Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Bungie, use real gun sounds this time.
  • Subject: Bungie, use real gun sounds this time.
Subject: Bungie, use real gun sounds this time.

Never compress sound, it ruins it. They should have gone to a range and set up microphones at different distances away from the guns as they were being fired.

To me the weapons sound like plastic. That is what gets me.
Posted by: disgruntledfan2
I actually remember seeing a video where they went and visited a military post to get sounds and study soldier movement for animations during Halo 2. They probably did get real gun sounds, but they probably got them the traditional way by standing far off with a mic. Then they probably compress the sound so it comes off sounding lame on the final game. I agree though. The weapons sound way too soft.

  • 06.30.2009 1:39 PM PDT

Just because it's real doesn't make it rewarding to use. Look at the pistol in Fable II. The sound was relatively unrealistic, but hell, it was SOOO satisfying to hear.

  • 06.30.2009 1:39 PM PDT

I know realism =/= fun all the time, but in all honesty, the only weapons I like hearing are the SMG and the Warthog machine gun turret.

I guess that for plasma weapons, they could get real gun sounds and alter then to sound more electric. =P

Posted by: Deidg Nactal
Just because it's real doesn't make it rewarding to use. Look at the pistol in Fable II. The sound was relatively unrealistic, but hell, it was SOOO satisfying to hear.

  • 06.30.2009 1:41 PM PDT

Posted by: cB4d93
Posted by: Silent Eli
you are a good translator
Idiot can be a hard language to learn, but once you get it down, everything becomes so clear! The whole world will make sense to you.

The Human weapons should sound less like they were made by Hasbro and the Covenant weapons should be more bassy and sound menacing.

In short, I agree with OP.

  • 06.30.2009 1:41 PM PDT
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Lurking since before halo 2 :)
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Why don't you level 50's out there, when you finally decide to apply for colleges...why don't you put that you were a level 50 on your application. And put it on your job resume, too. See how much it matters, and how much people care.

Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
But why should we have to get a special feature disk?

And I did turn up my bass, to the maximum actually, and it just kinda ruined everything else. The pitch needs to be turned up..


well when i have my base at the right level it makes everything sound great..

and you dont have to get the special features for anything but the video on it.
im not saying the special features disk gave you real wepaon sounds. im saying they have a video that talks about them recording weapons

when i get from my interview ill try to find the video and post it

[Edited on 06.30.2009 1:46 PM PDT]

  • 06.30.2009 1:46 PM PDT

Posted by: BK Burger Boy
The Human weapons should sound less like they were made by Hasbro and the Covenant weapons should be more bassy and sound menacing.

In short, I agree with OP.

Skip forward to 1:30

  • 06.30.2009 1:46 PM PDT

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Posted by: Raylette
The Assault Rifle is gas powered and everything else seems pretty right when you fire it. It is 500 years in the future and we have advanced our weapons. It's actually a pretty reasonable assumption that we found a way to suppress the sound of gunfire. I suppose you could buy some gun sounds and play them while you fire your weapon if it makes you happy.

You also have to take into effect that we play as guys in titanium helmets with noise alterations where we (not us personally though) can change the levels of sound we hear within the helmet.


True, in Halo when a gun is fired we don't know what is propelling the projectile. As the post above said that the AR uses gas.

  • 06.30.2009 1:46 PM PDT

It takes a real person to restrain themselves.

Please tell me how you can differentiate the sounds of a gun firing and a bullet firing...


Please... tell me.

  • 06.30.2009 1:53 PM PDT

No, the assault rifle is gas operated. It does not use gas to propel the bullet. Gun powder is still used.

It it were gas operated, there would be no muzzle flash.
Posted by: nick19100
Posted by: Raylette
The Assault Rifle is gas powered and everything else seems pretty right when you fire it. It is 500 years in the future and we have advanced our weapons. It's actually a pretty reasonable assumption that we found a way to suppress the sound of gunfire. I suppose you could buy some gun sounds and play them while you fire your weapon if it makes you happy.

You also have to take into effect that we play as guys in titanium helmets with noise alterations where we (not us personally though) can change the levels of sound we hear within the helmet.


True, in Halo when a gun is fired we don't know what is propelling the projectile. As the post above said that the AR uses gas.

  • 06.30.2009 1:53 PM PDT

Gun sound is the sound the weapon itself makes. A bullet firing is well, an explosion launching a projectile.

With the gun sound, you are hearing the internal mechanisms that load, fire, and unload the bullets.
Posted by: Phrost104
Please tell me how you can differentiate the sounds of a gun firing and a bullet firing...


Please... tell me.

  • 06.30.2009 1:54 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
"Why should 4 direct scorpion tank shots not kill a player? "

"Todays aircraft can easily destroy banshees, phantoms, hornets, etc. "


The reason 4 direct scorpion shots cant kill a player is because of lag. Also Banshees,Phantoms and Hornets can be destroyed by our weapons but remember this is the future we probably use some super advanced metal and also we have fighter jets in the future but they can also fly in space.

  • 06.30.2009 2:01 PM PDT

93% of statistics are lies. Formerly Xfire Grunt. Unfortunately, you can't change the WLID for your BNET account, so I had to create an alternate account. My other WLID was spam city (and it was my e-mail account too).

Posted by: Council Elite 12
Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
But we don't have guns from 500+ years in the future. And if we are still using bullets 500 years in the future, they would still sound the same.

Posted by: Council Elite 12
Considering that this takes place in the future, 500+ years into the future, I'm not quite sure that they would be sounding like these modern guns.


You're still forgetting that this is the future. The guns would probably have a better firing mechanism, as well as some different bullets, nto saying that they still aren't bullets. Maybe they could use a mixed sound?


Aside from the Rocket Launcher and the spartan Laser, most modern guns are better then the halo 3 guns.

  • 06.30.2009 2:05 PM PDT

93% of statistics are lies. Formerly Xfire Grunt. Unfortunately, you can't change the WLID for your BNET account, so I had to create an alternate account. My other WLID was spam city (and it was my e-mail account too).

Also this is a video game. SAo what the OP i sreally saying is have the guns have more "bang" when they fire, basically have them sound more like powerful weapons instead of paintball guns. NOt neccesarily that they are modern weapons.

  • 06.30.2009 2:07 PM PDT
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Argumentum ad populum

Posted by: DarkGunner93
Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
What the hell is wrong with you people? Do you just skip the OP and then go down to the first derogatory post you can find?


That sounds about right...

  • 06.30.2009 2:10 PM PDT

Here’s what Luke had to say about the differences in treatment between the Spartans and Elites in Reach:

“Instead of piece-by-piece customization like the Spartans, Elite customization is a full model swap with models selected from the various Elite classes appearing throughout the Campaign. There are all kinds of reasons for this, not the least of which is our continued emphasis on the Spartan as your identity in Reach.”

Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
I will explain this once more.

Just because we are 500 years, doesn't mean that bullets sound different. The weapon might make a different sound when it is fired, but bullets sound the same.

You forget that the Warthog MG uses the sound of the M60, which uses the 7.62mm cartridge.

Also, don't care.

  • 06.30.2009 2:10 PM PDT

Posted by: cB4d93
Posted by: Silent Eli
you are a good translator
Idiot can be a hard language to learn, but once you get it down, everything becomes so clear! The whole world will make sense to you.

Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
Posted by: BK Burger Boy
The Human weapons should sound less like they were made by Hasbro and the Covenant weapons should be more bassy and sound menacing.

In short, I agree with OP.

Skip forward to 1:30


That is a plasma rifle.

  • 06.30.2009 2:31 PM PDT
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Posted by: BeenXpriest29
Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
What the hell is wrong with you people? Do you just skip the OP and then go down to the first derogatory post you can find?

you're forgetting everyone who uses this forum daily, or even moderately, is a complete under aged, illiterate moron. Trying to help them understand your idea is a waste of time...

Well I will confirm I am underaged (13 to be exact), would an illiterate moron read the works of Michael Crichton and understand the moral themes behind The Dark Knight? Don't base assumptions on stereotypes. Also, I think the sounds of the guns in Halo is fine (besides, as others have said, the MA5C. Seeing as Reach is a prequel, they may return the death rattle of doom instead of once again using the baby rattle of annoyance).

[Edited on 06.30.2009 2:36 PM PDT]

  • 06.30.2009 2:35 PM PDT

Go Rams and Missouri!

No, I like the way the guns sound.

  • 06.30.2009 2:38 PM PDT

I personally have never seen a real life gun be fired when it isn't on TV. So I can't contribute much to this.

But the guns sound okay in my opinion; I like the way you can tell the difference between weapons just by the sound each one makes; unlike Call of Duty where you could be shot by an AK - 47 and a...Thompson and not be able to tell the difference.

I'm also sure Bungie will go and see how real life guns fire ago in closer detail, like the research they did for Halo 2.

  • 06.30.2009 2:46 PM PDT
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Well saying that the Ak47 and M16 have it's own sound, can't you just accept the fact that the Assault rifle is a weapon of it's own and produces it's own different noise.even if it does sound fake(even though kinda sounds like the m468/m4).. maybe you might have a argument here if they used realistic weapons and not weapons that are fabricated by their dev team.

  • 06.30.2009 2:54 PM PDT

You people are so incapable.

Don't give the guns the sound of a real gun. But record the sound of an actual weapon, and then alter it. But do not make guns sound like like two pieces of plastic are being hit together:

Assault rifle: Popcorn machine

Battle rifle: A sound effect I can make with my mouth

Sniper: Better than the rest.

SMG: The only really good sounding one

Machine gun turret: It is too low pitch.

Common people, how can like these sounds? They aren't real or satisfying at all! And who cares if you can or can't tell what you are being shot with? Either way you know you have to take cover and shoot back.

The AK-47 and the M-16 sound completely different.

[Edited on 06.30.2009 3:26 PM PDT]

  • 06.30.2009 3:23 PM PDT

Doc: "i'm a pacifist"
Caboose: "your a thing that babies suck on?"
Tucker: "no dude, that's a pedephile"
Church: "tucker, i think he means a pacifier"

I must ask, how many of you have fired a gun before? Furthermore, how many of you have fired a gun in an enclosed area? An open area? Longbarrel vs shortbarrel? From they hip, from the shoulder? All of these things may sound rediculous, but they all have impact on the way a weapon sounds. Add to that the actual perception of the user, and there is no way to accurately synthesize what a weapon will sound like to every unique user.

It goes without saying that unless you've heard a weapon in the flesh, or fired one yourself, you have no room to critique. That would be like a vegan saying that the filet @ Ruth's Chris was terrible, or a person with teeth complaining about denture comfort.

I will admit (having actually fired weapons) that some of the rifle sounds come off as a little too "plastic", but there is good reason. You don't fire weapons consistently without earplugs for a reason, it damages your ears. The sound that most weapons make when fired is damaging to the ear drum after extended use. You want that kind of sound coming out of your 5.1 system for a 5+ hour campaign?

  • 06.30.2009 3:30 PM PDT
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Well when you find real plasma weapon sounds, call me.

  • 06.30.2009 3:39 PM PDT

"Everything works itself out. The only thing that matters is whether you want it to or not."

Last Refuge - Operation Phoenix is in effect. From the ashes, we will rise.

Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
You people are so incapable.

Don't give the guns the sound of a real gun. But record the sound of an actual weapon, and then alter it. But do not make guns sound like like two pieces of plastic are being hit together:

Assault rifle: Popcorn machine

Battle rifle: A sound effect I can make with my mouth

Sniper: Better than the rest.

SMG: The only really good sounding one

Machine gun turret: It is too low pitch.

Common people, how can like these sounds? They aren't real or satisfying at all! And who cares if you can or can't tell what you are being shot with? Either way you know you have to take cover and shoot back.

The AK-47 and the M-16 sound completely different.


I'll agree with you on the matter that a select few of the guns in Halo sounds absolutely retarded, although I do think the Battle Rifle does sound pretty good, just a little alteration and it would be perfect.

  • 06.30.2009 3:41 PM PDT
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Posted by: Council Elite 12
Posted by: TW InKoGnIto
You people are so incapable.

Don't give the guns the sound of a real gun. But record the sound of an actual weapon, and then alter it. But do not make guns sound like like two pieces of plastic are being hit together:

Assault rifle: Popcorn machine

Battle rifle: A sound effect I can make with my mouth

Sniper: Better than the rest.

SMG: The only really good sounding one

Machine gun turret: It is too low pitch.

Common people, how can like these sounds? They aren't real or satisfying at all! And who cares if you can or can't tell what you are being shot with? Either way you know you have to take cover and shoot back.

The AK-47 and the M-16 sound completely different.


I'll agree with you on the matter that a select few of the guns in Halo sounds absolutely retarded, although I do think the Battle Rifle does sound pretty good, just a little alteration and it would be perfect.


To be honest, when I'm being shot at by a gun, what sound it makes isn't on my top ten list of things to worry about.

  • 06.30.2009 3:44 PM PDT