New Audio Engine: Quick-Start Guide

Development Audio
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Getting Started with Submixes

Submixes are analogous to Summing Busses or Auxiliary Busses. **Submixes **are **multichannel **surround busses that allow processing to occur after distance attenuation and spatialization. In the new Audio Engine, all sound is currently passed through a Master Submix which has an **EQ **and a Master Reverb Send/Return. This allows us to support the legacy approach of just having one EQ and one Reverb while at the same time allowing users the ability to expand their post-attenuation/post-spatialization processing chain.

*In the future we may make exceptions for hardware processed sounds or special hardware accelerated spatialization techniques—please be aware that the final architecture is still being worked out. *

*The following cannot be over emphasized: **Submixes **are for post-attenuation/post-spatialization signal processing, it is recommended for performance sake to avoid overly elaborate Submix Graphs. Currently, Sound Classes (which utilize logical volume modification) is still how you want to manage volume—Submixes are for effects processing.
*

Adding a Submix and Editing in the Submix Graph

Similar to Sound Classes, **Submixes **are managed on a Graph. All Submixes ultimately pass into the Master Submix, whether they are connected or not on the graph.

  • Right-click in the Content Browser

  • **Locate **the Sounds submenu

  • Select Sound Submix

  • **Name **your newly created Sound Submix

  • Double-click the Sound Submix

    • The Submix Graph Editor will open displaying (if any) children Submixes or parent Submixes connected to this particular** Sound Submix**

    • With a Sound Submix selected, you can see an array of children Submixes

    • Also in the **Details **panel, you will see the Submix Effect Chain—similar to the Source Effect Chain

Adding a Submix Effect Preset

Similar to Source Effect Presets, we have Submix Effect Presets. The main differences being that Submix Effects are **multichannel **(7.1 surround) processors intended for post-attenuation/post-spatialization signal processing. Currently there are three available classic submix effects:

**Adding **a new Submix Effect Preset is easy:

  • Right-click in the Content Browser and locate the **Sounds **submenu

  • Select Submix Effect Preset

  • From the subsequent menu, **select **the sub-class of Submix Effect (dynamics, reverb, eq)

    • https://forums.unrealengine.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=139761&stc=1

  • **Name **your newly created Submix Effect Preset

  • Double-click on your Submix Effect Preset

  • **Edit **the desired **values **(these can be edited during gameplay for effective auditioning of values)

Adding and Removing a Master Dynamics Processor to the Master Submix in Blueprints

With the implementation of a Master Submix, it was only practical to include a way to add dynamics to your master output. By default there is already a Master Reverb (separate Send/Return system) and** Master (4-band) EQ**—as a way to keep backward compatibility for people transitioning to the new engine—but you can add additional Master Submix Effects via Blueprints.

To add an additional Submix Effect to the Master Submix:

To **remove **a Submix Effect from the Master Submix:

To remove ALL Master Submix Effects:

Setting up a Submix Destination on your Sound Source

Unless otherwise set or specified, all Sound Sources output to the Master Submix (not visible on graph) by default. However, it will sometimes be desirable to **have **your sound source output into a different Submix.

  • Access the details panel for your sound source

  • **Locate **the **Effects **submenu

  • **Locate **the entry called Sound Submix

Setting up a Submix Send on your Sound Source

One of the powerful aspects to having a Submix graph is being able to **send **portions of your source sound to multiple busses for further post-attenuation/post-spatialization processing. Currently, the most practical use for this is a second or third reverb effect so you can have two simultaneous reverbs (or **parallel **reverbs depending on the source sound)—but obviously, the Submix could include any Submix chain—for example an EQ then a Reverb so that you can control the spectral content of your sound before reverb processing without affecting the direct sound.

Dynamically Managing Submix Send Values in Blueprints

You can **dynamically set **the Submix Send Values on your Sound Source via Blueprints. This allows you to establish Sound Submix Sends in advance and then via gameplay values, drive the send amount.

  • **Get **a **reference **to your sound source

    • For non-synths, you will need to get a subsequent Audio Component reference

  • **Place **a **Set Submix Send **function

  • Connect your reference to the Target input

  • **Locate **the desired Submix you wish to alter send amount for and enter it via dropdown or via pin reference in the **Submix **input

  • **Enter **the desired send level in the **Send Level **input

    • https://forums.unrealengine.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=139770&stc=1

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