Topic Page
Audio: recommended books and gear
Published
Books and hardware for Audio work, sourced from the GameDev.net catalog and reviewed by our editors. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
Advanced Unity Game Development: Build Professional Games with Unity, C#, and Visual Studio
Amazon · Book
Walks through a complete Unity game project and explains the code, scripts, and project structure behind it. Aimed at developers who already know some Unity and want to see how to organize a larger game with C#, UI, audio, AI, and level setup.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mastering HTML5 Game Development
Amazon · Book
A course on building HTML5 games with browser technologies like Canvas, Audio, and Video. It looks aimed at developers who want to make interactive web and mobile games and are new to the HTML5 game stack.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)
Amazon · Hardware
The default two-input USB audio interface for small studios. Enough for recording a microphone and an instrument, monitoring in a DAW, and feeding sound into Wwise or FMOD sessions. The fourth generation improves preamp gain for dynamic mics.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Kali Audio LP-6 V2 Studio Monitors (pair)
Amazon · Hardware
Affordable nearfield studio monitors that let composers and sound designers hear a game's mix on speakers rather than only on headphones. Well regarded for the price and small enough for a desk shared with a monitor arm and a MIDI controller.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Writing Interactive Music for Video Games: A Composer's Guide
Amazon · Book
A focused guide to interactive music composition for video games, with tools and methods for professional scoring. Best suited to composers and advanced students who need to build adaptive game music systems.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Composing Music for Video Games
Amazon · Book
A focused guide to composing music for video games. It appears aimed at composers and developers who want to understand the craft and workflow of game scoring.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80 ohm)
Amazon · Hardware
Closed-back studio headphones that have been a standard in audio work for decades. Good isolation for recording and long sessions, and a reasonably honest sound for checking mixes, implementing audio and testing spatialisation before listening on speakers.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Akai MPK Mini MK3
Amazon · Hardware
A compact 25-key MIDI controller with pads and knobs that fits beside a keyboard. Enough for sketching melodies, triggering samples and programming drums in a DAW; the common first controller for developers who compose their own soundtracks.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Game Audio Implementation
Amazon · Book
A practical guide to implementing sound and music in games, with exercises tied to a demo level and examples in Unreal Engine. Best for developers who want hands-on game audio implementation rather than theory alone.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Essential Guide to Game Audio: The Theory and Practice of Sound for Games
Amazon · Book
An introductory guide to game audio that covers the theory, workflow, and practical side of sound for games. It is aimed at readers who want a broad foundation in interactive audio and a path into the field.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Shure SM7B Dynamic Microphone
Amazon · Hardware
A broadcast dynamic microphone that forgives untreated rooms, which is why it shows up in so many home studios. Suited to voice-over, devlog narration and placeholder dialogue recording. It needs a quiet preamp with plenty of gain or an inline booster.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Zoom H5 Handy Recorder
Amazon · Hardware
A portable field recorder with interchangeable capsules and XLR inputs, used by sound designers to capture original effects and ambiences instead of relying solely on libraries. A step up from a phone recording without the cost of a dedicated location rig.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Principles of Game Audio and Sound Design: Sound Design and Audio Implementation for Interactive and Immersive Media
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Digital Gaming Handbook
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
RØDE NT1 5th Generation
Amazon · Hardware
A quiet large-diaphragm condenser microphone that works for voice recording and for capturing Foley and sound effects at home. The fifth generation adds a USB output alongside XLR, so it can run with or without an audio interface.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sony MDR-7506
Amazon · Hardware
Inexpensive closed-back monitoring headphones that have been in constant use in studios and edit suites since the early 1990s. Not luxurious, but reliable and revealing enough to catch clicks, clipping and bad loops in game audio assets.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Game Audio Tutorial: A Practical Guide to Sound and Music for Interactive Games
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Unity Game Audio Implementation: A Practical Guide for Beginners
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Game Audio Tutorial: A Practical Guide to Creating and Implementing Sound and Music for Interactive Games
Amazon · Book
A practical introduction to creating and implementing sound and music for interactive games. It is aimed at developers who want a guided overview of game audio production and integration.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Game Audio Implementation: A Practical Guide Using the Unreal Engine
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Game Music Toolbox: Composition Techniques and Production Tools from 20 Iconic Game Soundtracks
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Game Audio Programming 2: Principles and Practices
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Game Audio Implementation: A Practical Guide Using the Unreal Engine
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Game Audio Strategy Guide: A Practical Course
Amazon · Book
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.