far to toggle it on by default (Apple), the adoption of 3D Audio isn’t in the hands of listeners (it’s already IN their ears) but in the content creators.

When it comes to the adoption of 3D Audio today, there’s one big difference. While Quad (and you could say 5.1/7.1/7.1.4) requires more speakers in a room, 3D Audio accommodates that while accommodating an “immersive” (positionally complex) mix to HEADPHONES. No new hardware required…

While “the ability to move elements of the program between any pair of speakers allows the utmost flexibility to artists, composers, and arrangers, and is passed on to the listener as a totally new experience”

…and now I feel the parallels to the current 3D Audio or Immersive Sound format push

Terminology continues on the back to impress listeners with science “a new double-helical modulation to encode” and simplicity “all-around-you presence of sound” of Quad

“This Columbia disc, when played through SQ QUADRAPHONIC systems, will provide the unique experience of fine QUADRAPHONIC separation and the “all-around" sound presence of four-channel listening…may also be played through any conventional stereo system as any other high fidelity stereo recording.”

The world of Harry Partch vinyl album cover - Front

The world of Harry Partch vinyl album cover - Back

QUADROPHONIC is boldly at the top of the front cover and text to describe (and prevent concerns of incompatibility!) at the bottom. Meanwhile the top of the back cover goes deep into the technology, before giving space to describe the actual music.

Excerpts from the vinyl record cover of THE WORLD OF HARRY PARTCH focused on marketing for the QUADROPHINIC format

Quadraphonic - the struggle and expense to convey the value proposition of “Columbia SQ QUADRAPHONIC” went all the way to marketing the technology as part of the music “package” 1/?

#GameAudioGDC

Excited to be able to share my talk on how I've been dealing with fatigue! It's by far my most personal talk ever 🫣 but I really wanted to share my experience in the hopes that it may help some others too 💚

I think this is something we should be talking about more so lmk if you relate 🫶

Welcome to the Fun House!

Approaching escape velocity: David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Neds Atomic Dustbin - Are You Normal?, Seefeel - Succour, Cosmic Tones Research - S/T, True Window A.H.A.S.T.H.A.F.T.C.T.T.C.O.T.E, Phantogram - Nightlife, Felt Out - Superfluid, Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

It's Friday, turn it UP! #LoudMusicSavesLives