Audio on GS_Play Gameplay Framework

Audio Manager

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Audio Manager is the master audio controller for every GS_Play project. It extends GS_ManagerComponent and participates in the standard two-stage initialization managed by the Game Manager. On startup it initializes the MiniAudio engine, creates the named mixing bus graph, loads audio event libraries, and coordinates score track playback.

Like all GS_Play managers, the Audio Manager responds to standby mode automatically – muting or pausing audio output when the game enters a blocking operation such as a stage change.

Audio Events

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Audio Events are the primary mechanism for playing sounds in GS_Play. A GS_AudioEvent defines a single sound event with a pool of audio clips, selection rules (random or sequential), 2D/3D spatialization mode, concurrent playback limits, and repeat-hold behavior. Events are grouped into AudioEventLibrary assets that the Audio Manager loads at startup or on demand.

When an event is triggered, the system selects a clip from the pool according to the configured selection type, checks concurrent limits, and routes the output through the appropriate mixing bus.

Audio Manager

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Audio Manager is the singleton controller for the entire audio system. It initializes the MiniAudio engine, manages mixing buses, loads audio event libraries, and coordinates score track playback. Like all GS_Play managers, it extends the Manager base class and responds to the Game Manager lifecycle automatically.

For component properties and API details, see the Framework API reference.

What It Manages
Quick Reference
Glossary
See Also

What It Manages

Responsibility	What It Does
Engine lifecycle	Initializes and shuts down the MiniAudio audio engine.
Mixing buses	Creates and routes named audio buses with effects chains.
Event libraries	Loads Audio Event Library assets at startup.
Score playback	Manages Score Arrangement Track assets for dynamic music.
Master volume	Controls global volume levels per bus.

Quick Reference

Need	Bus	Method
Audio management requests	`AudioManagerRequestBus`	PlayAudioEvent, StopAudioEvent, SetMixerVolume

Glossary

Term	Meaning
Audio Event Library	A data asset containing named audio event definitions loaded at startup
Mixing Bus	A named audio channel with an effects chain for routing and processing sounds
Score Arrangement	A multi-layer music asset managed by the Audio Manager for dynamic playback

For full definitions, see the Glossary.

Audio Events

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Audio Events are the primary way to play sounds in GS_Play. Each event defines a pool of audio clips with selection rules, playback mode (2D or 3D), concurrent instance limiting, and repeat-hold behavior. Events are grouped into Audio Event Library assets that the Audio Manager loads at startup.

For asset structure and component properties, see the Framework API reference.

How It Works
Event Configuration
GS_AudioEventComponent
Quick Reference
Glossary
See Also

How It Works

Create an Audio Event Library asset in the O3DE Asset Editor.
Define audio events — each with a name, clip pool, and playback settings.
Load the library by assigning it to the Audio Manager.
Play events by name from ScriptCanvas or C++.

Event Configuration

Setting	What It Controls
Pool Selection	`Random` — picks a random clip from the pool. `Increment` — plays clips sequentially.
2D / 3D	2D plays without spatialization. 3D positions the sound in the world.
Concurrent Limit	Maximum instances of this event that can play simultaneously.
Repeat Hold	Minimum time between repeated plays of the same event.

GS_AudioEventComponent

Place a GS_AudioEventComponent on any entity that needs to play sounds. The component references events by name from loaded libraries and handles 3D positioning automatically based on the entity’s transform.

Mixing & Effects

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

GS_Audio provides a named mixing bus system built on custom MiniAudio nodes. Each GS_MixingBus is a node in the audio graph with its own volume level and an optional chain of audio filters. Buses are configured in the Audio Manager Inspector and can be controlled at runtime through the mixing request bus.

The effects system includes 9 built-in filter types covering frequency shaping, equalization, delay, and reverb. Environmental influence effects allow game world volumes (rooms, weather zones) to push effects onto buses with priority-based stacking.

GS_Audio

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

GS_Audio is the audio management gem for GS_Play. It provides event-based sound playback, a multi-layer music scoring system, mixing buses with effects chains, and a built-in Klatt formant voice synthesizer with 3D spatial audio. All audio features integrate with the GS_Play manager lifecycle and respond to standby mode automatically.

For architecture details, component properties, and extension patterns, see the GS_Audio API.

I want to…	Feature	API
Manage the audio engine, load event libraries, or control master volume	Audio Manager	API
Play sounds with pooling, 3D spatialization, and concurrency control	Audio Events	API
Configure mixing buses with filters, EQ, and environmental influence effects	Mixing & Effects	API
Layer music tracks dynamically based on gameplay state	Score Arrangement	API
Generate text-to-speech with configurable voice parameters and 3D spatial audio	Klatt Voice	API

Installation

GS_Audio requires GS_Core and the MiniAudio gem. Add both to your project’s gem dependencies.

GS_Audio

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

GS_Audio provides a complete audio solution for GS_Play projects. It includes an event-based sound playback system, multi-layer music scoring, named mixing buses with configurable effects chains, and a built-in Klatt formant voice synthesizer with 3D spatial audio. All features integrate with the GS_Play manager lifecycle and respond to standby mode automatically.

For usage guides and setup examples, see The Basics: GS_Audio.

Audio Management
Audio Events
Mixing & Effects
Score Arrangement
Klatt Voice Synthesis
Dependencies
Installation
See Also

Audio Management

The Audio Manager singleton initializes the MiniAudio engine, manages mixing buses, loads audio event libraries, and coordinates score track playback. It extends GS_ManagerComponent and participates in the standard two-stage initialization.

Mixing & Effects

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The mixing system provides named audio buses with configurable effects chains. Each bus can have multiple audio filters applied for real-time audio processing. Audio Bus Influence Effects allow environmental zones to dynamically modify bus parameters based on the listener’s position.

For component properties and filter types, see the Framework API reference.

GS_Audio is in Early Development. Full support planned soon: 2026.

Available Filters
Environmental Audio Influence
Quick Reference
Glossary
See Also

Available Filters

Filter	What It Does
Low Pass	Removes high frequencies. Simulates muffling (underwater, behind walls).
High Pass	Removes low frequencies. Simulates thin/tinny audio (radio, phone).
Band Pass	Passes a frequency band. Isolates specific ranges.
Notch	Removes a narrow frequency band.
Peaking EQ	Boosts or cuts a frequency band.
Low Shelf	Boosts or cuts frequencies below a threshold.
High Shelf	Boosts or cuts frequencies above a threshold.
Delay	Adds echo/delay effect.
Reverb	Adds room/space reverb.

Environmental Audio Influence

Audio Bus Influence Effects allow spatial zones to modify bus effects dynamically. When the listener enters an influence zone (like a cave or tunnel), the zone’s effects are applied to the specified bus with priority-based stacking. Multiple overlapping zones resolve by priority.

Score Arrangement

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Score Arrangement system provides multi-layer dynamic music for GS_Play projects. A ScoreArrangementTrack asset defines a musical score with configurable tempo, time signature, fade behavior, and multiple layers that can be enabled or disabled at runtime. This allows game music to adapt to gameplay state – adding or removing instrumental layers, changing intensity, or crossfading between sections.

Score tracks are loaded and controlled through the Audio Manager request bus.

For usage guides and setup examples, see The Basics: GS_Audio.

Klatt Voice Synthesis

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Klatt Voice Synthesis system provides custom text-to-speech for GS_Play projects using Klatt formant synthesis with full 3D spatial audio. It uses SoLoud internally for speech generation and MiniAudio for spatial positioning.

The system has two layers:

KlattVoiceSystemComponent – A singleton that manages the shared SoLoud engine instance and tracks the 3D audio listener position.
KlattVoiceComponent – A per-entity component that generates speech, queues segments, applies voice profiles, and emits spatialized audio from the entity’s position.

Voice characteristics are defined through KlattVoiceProfile assets containing frequency, speed, waveform, formant, and phoneme mapping configuration. Phoneme maps convert input text to ARPABET phonemes for the Klatt synthesizer, with support for custom pronunciation overrides.

Score Arrangement

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Score Arrangement Tracks are multi-layer music assets for dynamic, adaptive game music. Each arrangement defines a time signature, tempo, fade behavior, and a set of independently controllable Score Layers. This enables music that responds to gameplay — adding percussion during combat, muting melody during dialogue, or transitioning between intensity levels.

For asset structure and playback API, see the Framework API reference.

GS_Audio is in Early Development. Full support planned soon: 2026.

Klatt Voice Synthesis

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

GS_Play includes a built-in text-to-speech system based on Klatt formant synthesis. The KlattVoiceComponent converts text to speech in real time with configurable voice parameters. Voices are positioned in 3D space and attenuate with distance, making synthesized speech feel like it comes from the character speaking.

For component properties, voice parameter details, and the phoneme mapping system, see the Framework API reference.

How It Works
Voice Configuration
KTT Tags
Phoneme Maps
3D Spatial Audio
Quick Reference
Glossary
See Also

How It Works

Configure a voice using a KlattVoiceProfile — set frequency, speed, waveform, formants, and pitch variance.
Assign a KlattPhonemeMap — maps text characters to ARPABET phonemes for pronunciation.
Speak text from ScriptCanvas or C++ — the system converts text to phonemes and synthesizes audio in real time.
Position in 3D — the voice component uses KlattSpatialConfig for 3D audio positioning relative to the entity.

Voice Configuration

Parameter	What It Controls
Frequency	Base voice pitch.
Speed	Speech rate.
Waveform	Voice quality — Saw, Triangle, Sin, Square, Pulse, Noise, Warble.
Formants	Vocal tract resonance characteristics.
Pitch Variance	Random pitch variation for natural-sounding speech.
Declination	Pitch drop over the course of a sentence.

KTT Tags

KTT (Klatt Text Tags) allow inline parameter changes within speech text for expressive delivery:

Third Party Implementations

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This section will contain integration guides for connecting third-party audio middleware and tools with the GS_Audio system.

For usage guides and setup examples, see The Basics: GS_Audio.

Get GS_Audio

GS_Audio — Explore this gem on the product page and add it to your project.

Audio on GS_Play Gameplay Framework

Audio Manager

Audio Events

Audio Manager

Contents

What It Manages

Quick Reference

Glossary

Audio Events

Contents

How It Works

Event Configuration

GS_AudioEventComponent

Mixing & Effects

GS_Audio

Quick Navigation

Installation

GS_Audio

Contents

Audio Management

Mixing & Effects

Contents

Available Filters

Environmental Audio Influence

Score Arrangement

Klatt Voice Synthesis

Score Arrangement

Klatt Voice Synthesis

Contents

How It Works

Voice Configuration

KTT Tags

Third Party Implementations

Get GS_Audio