Distance-Delayed Sounds

This chapter covers the importance of using distance delays for game audio. It also covers a common example of lightning and thunder to show the importance and explains the basics of distance-delayed audio. The chapter discusses the math and equations behind calculating the speed, distance, and time that is used to determine distance delays. This eventually gives the distance delay value in seconds that is required to determine a realistic sound distance effect. Everyone has seen lightning, followed a few seconds later by a thunderclap. Children grow up learning that every three seconds the sound travels about one kilometer. Sound, on the other hand, travels faster through water because water is much more densely packed than air. Sound traveling through steel is even faster than water because steel is a solid and very densely packed. In reality, the speed of sound in air is dependent upon many factors such as air pressure, temperature, and humidity.